Monday 31 January 2011

The Messiah's Secret - Saved by the Blood of Christ

We have an awesome God and the heavens declare the glory of the living God.

God revealed his future plan to the Apostle John.
John the Apostle saw in heaven a woman clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet. She was wearing a crown of twelve stars. Revelation 12: 1 - 6
"And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; 2/ she was with child and she cried out in her pangs of birth, in anguish for delivery. 3/ And another portent appeared in heaven; behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems upon his heads.4/ His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven, and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bear a child, that he might devour her child when she brought it forth; 5/ she brought forth a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, 6/ and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which to be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days."

In John’s revelation “the woman clothed with the sun.”
The woman Israel - the wife of God. Isaiah 50: 1. Jeremiah 3: 6-13.
The sun – Jacob. The moon – Rachael. The twelve stars – the sons of Jacob. Genesis 37: 9-11
The woman, one of King David’s descendants would bring forth the Messiah, as Leader and Saviour. 2 Samuel 7: 12, 16. Luke 2:11. Acts 5: 31.

Israel the wife of God brought forth the Son of God, the Messiah.
This was fulfilled when Mary a descendant of King David brought forth Jesus. God was the Father of Jesus. Genealogy of Mary: Joseph the husband of Heli’s daughter Mary. Luke 4: 23
Jesus was born into this world, his mother Mary giving him his flesh, his body.                                            

To have faith in the Virgin Birth is to believe that all things are possible with God. When a person receives healing through prayer, God heals within the body, without touching the flesh.
In 1978 Louise Joy Brown was born, she was the first test tube baby. It seemed incredible at the time. Drs Steptoe and Edwards made medical history when they developed the means were they were able to plant Leslie Brown’s fertilised egg into her womb. We take these breakthroughs in medical science for granted now, but I remember a comment at the time, ‘scientists were playing at being God.’

God fertilised the egg in Mary’s womb, without her flesh being touched. Mary gave Jesus his humanity; God the Father of Jesus gave him his Divinity.

Jesus’ blood, the components of Jesus' blood I believe came from the author of life, the sinless life of God, therefore he had the nature of God his Father. The virgin Mary was overshadowed by God’s Holy Spirit when she conceived. The Holy Spirit convicts us of the truth and we accept this truth by faith.

A local Midwife explained to me how a baby has its own blood.
"The baby’s blood is developed soon after conception, no actual blood from mum goes directly to the baby, and the baby has its own DNA. The placenta is like a giant lung attached to the umbilical cord to the baby. From the placenta the baby receives oxygen and nutriments from mum. The waste and the carbon dioxide go via the placenta and are disposed of through mum’s bodily functions.”

Our blood circulates around the whole of our body. Even though it is uniquely our own, we are linked through blood groups throughout the human race. The blood in our veins, can be given through transfusions to other human beings, whether we are Chinese or English. There are no links in our blood with other created animals. We can not receive a transfusion from a monkey.

Jesus' blood originating from God, the sinless life of God his Father. His blood pouring out from the cross has the potential to cleanse and redeem the whole of the human race. 

Red cells 
There are 5,000,000 red cells per cubic millimetre, red cells are very tiny, and every red cell travels in the blood to the lungs where it picks up oxygen. After picking up the oxygen a single red cell offloads the oxygen to a single tissue, the oxygen gives combustion and heat to the tissue. The red cell then takes the waste away from the tissue and disposes of it out of the body through the lungs, plasma, skin, bladder and bowel. 
“The Chemistry of the Blood” Dr M.R.DeHaan. 
                                                                                       
Now this is true of the physical body but it all points to a deeper spiritual truths.
Spiritually the blood of Jesus goes into action when a person is hearing about what Jesus achieved through his death on the cross. He made the final sacrifice for all that separated us from God, his blood being accepted by God for the forgiveness of our sin.
“Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness for sin.” Leviticus 17: 11. Hebrews 9: 22
Like the red blood cell, the blood of Jesus has the power to spiritually cleanse us and remove our sin and the causes of sin.
"Jesus said at the last supper, "For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Matthew 26: 28.
“The next day he saw Jesus walking towards him, and said,” Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1: 29
“As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our sins from us.” Psalm 103: 12
“And no longer shall each man teach his neighbour and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sins no more.” Jeremiah 31: 34.

