A baptism of water, the Holy Spirit and fire

Matthew 3 

⁷ But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance; ⁹ and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. ¹⁰ The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹² His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

The Baptism of Jesus

¹³ Then Jesus *arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him. ¹⁴ But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?” ¹⁵ But Jesus answering said to him, “Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he *permitted Him. ¹⁶ After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, ¹⁷ and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

This text begins with John, the cousin of Jesus fulfilling the ministry which had been prophesized of him in Isaiah 40:3, which John himself confirms in John 1:23.

He said, "I am A VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, 'MAKE STRAIGHT THE WAY OF THE LORD,' as Isaiah the prophet said."

John was preaching a message of repentance and the baptism he offered was a baptism of repentance and turning toward God.  There were many of the religeous leaders who believed that their heritage as "sons of Abraham" and their religeous tradition were the keys to their relationship with God. Many today mistakenly believe that tradition or heritage can save them. John was pointing the way to the coming Messiah, Jesus, the only way to salvation.

When Jesus approached John to be baptized, John recognizing Jesus higher authority submitted to Him. Jesus did not need repentance. He was without sin. Yet this act of becoming like the people was a vital part of Jesus ministry and mission. To take on all the sin of man on the cross, He first participated in this symbol of the repentance He himself would bring. When Jesus came up out of the water, scripture tells us,    the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, ¹⁷ and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

Jesus, God on earth recieved a filling of the Holy Spirit. God the Father spoke from heaven affirming Jesus , His Son.

In the Old Testament reading today in Genesis,it covered the account of  Noah and the flood. The evil on earth had become so extensive that God could no longer tolerate it. It says in that account in Genesis 7: ¹⁹ The water prevailed more and more upon the earth, so that all the high mountains everywhere under the heavens were covered. ²⁰ The water prevailed fifteen cubits higher, and the mountains were covered. ²¹ All flesh that moved on the earth perished, birds and cattle and beasts and every swarming thing that swarms upon the earth, and all mankind; ²² of all that was on the dry land, all in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, died.     God used water to destroy all flesh, to cleanse creation of the evil of sin.

The baptism we undergo is representative of that act. As we are covered by the water of our baptism our flesh, our sinful nature is put to death. Because Jesus participated in the baptism of repentance, we enter into a baptism not only of death to the flesh, but also of life in Him. We die to self and enter into the resurrection of Christ.

If Jesus, God's Son needed the Holy Spirit's presence then how much more do we need His presence and filling in our lives. Just as with the flood, the destruction of the evil of the flesh was only temporary. Sin again rose up on the earth. Sin will rise again in our lives if we merely destroy our flesh. We must be born again into the resurrection life that Jesus provides. Jesus did not end His time on earth on the cross or in the grave. Jesus rose from the grave and walked on earth in the power of the resurrection. We are called to do the same. We do not live a life of sacrifice and dying only. Jesus says:  I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. 

Abundant resurrection life. That's what Jesus came to give us. That's what He provides for us when we enter into His baptism.  John said of Jesus baptism:

 He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹² His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

The Holy Spirit, the power of God in our lives and the unquenchable fire of God continuing to burn up all the chaff of our lives.  That's our baptism, of water, the Holy Spirit and fire. 

Jesus rose up from His baptism and filled with the Holy Spirit began His earthly ministry. After His resurrection from the grave and before His ascension to the Father. He called and commissioned His disciples to continue His earthly ministry. We begin in repentance, dying to self. We rise with Him in abundant Spirit filled life to complete the ministry He left for us.

18And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."(Matthew 28)

Amen