Baptism In The Holy Spirit: Coming To Galilee

12/5/2021

Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
[Mark 1:14-15 NKJV]

After the ‘wilderness experience’ of the baptism in the Holy Spirit, we come to Galilee. For Jesus — once His 40 days in the wilderness was over (and John the Baptist was imprisoned) — He lost no time in ministering the message of the Kingdom of God. In other words, once baptised in the Holy Spirit and receiving the revelation, we must walk in it.

Jesus message is a simple one; so simple in fact that many reject it. ‘The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!’ in the ‘New Living Translation’, or in the more direct ‘The Message’, ‘Time's up! God's kingdom is here. Change your life and believe the Message.’

Galilee we understand is biblical shorthand for ‘trust’ or ‘commit’*. We see this in John 4 when Jesus needed to pass through Samaria because He was travelling to Galilee. Coming to Galilee is, I believe, a sign of commitment, of trusting God following the Spirit-filling baptism.

The point is that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is an amazing affirmation of the working of God in and through each one who receives that gift. There is no purpose served if we merely say ‘Thanks, God’, put it in a cupboard and go back to life as before.

* h1556. גָּלַל g̱âlal; a primitive root; to roll (literally or figuratively): — commit, remove, roll (away, down, together), run down, seek occasion, trust, wallow.