Water, Spirit and Fire

Matthew 3: 4-12

 

 

          Do you ever think about your baptism? Chances are that if you do, your thought is that you remember nothing, for in the Reformed tradition of which Presbyterians are a part, it is far more common to be born into the church, and therefore be baptized as an infant. So if you think of baptism, you are probably thinking of your children’s baptism. There may have been a special set of clothing for your child, perhaps something handed down through generations. There would certainly be family pictures and probably a family get-together after the church service. Baptism is sort of an event, isn’t it? We dress nicer, we fry chicken and we invite people to church. It’s too bad we can’t have a baptism every week.

          But now I want you to stop a minute and think about something. When I say baptism, what comes to mind? I suspect it would be something like I just described, an event of water baptism involving a family member. But there is more than one kind of baptism, and that is what John the Baptist was reminding the crowd gathered by the Jordan River in the third chapter of Matthew’s gospel. Indeed, John was engaged in just the kind you’re probably thinking of—water baptism. The ceremony was used as a ritual associated with joining the church. But wait. Was there a church in John’s Day? The Christian church was not yet born. So John had other ideas. He used baptism to identify with change—with a turning from the old ways and a turning toward a new way.

          In this passage, John the Baptist is employing many images. He calls the religious leaders a brood of vipers, conjuring up the image of snakes. He uses stones to show that it’s no problem for God to raise up children descended from Abraham. He could command the stones to do so and they would. He uses the image of an axe laid against a tree to take it down because its fruit is not good. He ends the passage with images that any farmer will quickly understand, as he talks about using a winnowing fork to separate the wheat from the chaff, the good from the bad. So many images used to describe the state of readiness, or lack of it, of some people. And not just readiness for Jesus’s coming, but also for judgment. John the Baptist knew that water baptism, while representing a commitment, is just the first step, a sort of warmup exercise, for the baptism that our Savior brings.

          The Baptist says this: “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Of course, he was talking about Jesus and indeed, John baptized Jesus, not to bring repentance, but in Jesus’ words, to fulfill the scripture prophesying his coming. John would have preferred that Jesus baptize him, but he understood his role.

          We talk about baptism as a sacrament, as a symbol of our acceptance into the family of God, as a sacred ritual set apart in the church in the same way that The Lord’s Supper is set apart. And indeed, baptism is that. Our polity says that “through baptism an individual is joined to the Church universal, the body of Christ” [1.0301]. Baptism in this form is of great importance to our understanding of our Christian faith and of our binding to the one true church, the church of Jesus Christ. But baptism is more than that.

          “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” That’s what the Baptist said. What was he talking about? After the water, there is spirit and fire? Is baptism a process? Do we goes through it in stages? Much of what John is saying is that he’s just the messenger. Jesus is the real deal. John will use water as a symbol of change, of turning away, of redemption. But Jesus. Jesus will bring the tools to seal us in his camp. This concept of baptism in the Holy Spirit is not stage two. It just distinguishes the earthly limitations of John from the unlimited scope of Jesus. Jesus, the Son of God, will baptize us but it won’t be with water.  Jesus will send the Holy Spirit to live in us, abide in us, walk with us. That is a baptism that can give us not only the ability to turn away, but also the strength and love to stay turned.

          John the Baptist uses the ceremony of baptism to mark a point of transformation of people’s lives. They want to turn away from their sin and live a life of righteousness. With water, they mark that decision with a commitment made in public by a ceremonial washing away of their old selves and a putting on of something much better. We do that today by acknowledging Christ as our Savior. In the days of the Baptist, the promise was for a life committed to God.

          Secondly, John points us toward the stronger one, the one who is to follow, the one whose sandals John is not worthy to carry. The stronger one will also baptize, but with the Holy Spirit instead of water. His will be a baptism that is not ceremonial, but life changing. Only the Son of God can accomplish such a baptism in us.

          So far, so good. We can all use a big dose of the Holy Spirit. But there is more. John says that we will also be baptized with fire. John is warning us. Craig Evans says that “right now, he [John] immerses people in the water of the Jordan River, but his successor will immerse all Israel, indeed all of humanity, in Spirit/wind and fire, which will consume some and purify others.” This is what John means when he characterizes Jesus with a winnowing fork in his hand, under which some will become good grain, but others will be nothing more than chaff to be destroyed.

          So John emphasizes the difference between him, an earthy evangelist, and Jesus, the Messiah. John is only the messenger. Jesus will bring another sort of baptism, a heavenly baptism, but with it will come a baptism of fire which will separate good from bad seed. There will be a judgment. One will either be saved by the wind and fire, or he or she will be judged by it.

          I think there another sort of baptism that every Christian should expect. It is, quite literally, a baptism of fire. While God has promised not to tempt us, he has also promised to test us. After our baptism of water and of the Holy Spirit, we may expect to hear from God many times during our lives. He may test us with the death of a loved one or the illness of a friend.  He may visit us with our own illnesses or trials. There are so many ways to be tested, from failure to disappointment to poor health, to name a few. There is even the testing of success and how it may distort our view of life.

          Today, we have several among us who are being presented for baptism and confirmation of their saving faith in Jesus Christ. You may find that your baptism or confirmation is so rich with imagery for you that you feel moved. You may even feel the presence of the Holy Spirit coming into you in a way never felt before. Don’t worry if it doesn’t happen now. It will happen in God’s time. But when you have such feelings, please understand that no matter how strong they are, no matter how committed you may feel, those feelings will erode with time. What will you do then? Will you cling to your faith, or will you abandon it? Will you continue to renew it or will you let it slide away from your grip. God knows your nature and he knows these things will happen. So don’t be too surprised when he periodically sends you a wakeup call.

          Water baptism guarantees nothing. It is not an admission fee. It is a way for us to identify with our Lord, to declare in front of others that we believe, that we want to turn over our lives to our Lord. But it will cure nothing. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is an infusion, even a transfusion, of the goodness of God’s presence and wisdom into our very existence. It will help us resist the powers of this earth and of our own selfish nature. Baptism of fire? I think of it as another confirmation. I have the tools through those two other kinds of baptism. The question is whether I will bring my tool pouch with me every day, for there will be fiery baptisms to undergo which will require all the help I can get from God. In life, there is not one crossing, but many. Granted, the act of water baptism or confirmation by a believer is a crucial step. But it is only a step.

          Come dressed for the game of life. The apostle Paul suggests the armor of God for us: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit [Eph. 6: 13-17].   You will need them all, for being a Christian is not for the faint of heart. Come dressed…and take all the baptisms that God sends your way. He’ll be in your corner from the beginning to the end.