Like the red cell takes away the waste from the tissue, so Jesus takes away our sin, and it is remembered no more.
The Holy Spirit like the oxygen gives combustion sparks off the person into the newness of life, to live our lives in the Spirit of God’s love.                                                                                 
The red and white cells work together.
The work of the single red cell to a single tissue speaks of personal salvation; the Lord meets and treats us equally men, women and children.                                                                                                                      
Paul wrote in Romans 12:5 “So we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another” As Christians working together we are one in the blood of Jesus. But like the Trinity individually members of it.

The white cells are the soldiers of the body; they defend the body from bacteria and bring healing to damaged skin.

When for instance we have a splinter in our finger, a message goes to the brain and the brain sends a message to the marrow to produce and send more white cells to the infected area. In the process of combating the infection, the white cells have power to destroy bacteria some of the white cells die along with the bacteria, this forms the puss.

The white cells have built in their structure DNA which the red cells do not have. The DNA produces new skin to heal, restoring and producing new flesh. Amazing.

The blood of Jesus defends us from spiritual attack from the powers of darkness.
Second sign VERSE 4

The red dragon representing Satan, he brought his demonic host against the holy child Jesus when King Herod ordered the slaughter of male children under the age of two years.

There were further attempts to end Jesus’ life before his time: In the wilderness temptations he was tempted to jump by Satan from a pinnacle of the temple. At Nazareth some of the people there threatened to throw him over the cliff. At Jerusalem some Jews there were about to stone him, accusing him of blasphemy.
Jesus identified Satan as the evil one, “I do not pray that thou should take them (his disciples) out of the world, but that thou should keep them from the evil one.” John 17: 15
The powers of darkness knew that Jesus was the Holy One of God, that he had the power and authority of God. Jesus disarmed, immobilised, but not yet totally destroyed these principalities and powers.

Rebellion in Heaven
The scriptures reveal that there was a rebellion in heaven. Satan claimed equality with God and some of the angels sided with him.
”How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of the Dawn! (one of the many names of Satan)How you are cut to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit in the mount of the assembly in the far north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will make myself like the Most High.’ Isaiah 14: 12-14

The gods of Egypt were conquered by the one true God of Israel. Even today some religions put their god above the God of Abraham, Satan the deceiver put himself above God when he offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the earth if he would bow down and worship him.

Satan was defeated and evicted from his heavenly home. The words of Jesus in Luke 10: 18 “Jesus saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven.”
After the creation of the earth Satan sought to undermine the fellowship between man and his creator. God created man out of dust and then he breathed into Adam his blood, giving him life. “The life of the flesh is in the blood.” Leviticus 17: 11.

Moses in his God inspired writings wrote about Adam and Eve’s encounter with Satan, who lied to them when he offered them a way to be like God knowing good and evil. They accepted his lie and as a result their lives fell under Satan’s influence; every part of their nature became tainted by sin. Adam’s son Seth was born in the likeness of Adam not of God. (God named the first male and female, ’Man,’ plural ‘mankind.’ Genesis 5: 2, 3.

The Israelites on their wilderness journey they were dying through snake bites. Moses was instructed by God to make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole; and every one who was bitten, when they looked at it, would live. Numbers 21: 9

The Messiah’s Secret page 73
Jesus used this incident, in the exodus from Egypt, to demonstrate his death and resurrection.
The Son of man had to die and be lifted up so that those who believe in him and follow him receive eternal life.” John 3: 14.
The result of the fall of the first man,Adam, his sin resulted in death. (Serpent – death) the second man Jesus through victory over sin and death won eternal life. (Serpent lifted up – healing)   

God had cursed the serpent and prophesied that through the seed of a woman the Messiah would bruise the head of the serpent, and the serpent would bruise the heel of the Messiah. Genesis 3: 15 The prophecy of the redemption that Jesus fulfilled.
The serpent bruised Christ’s heel; this happened when Jesus suffered the agony of the wooden cross, the death by hanging on a tree, crucifixion. Deuteronomy 21: 23.

