16 John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water, but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
John the Baptizer preached repentance out in the wilderness and dunked people in the Jordan River to symbolically wash away their sins. It must have been an acceptable system, because Jesus went out to see and hear, and Jesus joined John down in the river for baptism.
But John, who claimed, over and over, that he was simply the one to prepare thee way for the coming Messiah, told us that there was something more than symbolism with Jesus.
He baptizes us with Holy Spirit and fire.
When we submit to baptism as a follower of Jesus, we are not just cleansed of our sins, we are set on fire for God. When we submit to baptism and are marked as a child of God, we are given the power in the Spirit to change our lives and the world.
There’s a song I grew up singing in youth group that said:
Like the survivors of the flood
Or walkers thru the sea
Like walkers thru the God-divided sea
We are rescued we are claimed
Marked by water then by flame
We are baptized
I am baptized
We have passed thru the waters
And that’s all that matters,
We have passed thru the waters
So praise be to God.
John reminded us to repent (get right with God). Jesus gives the power to join the life-long journey.
Prayer
God, thank you for helping me turn my back on sin and set my life on abundance. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.