2. What new thing did John the Baptizer announce that Jesus would do, and what was this new thing related to?

² When John the Baptizer was preparing the way for Jesus, he announced that Jesus would do something new. The record says: “[John] would preach, saying: ‘After me someone stronger than I am is coming; I am not fit to stoop and untie the laces of his sandals. I baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with holy spirit.’” (Mark 1:7, 8) Before that time, no one had been baptized with holy spirit. This was a new arrangement involving holy spirit, and it had to do with Jehovah’s about-to-be-revealed purpose to prepare humans for heavenly rulership.

 5. When were the faithful disciples baptized with holy spirit, and what related operations of holy spirit occurred at the same time?

⁵ When Jesus spoke to Nicodemus, holy spirit had already come upon Jesus, anointing him for his future kingship in God’s Kingdom, and God had publicly acknowledged Jesus as His Son. (Matthew 3:16, 17) Jehovah begot more spiritual children at Pentecost 33 C.E. Faithful disciples gathered in the upper room in Jerusalem were baptized with holy spirit. At the same time, they were born again from holy spirit to be God’s spiritual sons. (Acts 2:2-4, 38; Romans 8:15) Further, they were anointed with holy spirit with a view to a future heavenly inheritance, and they were sealed in an initial way with holy spirit as a token of the certainty of that heavenly hope.​—2 Corinthians 1:21, 22.