Like the white cells in our blood, the blood of Jesus defends and heals our wounds.
Today Satan continues to deceive, denying Jesus’ victory over him. We fend off the fiery darts which often are accusations and deceit coming from Satan with the blood of Jesus.
One of his strategies is to send thoughts to our mind that suggest that we have said or done something wrong which when we reflect on it, we know that we haven’t, but still the thoughts keep on coming.
We disarm Satan by claiming Jesus’ victorious blood over his accusations. He has to retreat because we are justified through faith in the blood of Jesus. Justification means declared not guilty of sin against God.
When God our Father looks at us his beloved children, he sees spiritually the righteous blood of Christ in our being.

Arrow Prayer (This is saying a short prayer while active during the day)
I claim my position in Christ from the word; I then take the shield of faith the blood and make a stand against the principalities and powers, in the authority of Jesus’ name.
Dear Lord, I am your child, “To those who believe, you gave power to become the children of God”, I take the shield of faith which is mine in Christ and block the thoughts coming to me from the evil one that are not true. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Antibodies in our blood.
Antibodies prevent infection; after a person has had a disease cells are produced that have a resistance to that disease. Some are effective for life, others temporarily, immunity only for a time. This immunity is in the blood.

Satan is immobilised by the victory that Jesus has won. It is like the army that is defeated and afterwards surrender their weapons. In prayer we are able to claim Jesus’ victory and discern the activity of Satan and bring it to an end. This may take persistent prayer.

The parable of the wedding feast,  the king gave a marriage feast for his son.
"But when the king came to look in at his guests, he saw a man who had no wedding garment; and he said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants. 'Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into the outer darkness." Matthew 22: 11-13.
Jesus gives us his authority to bind and loose principalities and powers, to render them speechless and powerless in the activity of Satan.

Rev Moody Stories
"When I was speaking to five thousand children in Glasgow some years ago, I took a spool of thread and said to one of the largest boys: "Do you believe I can bind you with that thread?" He laughed at the idea.  I wound the thread around him a few times, and he broke it with a single jerk.  Then I wound the thread around and around, and by and by said: "Now get free if you can."  He could not move head or foot."
Plasma 
The primary purpose of plasma is to transport nutrients, hormones, and proteins to the parts of the body that need it. Cells also deposit their waste products into the plasma, and the plasma in turn helps remove this waste from the body. Blood plasma also ushers the movement of all the elements of blood through the circulatory system. It also has a clotting factor, stops the flow of blood through open wounds. 
The Holy Spirit ministry he convicts the world of unbelief, righteousness and judgement. He shows us Jesus and acts upon Jesus’ words. He divides soul and Spirit with the sword bearing the word of God. He illuminates the word, giving us direction He organises the gifts of the Spirit in the body of Christ.

Prayer 
Praying for protection this day/night with the blood of Jesus over all principalities and powers.  I put the shield of faith, the blood of Jesus, my helmet of salvation upon my head and I apply my victory in the power of Jesus' blood to save, to protect and to heal because Jesus that is in us, is greater than Satan that is in the world. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Jesus has won the victory over all principalities and powers in his death and resurrection. The Holy Spirit teaches us how to stand in the continual flow of the righteous blood of Jesus Christ from the throne of his grace and in the word of God against the strategies of Satan.                                                                                                                
It is very important that we study and meditate upon the scriptures. Jesus being the Word of God clothed in the flesh.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1: 1
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of life. The life was made manifest, and we saw it, and testify to it, and proclaim to you eternal life which was with the Father and was made manifest to us, that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you may have fellowship with us; and our fellowship is with the Father and with the Son Jesus Christ.” 1 John 1: 1-3

Future prophecy
In John’s revelation the woman went off into the wilderness for a period of 1,260 days.
Daniel prophesied that there will be an agreement between Israel and the antichrist for seven years. This is the last week of the seventy weeks prophecy of Daniel. Daniel 9: 27
The week is divided into two parts. The first part: for 1,260 days, three and a half years, during that time there will be a period of peace in the world. Second part: the antichrist turns on Israel and the Great Tribulation takes place for the remainder of the week of prophecy.
John refers to the Christians who die to self and live for Christ who are caught up in this, the great tribulation in Revelation 12: 11
“They conquered Satan with the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony, for they did not love their own lives unto death.”
After this terrible time only a small number of Israelis survive and it’s at this point Jesus returns to take up again with Israel and defeat the antichrist. Revelation 19: 13-21.


