Baptism, the Sign of consecration of the New Covenant, fulfills Baptism, and as such is to be given to our covenant children, that they might be brought into the church and placed under the authority of Jesus Christ.
As Jesus builds his New Israel, he gives them a new and better land, heaven itself, over which he is the King.
The life of the sacrificial animals was not enough to give life to the spiritually dead, a better blood was needed and so God's children were forbidden to partake of the blood, until the better sacrifice came in Jesus Christ.
The gathering of the New Disciples is the gathering of a new community, a New Israel, built upon Christ – the true and final Prophet, Priest and King – and it displaces the Old (national) Israel.
Christ is the better lamb of God as the fulfillment of Isaiah 52, 53 who takes away the sin, not only of Jews, but of the nations - showing himself to be the better Son of God - displacing Israel.
The descending of the Spirit comes in fulfillment of Isaiah 40:1-8, coming in judgment as an anticipation of the final judgment as judgment comes to Israel.
The writer presents John as the one who bears testimony regarding Christ, heralding his coming as that of the Lord, in fulfillment of the prophecy made through Isaiah (Is 40:3) – in order that Christ might bring comfort, from God, to his chosen people.
Review of the prologue: Salvation is by God, through God and to God. Christ is the eternal God who has come in the flesh to redeem his people unto an eternal inheritance.
By coming to earth, perfectly fulfilling the Law of God, and enduring the wrath of God, Jesus Christ earned the right to make his people spiritually alive. The resurrection is proof positive that this is true – that Christ ha
Christ came as the final revelation of the Father to do that which the Law could not do – show God's heavenly kindness in fullness and bring salvation.
John tells us, in this passage that the logos is Yahweh, the God of Israel, who dwelt in the midst of his people, in glory, in the Tabernacle, and has, now, become flesh.
The Gospel Writer presents Jesus as the heavenly light who came into creation and was rejected by the Jews and Gentiles in order that be might enlighten his chosen with the knowledge of salvation causing them to be born again.
The Gospel writer wants to establish the identity of John, who was anticipated by the Old Testament, and brings about a conclusion to the Old Testament witness regarding Christ by announcing the arrival of the Light and the Gospel to all men.
John brings us hope through Jesus Christ, who is God himself, and brings spiritual light into spiritual darkness, that is brings eternal life to his own. By doing this, Christ brings about a new and a better creation.
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