What Jesus Did! 'He Is the One' — John 1:31-33

Tuesday, January 20, 2026

[John the Baptizer said,] "I did not recognize [Jesus] as the Messiah, but I have been baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel."

Then John testified, "I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him. I didn't know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, 'The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.'"

— John 1:31-33 NLT

Key Thought

Isn't it interesting how hard it is for us to see some things because we are too familiar with them? Jesus' brothers and sisters didn't recognize him as God's Son until after his resurrection. The people in his village didn't expect anything of importance from him. They missed who Jesus was! But we are promised that if we seek after him, we will find him. If we look at his teaching, we can determine that he comes from God. If we open the door to him, he will come in and share our lives. If we obey him, he will come and make his home with us. If we receive him, we can be born into the Kingdom of God. So the test for each of us is pretty simple: Do I seek Jesus or am I seeking something else - a teaching, a doctrine, a religion? If we seek the latter things, we can know a lot about Jesus, but never really know HIM. So let's seek Jesus and his new way of life in the Spirit! As we continue to read the Gospel of John together this year, let's always ask God to reveal Jesus clearly to us.

Today's Prayer

Father, help me know Jesus more powerfully and more fully as I study his life and seek to reflect his character in my daily life. Please show yourself to me just as you promised. Open my eyes so that I can see your work clearly in my life and praise you fully with my heart and my actions. Jesus, please let me come to know you and not just know about you. In your precious name, I pray and thank you for being my Savior. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

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3 Related Resources by Heartlight

Eyes Opened
Devo: God's Holy Fire
"[John the Baptizer said,] "I did not recognize [Jesus] as the Messiah, but I have been baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel." Then John....."
He Is the Chosen One of God
Devo: What Jesus Did!
"[John the Baptizer said,] "I didn't know [Jesus] was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, 'The one on whom you see the..."
The Chosen One of God
Devo: God's Holy Fire
"[John the Baptizer continued,] "I didn't know [Jesus] was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, 'The one on whom you see the Spirit....."

Illustration

Illustration of John 1:31-33 NLT — "I did not recognize [Jesus] as the Messiah, but I have been baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel."

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Tuesday, January 20, 2026

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About This Devotional

What Jesus Did! is a series of one-year devotional guides through each gospel, using one short scripture passage each day and following the Gospel in sequential order. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage and a reflection and a prayer which open up the day's scripture and show how it challenges you to live for Jesus.

What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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