Preparing for Jesus

And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  ⁵ The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. ⁶ John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. ⁷ And this was his message: “After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.  ⁸ I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Do you know the most effective tactic that Satan uses to keep people from repentance?  It is to give them the sense that they always have time later to repent.  And don’t we feel that way?  Who really feels that the Day of the Lord may be today?  I’m not asking who believes, but who emotionally feels that way.  Or who believes that today he or she may actually die?  Time, we all believe we have it; we all believe that no matter how we may be living now, we will have the time to get things right.

Our situation is somewhat different from John’s hearers.  They still did not know the one of whom he spoke, and even when they met him, they still did not understand the atoning work he would accomplish.  John’s contrast between his baptism and Jesus’ baptism should give us all hope.  The best John could do was call people to make a change; Jesus had and has the power to change.  He baptizes not with water, but with the Holy Spirit.

Some could mistakenly interpret our passage to mean that we have to change our lives before we receive Jesus.  I’ve heard people say that: “I’ve got to get my life in order first.”  That was not the meaning though of John’s baptism.  Purification baptism was for people already in right relationship with God (at least in their minds).  They were just maintaining their relationship.  Initiation baptism was for those who had proven they had already made the necessary changes.  Repentance baptism was for those who said, “Help me, God.  I’ve messed up.  Forgive me.  I want to live for you.”  That’s what we are all called to do, and the promise that is given is this: we will receive the baptism of Jesus, which is the baptism of regeneration.  We will be born again.

And he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit accomplishes everything those other baptisms merely symbolized: for Jesus purifies his people and makes them clean; he does bring them into his kingdom; he even leads them to repent and gives them their hope – the forgiveness of sins.

Be warned: you must repent of your sins to prepare for the Messiah.  Be comforted: the Messiah will work within you real change.