The Baptism in the Holy Spirit (2): Jesus, our Example
The Prophecies of the New Covenant promise a 2-fold provision of the Spirit for all believers (the Promise of the Father): (1) The Spirit WITHIN, at salvation, enabling us to live holy lives (Ezek 36:26- 27), and (2) the Spirit UPON at our Baptism in the Spirit (Joel 2:28-29), releasing supernatural gifts and empowering us for ministry. The Promise of the Spirit is the 2-fold Blessing of Abraham (Gal 3:14): “(1) I will BLESS you (by the Spirit within), and (2) you will be a BLESSING (to others, by the Spirit upon)” (Gen 12:2). Christ brought this into fulfilment through His death and resurrection (Gal 3:13-14). He said the Promise of the Father included the Baptism in the Spirit (Luke 24:49, Acts 1:4-5). The life of Jesus, our perfect example, reveals this 2-stage Blessing of the Spirit: (1) He had the Spirit within from conception, enabling Him to live a perfect life as a man, but (2) it was only later at His Baptism that He received the Spirit upon, empowering Him for ministry (Luke 3:21-22, John 1:32-33). John 1:33 says Jesus, who received the Spirit upon from the Father, will also give us the same experience of the Spirit upon, by baptising us in the Spirit. So we must come to Jesus to receive the Baptism in the Spirit (Matt 3:11).
The Blueprint for our Baptism in the Spirit is Jesus’ own Baptism in the Spirit (John 1:33). He had the Spirit within from Birth, but still needed to receive the Spirit upon, to empower Him for ministry (the fact the Spirit came UPON Him at His Baptism to ANOINT Him for ministry is confirmed by His testimony in Luke 4:18). In the same way, we have the Spirit within from our New Birth, but still need to receive the Spirit to come upon us, to clothe us with supernatural power for our ministry and witness to Christ. Thus the Baptism in the Spirit is the Spirit coming on us, clothing us with power - a different and subsequent experience from receiving the indwelling Spirit. The only difference between us and Jesus is He received the Spirit without measure (John 3:34). He distributes the anointing of the Spirit to each of us by measure, according to our gifts and ministries. This blueprint also tells us there is a close connection between Baptism in Water and Baptism in the Spirit, for God ordained for Jesus that these took place at the same time. In Matt 3:11, John said: “(1) I indeed BAPTISE you with (lit: IN) WATER unto repentance, but He (Jesus) who is coming after me is mightier than I, will BAPTISE you with (lit: IN) the HOLY SPIRIT.” Baptism means IMMERSION, so to describe any Baptism, one must specify the MEDIUM into which a person is immersed. This is what this verse does. It should be translated as baptism ‘in water’ not ‘with water’, and baptism ‘in the Spirit’ not ‘with the Spirit': “(1) I baptise (immerse) you IN (the medium of) WATER, but (2) He will baptise (immerse) you IN (the medium of) the HOLY SPIRIT” (also Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16, Acts 1:5). So, Baptism in Water is a picture of Baptism in the Spirit. Just as John immersed people in water, so in the Baptism in the Spirit, Christ immerses us in His Spirit, covering and clothing us in His Spirit, who comes and rests on us. He does not sprinkle us, but immerses us in the Spirit. Both baptisms are outward expressions and manifestations of our Baptism in Christ, when we received the Spirit within.
Jesus' experience of being baptised in water and the Spirit at the same time points to the spiritual connection between the 2 Baptisms, which is confirmed by the pattern we see in Acts, where their Baptism in the Spirit normally followed soon after their Water Baptism. This connection is because (1) Dedication comes before (2) Consecration (anointing with the Spirit). When God calls us to serve Him, we (1) respond by dedicating ourselves to do His will. (2) Then He anoints us to fulfil His will, by His Spirit upon us (Luke 1:35-38). (1) Our Dedication to God's will qualifies us to (2) receive His power to do it. This principle is seen at Jesus’ Baptism (the blueprint): (1) His Baptism was an act of obedient Dedication, pleasing to God, to fulfil His ministry, as He was about to enter into it, so (2) God’s response was to baptise Him in the Spirit, anointing Him to fulfil His ministry. Likewise, (1) our Water Baptism is our act of obedient Dedication to God. This kind of Dedication to God is what He needs to (2) empower us for our ministry by baptising us in the Spirit. Jesus' Baptism was His Dedication to God as He was about to enter into His ministry, that resulted in His death, resurrection and exaltation, when He received the Spirit from God to pour out on us. He prophetically acted this all out in His Baptism, and in so doing He was dedicating Himself to God to fulfil His will. Going under water represented His death and burial, and rising again from a watery grave prefigured His resurrection. Then receiving the Spirit upon Him prefigured His exaltation, when He received the Spirit from God, to pour Him out upon us.
