Seeds for 04/27/2023 - Matthew 3:11-12

Scripture: ¹¹ “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹² His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

Observation: There’s a difference between John’s baptism and Christian baptism. Christian baptism includes John’s baptism of repentance, but it goes past that.

Often, repentance and forgiveness is what we associate with baptism. Those are the meanings we probably think about first. John knows that his ministry is a beginning, but that Jesus will have far more in mind.

The first step of transformation is repentance. It’s recognizing that we’re going the wrong way and needing to make a change. It’s essential, but it’s only the beginning. Jesus’ ministry will include that invitation, but will not stop there. Jesus aims to complete the work.

John says Jesus will baptize “with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Jesus’ aim is transformation. Repentance is our response to godly conviction.

Jesus’ baptism with the Holy Spirit will be about a new birth, a new life. This is something only God can do. Our job is to receive God’s work, to be open and trusting for how God wants to move in our life as He makes us new.

Jesus’ baptism with fire is about purification—that’s the point of the threshing floor metaphor. Jesus sorts things out in our heart and soul in order to purify us so that we are fully God’s. This is no simple work. It may be painful in certain ways. The refining process is not about ease, it’s about growth.

CS Lewis, again, has a wonderful image for us, of God remodeling our lives as with a house. “You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.” Repentance is only the beginning; complete restoration is the full aim of God’s saving work in Jesus.

Application:

• Why do you think we seem willing to settle for less than all God wants to do with us?

• What else might the Holy Spirit be speaking with you about in the text today?

Prayer: Lord, I open my life to the fullness of your forgiving, redeeming, restoring, transforming grace today. Amen.

---

“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)

If you liked this post from Seeds of Faith, why not share it and/or subscribe?

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™