Matthew 3:11–17
Jesus is God. He baptises with the Holy Spirit. But he still wanted John to baptise him.
The crowd believed that John was a prophet. But John told them that he was like a slave. In ancient Israel, this had a certain meaning. It was a slave’s task to carry his master’s shoes. Then John made another claim. It was even more surprising. The OT says that God is the greater or more powerful one (Read Daniel 9:4 and Jeremiah 32:18). The OT promised that God’s Christ (the Messiah) would come. John said that this Messiah would be God! He would not be just a man, as John was.
Also, there was John’s work and the task of the Christ. There would be a great difference between them. Christ (the Messiah) would baptise with the fire of the Holy Spirit. Humans cannot really repent. They cannot live a life that pleases God. They do not have the power to do it. But, the Christ would provide that power. John could only baptise as a sign of repentance. The Christ would give real repentance. He would make men and women holy (like God).
What John had said finally came true. It was on the Day of Pentecost (Read Acts 2, It will explain about the Day of Pentecost). From that day, God gave the Holy Spirit to all his people. His work showed in their lives. Every day, there was repentance. Every day, they became more holy. But, there is something else about Jesus’ baptism of fire. If it did not make holy, it would burn (Read 3:12). Jesus came to bring life. But, there will be people who refuse him. They will know him as judge one day. John 3:16–21 teaches a similar lesson.
Jesus’ baptism
John did not think that he should baptise Jesus. John knew enough about Jesus to know this. John was a sinner. Jesus was not a sinner. But Jesus insisted on baptism. Perhaps he wanted to deal with John’s doubts and fears. Maybe, Jesus was showing something to John. He was willing to share with sinners. He was willing to take their punishment. His gentle reply in verse 15, may suggest this.
But, the most important part of this section is in verses 16-17. The dove (a bird) was a sign in the ancient world. It was a sign of moral goodness and kindness. But something was more important. The Spirit came on Jesus in a way that people could see. This meant that Jesus was now ready for his work. He would be able to baptise with the Spirit too.
Something even more wonderful happened next (verse 17). God the Father spoke. He declared that Jesus was the Son of the Father. Jesus was God. This man was the Christ ( Messiah). He was the man about whom John spoke. God is holy. He must hate and judge sin. But, he is also the God who loves. Because he loves, he sent his Son to save people. God was very pleased with the work that Jesus was going to do.
There is one final detail in this section. It is in verses 13–17. We learn that the Father was pleased with the work of the Son. The Spirit came to help Jesus with his work. So, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit were working together. They were working to save sinners. They still do this same work today. This is very wonderful.
Questions
- How would you describe Jesus to one of your friends?
- The work of the Holy Spirit is vital to every real believer (Christian). How do the leaders of your church explain the Holy Spirit’s work? Does their teaching agree with this passage? If it does not, why is this?
- Non-Christians need to understand the love of God in Jesus. How can you help them?
Important truths
The baptism with the Holy Spirit
The phrase ‘ baptism in the Holy Spirit’ is common today. It often refers to experiences after a person becomes a Christian. But, read Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33; Acts 1:5 and 11:16. These NT references are clear. They refer to the first experience of a Christian. The use of the word ‘ baptism’ confirms this too. Ancient societies used this word. They used it for the ceremony when a person joined the society. So, it was about the beginning of a person’s decision to join.
So, ‘ baptism with the Spirit’ is a NT phrase. It is one of the ways to describe a special event. It is the event when a person becomes a Christian. It emphasises two things. First, God lives in a real Christian. Then, that person has what he or she needs for a holy, good life.
There will be many other new experiences of God. These will happen after a person becomes a Christian. The believer can enjoy them in the days and years afterwards. But people should not call these experiences the ‘ baptism in the Spirit’.
The Son of God
Many false teachings have come from these words. They do not mean that Jesus was not really God. They do not mean that he was born in heaven, some time after his Father. John 1:1–3 shows us that this is not true.
But, a son has the same nature as his father. A man is human. His children are human too. It is the same when the Bible speaks about ‘God’s son’. God is God and Jesus is the son. It means that he has the same nature as the Father. So, he is God! This was the claim that Matthew was making about Jesus here. Matthew’s readers would have understood this.
