The FIRE Baptism
“Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of Heaven.” John 3:5 (Image: Unsplash)
When I was 9 years old and attending a Baptist church in Philadelphia, my mother told me I would be baptized for the second time since birth. Other people were getting baptized that day with me, though they were led to the water one at a time. We were all told to wear white clothing, a symbol of purity and coming into the newness of Christ. I remember feeling weird about getting in the deep water, fully clothed in my little white pleated robe, watched and cheered on by my family and friends.
Later, I learned that the pomp and circumstance of the event were only a public display of what God was doing in me. As you will discover below, baptism is God’s way of purging you of your spiritual sins. As John the Baptist explains, there’s a special baptism that can only be done by Christ that will save your soul.
In Matthew chapter 3, the story of John’s baptism of Jesus has more than a few important takeaways. One of the biggest is what John told the Pharisees and Sadducees who attended the baptism at the Jordan River on what became one of the holiest events humanity had ever witnessed.
The baptism
For those who don’t understand baptism, it means more than being submerged in water. Baptism is the closest earthly example of spiritual death and rebirth. It symbolizes the stripping of sins from one’s life in exchange for eternal life in Christ Jesus.
Since Jesus was alive then, man didn’t yet have his sanctified blood to redeem them. He was still young and needed to be purified. Only John was worthy to do this.
The Pharisees and Sadducees questioned John about his baptizing others instead of getting baptized himself. They had heard about a loud man who wore camel hair for clothing and ate locusts and wild honey, baptizing people in the name of a God they didn’t recognize. They lacked understanding; they thought John was speaking against God and wanted to stop him. But being extremely sensitive to the Holy Spirit, John was alerted to their arrival and had a clear response for them:
“Ye generation of VIPERS!” (Woah, harsh!) “Who hath told YOU to flee from the wrath to come?”
Suspecting dishonesty, John openly mocked the beliefs of the Pharisees and Sadducees who tried to disrupt the baptism, quickly telling them that God could see through their fake behavior. John said they were unworthy of the baptism in the river and wouldn’t be worthy of the baptism to come because it was not one of water but of the Holy Spirit and FIRE.
“I indeed baptize you with water, but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear. He it is that will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire” - Matthew 3:11 (Image: Unsplash)
