King James Bible
"And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost."
John the Baptist admits he did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah by natural means, despite being His relative. This emphasizes that divine revelation, not human knowledge, authenticated Jesus' identity. John identifies God as the one who commissioned his baptismal ministry and provided him with a specific sign. This establishes John's authority as divinely appointed and his testimony as based on God's direct communication. God gave John a distinctive sign: the Spirit would not merely touch the Messiah momentarily but would rest permanently upon Him. This visible, lasting presence of the Spirit would unmistakably identify the chosen one. The one marked by the Spirit's abiding presence would baptize not with water but with the Holy Spirit itself. This contrasts John's preparatory baptism with Jesus' transformative spiritual baptism, marking a shift from ritual cleansing to inner renewal.