Three Views on the Millennium Revelation 20: 1 – 15 Eyre & Spottiswoode Bible page 1884

Post Millennium

A Post Millennialist holds that the millennium is a period of world history in which the reign of Christ has been established through His church which is destined to conquer the world with the gospel, and at the end of this golden age Christ will personally return to earth and inaugurate a new heaven and a new earth.

A – Millennium
A – Millennialist denies that there will ever be a literal earth-rule of a thousand years, either before or after Christ’s return. By some the thousand years are taken to be simply symbolic of eternity (although verse 5 poses a serious problem for this view), and the only reign spoken in this passage is an eternal heavenly reign. Christ’s return to earth will simply usher in the “new heaven and the new earth” and His only eschatological rule will be celestial, not in this world. By others the one thousand years of Christ’s reign are taken to be the period between the first and second comings of Christ.

Pre-Millennium
Looks for the return of Christ to earth at the beginning of a literal, thousand year reign upon the earth when “the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of God as the waters cover the sea” and all the nations of mankind will be completely subservient to the Lord Jesus. At the end of this period Satan will be released again in order to stir up the secretly rebellious portion of mankind to a final open revolt against God (verses 7 – 9). 

Tuesday 18 January 2011

The Messiah's Secret - Lamb of God

Clarence House in London announced, heralded the good news about Prince William and Kate Middleton’s engagement on 16th November 2010.

Almost 2,000 years ago John the Baptist heralded the good news of the coming of the Messiah to the people of Israel. As part of the preparation for his coming John called the nation to repentance, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” Matthew 3: 3. Isaiah 40: 3.

At Bethany John the Baptist saw Jesus coming towards him, he was standing with two of his disciples, John remarked, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” John 1: 28, 29.

The ‘Lamb of God’ identified as being a man, the Messiah. The prophet Isaiah reveals this to us in 53: 7. “Led like a lamb to the slaughter, like a sheep before its shearers is dumb, he opened not his mouth.”
We have another reference to the ‘Lamb of God’ being a man. Abraham was instructed by God to take his son, his only son Isaac, whom he loved to the land of Moriah, and offer him as a burnt offering. Abraham did as the Lord requested, he saddled his ass, placing the wood for the burnt offering upon it, and taking with him two servants, and his son Isaac; they set out. After travelling three days they arrived at the place. Abraham told the young men to stay with the ass while he and Isaac went away up the mountain. Abraham gave Isaac the wood to carry for the burnt offering and he carried the fire and the knife. Isaac said to his father Abraham, “Behold, the fire and the wood; but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.”

The writer of Hebrews informs us that Abraham believed that God would provide the sacrifice.
“By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who received the promises was ready to offer up his only son, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your descendants be named.” He considered that God was able to raise men even from the dead.” Hebrews 11: 19

When Abraham and Isaac arrived at the place where God had told him, he built an altar, upon the wood he bound Isaac and just as he was about to slay him, an angel spoke to him telling him not to do so.
Abraham looked up and immediately saw a ram caught in the thicket by his horns. He took the sheep and offered it as a burnt offering. Genesis 22: 1-14

God knew that Abraham loved and trusted him and would not withhold his son from him.

Reading this account today causes us to realise that God did not withhold his son from making the sacrifice in order to take away the sins of the world.
The cost to God, God is love and the magnitude of the depth of his love is beyond my comprehension.
I see it, like looking at an iceberg, we can only see the tip above the water, the huge amount of ice that lies below the water is hidden from view. The unfathomable, unsearchable depths and riches of God.