The Blueprint for our Baptism in the Spirit is Jesus’ own Baptism in the Spirit (John 1:33). He had the Spirit within from Birth, but still needed to receive the Spirit upon, to empower Him for ministry (the fact the Spirit came UPON Him at His Baptism to ANOINT Him for ministry is confirmed by His testimony in Luke 4:18). In the same way, we have the Spirit within from our New Birth, but still need to receive the Spirit to come upon us, to clothe us with supernatural power for our ministry and witness to Christ. Thus the Baptism in the Spirit is the Spirit coming on us, clothing us with power - a different and subsequent experience from receiving the indwelling Spirit. The only difference between us and Jesus is He received the Spirit without measure (John 3:34). He distributes the anointing of the Spirit to each of us by measure, according to our gifts and ministries. This blueprint also tells us there is a close connection between Baptism in Water and Baptism in the Spirit, for God ordained for Jesus that these took place at the same time. In Matt 3:11, John said: “(1) I indeed BAPTISE you with (lit: IN) WATER unto repentance, but He (Jesus) who is coming after me is mightier than I, will BAPTISE you with (lit: IN) the HOLY SPIRIT.” Baptism means IMMERSION, so to describe any Baptism, one must specify the MEDIUM into which a person is immersed. This is what this verse does. It should be translated as baptism ‘in water’ not ‘with water’, and baptism ‘in the Spirit’ not ‘with the Spirit': “(1) I baptise (immerse) you IN (the medium of) WATER, but (2) He will baptise (immerse) you IN (the medium of) the HOLY SPIRIT” (also Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16, Acts 1:5). So, Baptism in Water is a picture of Baptism in the Spirit. Just as John immersed people in water, so in the Baptism in the Spirit, Christ immerses us in His Spirit, covering and clothing us in His Spirit, who comes and rests on us. He does not sprinkle us, but immerses us in the Spirit. Both baptisms are outward expressions and manifestations of our Baptism in Christ, when we received the Spirit within.
Jesus' experience of being baptised in water and the Spirit at the same time points to the spiritual connection between the 2 Baptisms, which is confirmed by the pattern we see in Acts, where their Baptism in the Spirit normally followed soon after their Water Baptism. This connection is because (1) Dedication comes before (2) Consecration (anointing with the Spirit). When God calls us to serve Him, we (1) respond by dedicating ourselves to do His will. (2) Then He anoints us to fulfil His will, by His Spirit upon us (Luke 1:35-38). (1) Our Dedication to God's will qualifies us to (2) receive His power to do it. This principle is seen at Jesus’ Baptism (the blueprint): (1) His Baptism was an act of obedient Dedication, pleasing to God, to fulfil His ministry, as He was about to enter into it, so (2) God’s response was to baptise Him in the Spirit, anointing Him to fulfil His ministry. Likewise, (1) our Water Baptism is our act of obedient Dedication to God. This kind of Dedication to God is what He needs to (2) empower us for our ministry by baptising us in the Spirit. Jesus' Baptism was His Dedication to God as He was about to enter into His ministry, that resulted in His death, resurrection and exaltation, when He received the Spirit from God to pour out on us. He prophetically acted this all out in His Baptism, and in so doing He was dedicating Himself to God to fulfil His will. Going under water represented His death and burial, and rising again from a watery grave prefigured His resurrection. Then receiving the Spirit upon Him prefigured His exaltation, when He received the Spirit from God, to pour Him out upon us.