While John was preaching about the Coming One, Jesus was living over 100 kilometers (62 miles) away, at the village of Nazareth. He was a humble carpenter, helping to care for his family.
Jesus was about 30 years old then, and He traveled to meet John and to be baptized by him. John knew of Jesus’ goodness. He did not want to baptize Jesus. John said,
“I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” Matthew 3:14.
Jesus had no sins to confess. He had no need for forgiveness. But He always did what God wanted. He told John to baptize him (Matthew 3:13-15). When Jesus was baptized, the Spirit of God came down and settled on Him. A voice from heaven said,
“You are my beloved Son; with You I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:21-22).
John understood then that the Coming One was Jesus!
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because He was before me.’ I myself did not know Him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that He might be revealed to Israel.” And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on Him. I myself did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit’ (John 1:29-33).
ERV: The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God. He takes away the sins of the world! This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘There is a man coming after me who is greater than I am, because he was living even before I was born.’ I did not know who he was. But I came baptizing people with water so that Israel could know that Jesus is the Christ.” Then John said, “I also did not know who the Christ was. But the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘You will see the Spirit come down and rest on a man. He is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.'”