Next day John the Baptist saw Jesus walking along the road. Two of John's disciples standing with him, they heard John say, “Behold the Lamb of God!”
These two disciples followed Jesus, he stopped and invited them to the place where he was staying. After spending all day with Jesus, Andrew, one the two disciples afterwards he went and told his brother Peter, “We have found the Messiah.” Peter responded and went to find Jesus.
The next day Jesus went to Galilee where he found Philip and asked him to follow him. John 1: 30-43

Here we read of three ways to find Jesus:
o Hearing the evangelist or preacher’s message.
o Through personal witness giving testimony to Jesus being the Messiah
o Jesus spoke directly to Philip.

As a result of the dispersion of the community of believers at Jerusalem, The Apostle Philip visited a city in Samaria where he preached the message about Jesus. Those who believed he baptised, Jesus' baptism.

Philip was directed by the Holy Spirit to travel towards Gaza following the Jerusalem road.
Philip made his way along the road when he and came upon a chariot. Inside the chariot there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a minister of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of all her treasure, he had been to Jerusalem to worship and he was returning ; seated in his chariot, he was reading from the prophet of Isaiah. Philip led by the Holy Spirit came alongside the chariot, he heard him reading from Isaiah. He asked the eunuch did he understand what he was reading? He replied, “How can I, unless some one guides me?” He invited Philip to sit with him.
The passage that the Ethiopian was reading: “As a sheep led to the slaughter or a lamb before its shearer is dumb, so he opens not his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken up from the earth.” Isaiah 53: 7, 8.
The eunuch asked Philip, “About whom, pray, does the prophet say this, about himself our some one else?” Then Philip beginning with this scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. As they went along the road they came to some water, the Ethiopian stopped the chariot and was baptised in the water. The Ethiopian eunuch went on his way rejoicing. Acts 8: 4-38

The Messiah's Secret - Introduction page 10
Luke the writer of Acts recorded this incident perhaps to convey to Theophilus and the Jews reading this account that these verses that were prophesied by Isaiah were definite references to the suffering and the death of the Messiah. The Ethiopian's baptism in Jesus' name for the forgiveness of sin and the prophecy of Joel, the pouring out of God's Spirit upon all flesh in the last days.

For Jesus the ‘Lamb of God’ to take away the sin of the world he was prepared to deal with the origin of sin. Moses inspired by the Holy Spirit wrote about separation that took place between God and Adam and Eve in Genesis.

Adam and Eve began life knowing God in a personal way, their lives were changed when they accepted a lie from Satan, who manifested himself to them, as a serpent.
God had forbidden Adam and Eve to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Satan suggested first to Eve and through Eve to Adam, that if they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they would be like God knowing good and evil.
They both disobeyed God and as a result they were separated from God and they became gods unto themselves.
Their nature changed to become self orientated which led to self rule, and leading self centred lives. Also this opened a door to death, sickness, wars etc; and enmity against God. Since then their fallen nature has been inherited by every person in every generation.

(Most of the World religions are based on self improvement and training the soul.)

God chose Abraham through Isaac and his descendants to make him known amongst the nations. The Mosaic covenant was put in place by God to identify sin and its causes. A blood sacrifice was repeatedly made at the temple for the forgiveness of sin. "Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin." Leviticus 17: 11. Hebrews 9: 22.
A person brought their sacrifice a lamb or a bird to the gate of the court of the priests. The person laid their hand upon the head of the offering and transferred by prayer their sin to it. The lamb became their substitute taking their punishment and it was slain and its blood caught in a vessel by the priest and then the blood was sprinkled upon the altar to atone for their sin.

Today when we recognise that our sin separates us from knowing God and we find out that God has made it possible for a person to be forgiven by Jesus becoming our substitute. If we can picture in our mind the person who came to the temple and by prayer they laid their sin on the lamb uniting it with the person, so we are united with Jesus our substitute and his blood has made for us the final sacrifice for our sin against God. The term for it: is being crucified with Christ and just as the person in the temple received forgiveness, so we receive forgiveness.

