“When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased.’”
MATTHEW 3:16, 17
Jesus said that John the Baptist was a burning and a shining lamp, but he baptized with water in the cold waters of the Jordan. But Jesus is not a lamp. He is the Light, the Lord Himself. He baptizes in a different Jordan, the spiritual one, which is blazing hot with fire from the altar of God, bringing healing and power
JOHN THE BAPTIST KNEW ABOUT BAPTISM IN THE SPIRIT, FOR God told him. In fact, John said that is how we would identify Christ. Baptism in fire would distinguish Him. It would be something that nobody else had ever done or ever would do. There are religions a-plenty, but Christ stands apart. Only He baptizes in the Holy Spirit and fire (Matthew 3:11).
Though conceived by the Holy Spirit, Jesus needed the baptism of the Spirit as He embarked on His ministry. As John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the Jordan, a second baptism took place. The Spirit of God descended on Him, like a dove, not as a flame of fire, because there was nothing to burn in Jesus.
THE GREAT PATTERN FOR CHRISTIANS IS JESUS, AND HE WAS baptized in the Holy Spirit. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke all record the same event. The fourth Gospel, John, gives more detail. John the Baptist, the fore-runner of Jesus, declared, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained on Him” (John 1:32). Jesus Himself explained, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the Gospel . . . ” (Luke 4:18). Peter, in Acts 10:38, said, “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power.” John the Baptist said a thrilling thing. “He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon Whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit’” (John 1:33).
Christ had a human experience from God to show what the perfect human experience should be. He was the first of multitudes. He was the first Holy Spirit-baptized man on earth. John 3:34 (NIV) says, “God gives the Spirit without limit.” John 1:16 declares, “Of His fullness have we all received . . . ” That is the wonderful truth—what He received was for us. He was filled for us, and out of His infinite fullness we are filled.
He was born for us, and He lived for us. He said that He was baptized in water and in the Spirit for us. He ministered, died, rose, ascended to glory and is coming back for us.
THE HOLY SPIRIT TRANSLATES JESUS’ LIFE INTO OUR experience. When He chose the role of human, He accepted humanity’s need for the Holy Spirit. He identified Himself with us, and said, “Thus it is fitting for US to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). Jesus was the Son of God, but He stood where we all stand as human beings. This meant that the day came when He moved into a new experience, endowed with the Spirit. It was not conversion or new birth. The Son of God never had that need. His example showed that the baptism in the Spirit is not to be confused with regeneration or any other spiritual event. He received a separate and unique experience of the Holy Spirit for His ministry. That is how it should be for us all, as we follow His example.
These are the giant footprints of a man or woman bathed in the liquid fire of the Holy Spirit. Every step drips with fire that scorches scorpions and serpents in our path, leaving a trail of deliverance and blessings.
THE WORD “BAPTISM” IS TODAY A CHURCH-RELATED WORD, but in ancient times it just meant immersion. When a dyer put cloth into dye, it was immersed or baptized, meaning that the fabric took on the nature of the dye. When Jesus, standing in the river of the Holy Spirit, calls us and we follow, He puts His arm around us and baptizes us in the liquid fire of the Holy Spirit. We are then in the fire, and the fire is in us. As we rise from this glorious river, we realize that we are completely saturated and totally soaked. This is not for one aspect or function, but represents the immersion of our entire personality. Imagine you get out of the river, and you feel how this living fire drips from you. Every devil in town will know where you went, because they can recognize the drops of fire in your footprints. Anointed tracks!
Jesus did not baptize anyone with fire during His earthly life. He said that He would do it after He had gone to His Father. And He did, beginning with the Day of Pentecost recorded in Acts 2. That ‘afterward’ is still going on. There’s no change of program. Jesus is still the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit. He has not retired or changed His role. How could He, when the promise is for people “afar off?” (Acts 2:39).
A NEW CHAPTER OF THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES IS BEING written. Today, the baptism in the Spirit inspires hundreds of millions of new believers in power-evangelism. Be included!