Luke 3:15-22

"Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world."
John 1:29.

As the people were in expectation, and all men reasoned in their hearts concerning John, whether perhaps he was the Christ, John answered them all, "I indeed baptize you with water, but he comes that is mightier than I, the latchet of whose sandals I am not worthy to loosen. He shall baptize you in the holy spirit and fire, whose fan is in his hand, to thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into his barn; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." With many other exhortations therefore preached he good news to the people, but Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias, his brother's wife, and for all the evil things which Herod had done, added this also to them all, that he shut up John in prison. Now it happened, when all the people were baptized, that, Jesus also having been baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, and the holy spirit descended in a bodily form as a dove on him, and a voice came out of heaven, "You are my beloved Son. In you I am well pleased." -- Luke 3:15-22, Restoration Light Rendering.

(1) SEVERAL points in this familiar narrative are worthy of special notice, -- -A- The deep and wide influence of John's preaching. The prepared instruments of Yahweh are powerful in his hand. The whole nation was aroused, the multitudes were baptized with the baptism of repentance (Mark 1:4,5), and the expectation of the immediate advent of the Messiah was everywhere manifest.

(2) -B- The humility and sincerity of John, which was not changed in the least by the popular favor, is seen in his denial of the suggestion that he might be the Messiah. (Luke 3:16,17) Had he made the claim, how readily would the people have accepted it! But this prepared vessel of Yahweh was so established in righteousness as to be superior to any such temptation.

(3) -C- In disclaiming this honor for himself John compared his own work and the work of the coming Messiah and showed them the difference. Referring to himself he claimed great inferiority. And his own work he described as only a preparatory work, -- "I indeed baptize you with water, but . . . he shall baptize you in the holy spirit and fire." It is very manifest that all of the multitudes who were baptized with water were not baptized with the holy spirit. The baptism of the holy spirit came at Pentecost after the Lord was glorified, but only upon a small minority of the Jewish nation. The baptism of fire came later -- in the end of the Jewish harvest (A.D. 70-73) when Jerusalem was destroyed, Masada fell and their national existence terminated in the midst of a great time of trouble. Verse 17 is in reference to the great separating work of the Jewish harvest and the gathering of the worthy remnant into the garner of the Gospel age, and the fiery judgments upon the unworthy chaff.

(4) -D- In the baptism of Jesus we see that the ordinance received a new significance. His baptism was not unto repentance; for he had no sins to repent of. "He was holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners." (Hebrews 7:26.) With the accustomed view of baptism, John declined to baptize Jesus in whom there was no sin, nevertheless, though he could not understand why he should desire it, John complied with his request: "Allow it this time, for this is the suitable way for us to fulfill all righteousness.." (Matthew 3:15)

(5) The righteousness of God's law, which could by no means clear the guilty (Exodus 34:7) without a satisfaction of the claims of justice by the sacrifice of a life for a life (Exodus 21:23; Leviticus 24:17-21; Deuteronomy 19:21), he was about to fulfill by the sacrifice of himself. He was about to give his flesh for the life of the world (John 6:51) -- giving his life for the life of Adam, in whom we were all condemned, that as all posterity were included in the condemnation, so they might likewise have a share in the redemption. (Romans 5:15-19; 1 Corinthians 15:22) Thus in giving his flesh for the life of the world, he would need to be begotten by the spirit to a new life in view of his resurrection. (Romans 6:3-5; 8:10,11) All of this, then, was symbolized by his baptism in the Jordan River. And all who desire to follow in the footsteps of Christ must likewise present their bodies living sacrifices, holy and acceptable through Christ. -- Romans 12:1,2

(6) With the baptism of Christ, then, the ordinance received the new signification of dying to the former life to renewal of life in Christ. (Romans 6:3-8; Colossians 2:12; Philippians 3:10,11) And in this new view of the matter some of the Jewish converts were baptized again. See the baptism of John and the baptism of Christ and his body, the Church, contrasted in Acts 19:3-5.

==== ::Adapted from R1916 :

Questions

2. How did John show humility and sincerity? (Luke 3:16,17)

3. (a) How did Jesus baptize with the holy spirit? (b) How did he baptize with fire?

4. (a) Why did John not want to baptize Jesus? (b) What did Jesus say to John? (Matthew 3:15)

5. (a) What was needed to satisfy the claims of justice? (b) What did Jesus need, then, in order to be raised from the dead?

6. With the baptism of Jesus, what new significance did the ordinance of baptism take?

This publication may be photocopied or otherwise reproduced in order to provide copies for all members of a Bible study group, as long as no additions or changes are made to its content. Paragraphs are numbered for reference during group Bible study. Restoration Light, P.O. Box 2360, Philadelphia, PA 19103-0360.

­ Edited, January 18, 1995