In the garden of Gethsemane Jesus was tempted not to go to the cross and die. But he did go to the cross and was led like a lamb to the slaughter in meekness and love he gave his life and took upon himself the sins of the whole world.
Jesus was resurrected from the dead, because death and Satan had no dominion over him.
Through faith in Jesus, we die to our sin and we are raised by the action of God, our hearts and nature given newness of life, to have fellowship with God in the Spirit.

A prayer asking for God’s forgiveness:
Lord God thank you that you love us so much that you sent Jesus to be my substitute for all my sin, please forgive me, as I forgive those who have sinned against me. I ask that you would make yourself known to me and fill me with the newness of life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

"But what does it say? The word is near you, on our lips and in your heart (that is, the word of faith which we preach); because, if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:8, 9.

Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit equips every Christian with gifts to give witness to Jesus being alive and risen from the dead and to the promise of eternal life.
In the church these gifts are distributed among the believers for the work of making Christ known and to herald the news to the world that Jesus is alive, risen from the dead. And he is coming back again and we with him shall reign for ever more.

Place on a board the Gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12: 28 Distribute pictures relating to those gifts which include all the ministry of the whole congregation.

Healing – Prayer, Doctors and Nurses, First Aiders

Next day Jesus went to Galilee
After Philip met Jesus in Galilee he went and found Nathanael and told him that they had found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote about, Jesus of Nazareth.

Moses told the Hebrew people that God would send to them a prophet like him from among their people. God would give him his words that would come to pass. Deuteronomy 18:18
Jesus fulfilled this requirement of the Law. “They shall leave none of the lamb until morning, nor break a bone of it; according to all the statute for the Passover they shall keep it.” Numbers 9: 12
The soldiers did not break Jesus’ legs on the cross because he was already dead. John 19: 33

The prophet Ezekiel prophesied the Messiah being the chief shepherd of his people, “ My servant David shall be King over them and they shall have one shepherd. They shall follow my ordinances and observe my statutes. They shall dwell in the land for ever.” Ezekiel 37: 24

Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would be called a Nazarene. Isaiah 11: 1

Nathanael doubted Philip’s words to him and said, “Can anything good come from Nazareth.”
Perhaps Nazareth was thought of in Jesus’ day as being a city of no consequence.

Philip took Nathanael to see Jesus and as they approach him, Jesus said, “An Israelite indeed, in whom there is no falsehood.”
I’m sure Nathanael was pleased to hear these words, he replied, “How do you know me?” Jesus said, “Before Philip called you, I saw him under the fig tree.” This reply caused him to discern that Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah.
The connection is with Jesus seeing Nathanael as being honest, truthful and a sincere man and also him being seated under the fig tree was confirming the coming of the Messiah.
The prophet Zachariah prophesied the branch, the Messiah would bring in the Day of Vengeance a day of judgement. And in that day those who were saved would invite their neighbour to sit under his fig tree.
“ In that day I will remove the guilt of the land in a single day. In that day, says the Lord of Hosts every one of you will invite his neighbour under his vine and under his fig tree.” Zechariah 3: 8-10.

Jesus said to Nathanael, “Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You shall see greater things than these.” John 1: 29-50

The greater things - Jesus’ baptism of water and Spirit
Water is something that we all use for cleansing purposes and when we add a cleansing agent to it it removes stubborn stains, dirt and germs.
So when we think of Jesus' baptism: the water and the cleansing agent, the blood of Jesus, applied to our heart we can understand the implications, it removes sin and its causes, things that spoil our relationship with God and other people; selfishness, pride, envy, covetousness, murder, deceit, fornication, slander and theft.
So the water and the blood cleanse us then God adds the fiz to the water, the Holy Spirit. We are made alive, a new creation, born again into the kingdom of God.

“This is Jesus who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with water only but with the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the witness, because the Spirit is the truth. There are three witnesses, the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree. If we receive the testimony of men the testimony of God is greater; for this is the testimony of God that he has borne witness to his Son. He who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself . . . .And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in the Son.” 1 John 5: 6-11