John was baptizing people in the Jordan River and then Jesus stepped into the water to be baptized. And that was shocking for John who knew who Jesus was. I’ve shared before that this would be like Charles Schwab coming to me for financial advice or Elon Musk for creative ingenuity in the business world. It’s a complete role reversal, right? John is absolutely stunned and said earlier,
But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. Matthew 3:11 Then repeating what I read earlier in Matthew 3:13-14
Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
First, I want us to look at Jesus’ baptism.
Jesus’ baptism. Why was Jesus baptized?
So, there is still a lot we do not know concerning why Jesus was baptized. And the scripture really doesn’t tell us why Jesus was baptized. Certainly, there are things in the context which gives rise to thoughts and explanations around why Jesus was baptized. I just want to mention a couple of them this morning because I think they are significant.
One implied reason related to the baptism of Jesus was because this was planned by God for him to do in advance. In a nutshell, Jesus was completely following the will and plan of God for his life. Jesus was totally obedient in every step of his life with what the Father wanted him to do. This baptism was a precursor or a prelude for Jesus’ journey to the cross and to his death. Had Jesus failed here he would not have been able to be our Perfect Sacrifice.
Many theologians see baptism as a symbol or even what we call a “dress rehearsal” for our death. In our baptism we are dying and rising with Christ. In our funeral ritual we repeat the familiar words, “As in baptism John put on Christ. So, in Christ may John be clothed in glory.” This relays the powerful truth that our baptism prepares us for death. But it also symbolizes our resurrection!
So, when Jesus waded into the waters of baptism it was a prelude, a precursor in following the will of God that would ultimately lead to his death on the cross. Jesus was and is the Lamb of God John had spoken about who takes away the sins of the world. How would he do that? Well in obedience to his baptism and then ultimately to his journey to Jerusalem and to the cross. That is why God spoke from heaven and said, “This is my son in whom I am well pleased.”
I think another reason why Jesus was baptized is not just that he was complying with what God wanted him to do in fulfilling the plan of God for our salvation. But he was also accomplishing something very significant. When he waded into the waters of baptism, Jesus was completely identifying with our human brokenness. Jesus was entering into our human condition, our human situation. Even in its awfulness and its sinfulness. He was literally bringing heaven to earth and was the mediator between God and humanity.
The book of Hebrews reminds us, “Therefore since we have a great High Priest who is ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.” Notice what he says next here. “For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses. But we have one who has been tempted in every way just as we are, yet he did not sin. Let us therefore approach God’s throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrew 4:14-15
What the writer of Hebrews is reflecting is that Jesus and I think particularly in the waters of baptism is identifying with our humanity. He was made like us in every way so that we might be like him. Jesus was tempted in every way as we are in order to show us how to overcome our own temptations. Jesus was touched with the feeling of our infirmities that he might help us in our struggles and in our hurts and in our pain. Jesus was entering into the fullness of our humanity when he surrendered to the waters of baptism. Although he knew and John knew he did not need to be baptized Jesus was setting a model because he knew that every one of us would need to be baptized. And this leads to the next point.
Our Baptism. Why are we baptized?
What was John’s mission? To be the forerunner of Christ, to announce to the world Jesus is coming, the Messiah is here. Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. It’s kind of like Ken when he gives the announcements on Sunday. He’s telling us to mark our calendars because these things are coming up. You don’t want to miss this. That’s what John is saying. You don’t want to miss Christ. This is the Messiah, the Son of God. And what is John’s deeper mission in making this announcement? He is preparing the way for Christ. John’s message was repent, believe, be baptized. So, the significance of water baptism came through John the Baptist. And the significance of John’s message is simply this: we are turning away from our sins, and we are turning in repentance to follow Jesus. In our baptism the outward symbol is water. It represents the washing away of our sins. The forgiveness of our sins.
Baptism is often referred to as an initiation rite into the church. Before anyone becomes a member of the church, in almost any church, two things normally happen. One is a person makes a profession of faith in Christ as their Savior. They believe that Jesus died for them, for their sins. And they confess faith in Christ and receive Him as their Savior and Lord. Secondly, they are baptized. Again, baptism is the symbol of washing of their sin and the forgiveness that comes in Christ. That’s exactly what the message of John was about. It’s been the same throughout church history and even today for us. On the Day of Pentecost Peter preached and they asked, “What shall we do?” Here is Peter’s answer, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”. Acts 2:38
I recall a somewhat humorous story of a young girl who had it in her mind that she wanted to be baptized. Some of her friends were baptized and most of her family. So, she went to the pastor and started talking to the pastor and he related to her about the significance of baptism. He told her that her baptism represented that she was dying and rising with Christ. It means her sins were forgiven and she was living a new of life in Christ. Baptism would mark her as a follower of Christ. And everything she did will now be done in reflection of her life in Christ. Then the pastor asked her, “Are you sure you’re ready to be baptized?” She said, “No, I don’t think I’m ready to be baptized. I want to be bad for a couple of years and then I’ll be baptized”. Baptism is not just a ritual that allows you entrance to the church. It’s not just an initiation rite. It’s a covenant that involves a deep commitment that shapes our identity as the people of God.
Now the other part of this is somewhat confusing for many people. John stated earlier:
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Matthew 3:11
So, what is John talking about here with the fire of the Spirit? There’s a lot of different understandings and sometimes misunderstandings about what that means. On the one hand we’re talking about water representing the washing away of our sins as in John’s baptism. And then the Holy Spirit purifying us with fire as in Jesus’ baptism.
When John said, one greater than me is coming…he was implying that Jesus would be doing a greater work. It’s a greater work of God in our lives that John is talking about here.
In our Wesleyan tradition the Holy Spirit and fire is not just what God is doing FOR us but what God is doing IN us. That is the refining and empowering process that’s part of the fullness of Spirit in our lives that cleanses us and purifies us.
And I want to share three brief things about this fire before we have our baptismal remembrance.
First, FIRE BRINGS WARMTH
I was reminded of John Wesley’s experience on Aldersgate Street when he said, “I felt my heart strangely warmed.” That has been a signature experience celebrated in Methodist history of John Wesley’s fuller salvation experience. But it is an experience which many believers identify with in their own lives. I certainly do. There’s a feeling of relief and assurance that our sins are forgiven and that we are a child of God. And even as the Father spoke from heaven and said, “This is my beloved Son”, so now we experience the same assurance that we are accepted and loved by the Father. And in this experience our hearts are strangely warmed by the fire of the Spirit.
Missionary and evangelist, E. Stanley Jones talked about the experience of a strange refining fire through every portion of his body. Now I want to be careful today to avoid emotionalism and attach our baptism or attach our Christian experience to a particular feeling or emotion. But I do believe that the fire of the Spirit brings warmth. And I do believe that there are feelings and emotions attached with saving faith that comes with the fullness of God’s Holy Spirit. I believe that is what we experience in our church fellowship and communion also! For goodness’ sake! On the Day of Pentecost, they thought the believers were drunk! Why would they think that? Undoubtedly, there was an emotional aspect of the experience they had when the fire of God’s Holy Spirit upon them. Has our heart been strangely warmed by the fire of God’s Holy Spirit? The fire of the Spirit brings warmth and a blessed assurance that we are a child of God!
Second, FIRE BRINGS LIGHT.
Jesus taught that the Holy Spirit will guide us into all the truth. John 16:13. The Holy Spirit will reveal the things of God that we cannot see on our own.
Further, I Corinthians teaches that spiritual things must be spiritually discerned. Jesus told Nicodemus that which is of the flesh is flesh and that which is of spirit is spirit. This clearly means that we cannot with our own physical eyes see or discern the spiritual realities of God and with our own fleshly mind to understand the spiritual truth that God has for us. They must be spiritually discerned. And the only way that can happen is through the Holy Spirit working in and through us. This is why Jesus told Nicodemus that he had to be born again by the Spirit.
I love the words of the great hymn, “Amazing Grace” that we all know. “I once was lost but now, I’m found. Twas blind but now I see.” I was at Asbury College for two years before I saw my wife to be, Beth. There was a common hang out place on the second floor above the cafeteria we called the “Grill”. I was at a booth studying in the Grill one evening and went up to order a hamburger. And there was this beautiful raven-haired girl behind the counter. I stammered and stuttered and asked, “Are you new around here?”. And she looked at me like the fool that I was and said, “I’ve been here for two years. I’m a sophomore.” And I was just absolutely flabbergasted. This is not a big university. It’s a small college. How did I miss her? Thank God I was able to see her that day. And I’m thinking that God placed her in the Grill that day for me to see! But the point of this is simply that God must open our eyes to see spiritual realities. It is by the light of the fire of the Spirit that our eyes are opened to see. Yes, Lord by your Spirit open our eyes and our hearts that we may clearly see the things you have for us. “Open our eyes Lord we want to see Jesus!” Lord, bring light into our darkness to behold your truth. That is my prayer as we think about our baptism and remembering our baptism not just by water but by the Holy Spirit. The fire of the Holy Spirit gives us light.
Third, FIRE GIVES US POWER AND ENERGY There is power and energy in fire. I think the culmination of this came at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came down upon the believers. In the fuller context, the disciples were hiding in fear and uncertainty and apathy not knowing what was going to happen next. They were simply afraid. Then the Spirit came upon them, and they began to proclaim the name of Christ with boldness and certainty. They went from silence held in fear to speaking up in power. This was the refining fire of God’s Spirit empowering the believers. Someone said true power is a byproduct of a clean or pure heart. The Holy Spirit cleanses before the Holy Spirit empowers. This is why Jesus told them to wait in Jerusalem until they were empowered by the Spirit.
Let’s look at it another way. If you go shopping at a hardware store you will find all kinds of shovels and rakes and pick axes and many other tools. Some of those tools will have printed on them these words, “True Tempered”. What that means is the metal in that tool has been through the fire. It’s been shaped. It’s been forged. It’s being reinforced with refining fire. And the consequence of that refining process is that the instrument will not fall apart when you use it. It will endure! It will not break apart easily. And I think what John is saying here regarding being baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire is the refining fire of God comes to cleanse us, to refine us, to empower us, so that we might be able to do the work that Christ has for us to do. And we won’t fall apart in doing that work.
Today I want us to remember our baptism. I imagine that every one of us today in this building has been baptized. Maybe as an infant. Maybe as a child. Maybe as an adult. The question I would ask you is are you living out the vows that were made at your baptism? Is that a reality in your life right now? Perhaps as we’re engaging in this New Year this renewal of your baptism may be a time for a fresh work of the Spirit in your own life. Maybe things are unwanted in your life, unwanted habits can be burned away. Negative emotions, bad habits, bad attitudes. Whatever it might be, we ask again for the refining fire of God to assure us, to cleanse us, refine us, and empower us.
In just a moment we are going to have an opportunity to do that, to remember our baptism. There are going to be 2 stations here. We are going to have Thanksgiving over the water and then place the water in 2 stations. You are welcome to come to one of those stations and we will place water upon your forehead and say, “Remember your baptism, and be thankful”. You can return to you seat or maybe even find a separate place afterwards to pray as God would lead you. But I hope we all will make a renewal of vows and covenant of baptism this day.