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Jesus the Baptizer

Jesus the Baptizer

When John the Baptizer came onto the scene in Judea it made the whole region of people start talking about the messiah. The rumors were spreading that John could be the messiah so he explained to his followers on numerous occasions that " As for me, I baptize you with water because of [your] repentance, but He (the Messiah) who is coming after me is mightier [more powerful, more noble] than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to remove [even as His slave]; He will baptize you [who truly repent] with the Holy Spirit and with fire." Matt 3:11. John grew very popular in the region and people were coming to him from Jerusalem, Judea and all the regions around Jordan.

The Jews sent the Priests and the Levites from Jerusalem asking him Many of the Pharisees and Sadducees also came because they had questions. when the Jews sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He admitted with complete candor, “I am not Christ.”
So they asked him, “Who are you then? Are you Elijah?” “No, I am not,” he replied. “Are you the Prophet?” “No,” he replied. “Well, then,” they asked again, “who are you? We want to give an answer to the people who sent us. What would you call yourself?” “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”

Now some of the Pharisees had been sent to John, and they questioned him, “What is the reason, then, for your baptizing people if you are not Christ and not Elijah and not the Prophet?” To which John returned, “I do baptize—with water. But somewhere among you stands a man you do not know. He comes after me, it is true, but I am not fit to undo his shoes!” On the following day, John saw Jesus coming towards him and said, “Look, there is the lamb of God who will take away the sins of the world! This is the man I meant when I said, ‘A man comes after me who is always in front of me, for he existed before I was born!’ It is true I have not known him, yet it was to make him known to the people of Israel that I came and baptized people with water.”

Then John gave this testimony, “I have seen the Spirit come down like a dove from Heaven and rest upon him. Indeed, it is true that I did not recognize him by myself, but he who sent me to baptize with water told me this: ‘The one on whom you will see the Spirit coming down and resting is the man who baptizes with the Holy Spirit!’ Now I have seen this happen and I declare publicly before you all that he is the Son of God!”
On the following day John was again standing with two of his disciples. He looked straight at Jesus as he walked along, and said, “There is the lamb of God!” John 1:19-36

John's knew that he only had the power to baptize in water so he began proclaiming to everyone that Jesus was the only one who had the power to baptize a person in the Holy Spirit and in Fire.
In Isaiah 4 :4 it talks about the future of Jerusalem and the work that the Lord is going to perform in the hearts of His people " The Lord will wash away the disgusting filth of the daughters of Zion and cleanse the blood of Jerusalem from its midst by the Spirit of judgment and by the Spirit of burning." This is describing the same two baptisms.

“But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire, and like launderer’s soap. And He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the Lord offerings in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old, and as in former years. Then I will come near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, those who oppress the wage earner in his wages or the widow or the orphan, and those who turn away the stranger from justice and do not fear Me,” says the Lord of armies. Malachi 3:2-5

The baptism of judgment is performed by the entrance of the Holy Spirit because He brings the Truth into action and the baptism of Fire cleanses and burns out all the impurities to make a person Holy.

Jesus the Baptizer

Jesus was talking with his disciples in John 14:16 about the baptism of the Holy Spirit that was going to take place in their lives. He said, " I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, so that He may be with you forever; the Helper is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him; but you know Him because He remains with you and will be in you."

"I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I am leaving; for if I do not leave, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And He, when He comes, will convict the world regarding sin, and righteousness, and judgment: regarding sin, because they do not believe in Me; and regarding righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you no longer are going to see Me; and regarding judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them at the present time. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take from Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; this is why I said that He takes from Mine and will disclose it to you. John 16:7-15

Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” Acts 1:5

Jesus the Baptizer

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a noise like a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And tongues that looked like fire appeared to them, distributing themselves, and a tongue rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with different tongues, as the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak out. Acts 2: 1-4 They were being baptized by the Spirit of Truth and by Fire.
Now staying in Jerusalem there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven. At this sound, a large crowd of them gathered, and they were bewildered because each one heard them speaking in his own language. They were astounded and asked in amazement, “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? How is it then that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own languages about the mighty deeds of God.”

They were all astounded and perplexed, and they said to one another, “What does all this mean?” However, others said mockingly, “They are filled with new wine.”

Peter Preaches in the Name of the Twelve. Then Peter stood up with the Eleven and proclaimed to them in a loud voice, “Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen carefully to my words. These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It is only nine o’clock in the morning. Rather, this is what was revealed through the prophet Joel:

‘It will come to pass in the last days, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh.
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy;
your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams.
Indeed, even upon my servants and my handmaids
I shall pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they shall prophesy.
I will show portents in the sky above
and signs on the earth below:
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
The sun will be turned into darkness
and the moon to blood
before the day of the Lord comes,
that great and glorious day.
Then it will come to pass
that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

“Men of Israel, hear these words. Jesus of Nazareth was a man commended to you by God by means of miracles and portents and signs that God worked through him, as you yourselves know. By the set plan and foreknowledge of God, he was handed over into the hands of lawless men. Crucifying him, you killed him. However, God raised him up, releasing him from the pangs of death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power. For David says of him:

‘I saw the Lord always before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be shaken.
Therefore, my heart rejoiced and my tongue exulted;
moreover, my flesh will live in hope.
For you will not abandon me to the netherworld
or allow your holy one to suffer corruption.
You have made known to me the way of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence.’

“Brethren, I can say to you boldly that our ancestor David both died and was buried, and his tomb is in our midst to this very day. But since he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn an oath to him that one of his descendants would sit on his throne, he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, saying that he was not abandoned to the netherworld and that his flesh did not suffer corruption.

“God raised this Jesus to life. Of that we are all witnesses. Exalted at God’s right hand, he received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.” ’

“Therefore, let the whole house of Israel know with complete certitude that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ.”

When they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, “What are we to do, brethren?” Peter answered, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise that was made is for you, for your children, and for all those who are far away, for all those whom the Lord our God will call.”

He offered further testimony with many other arguments as he exhorted them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and on that day about three thousand people were added to their number. They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayers.

A sense of awe was felt by all for many wonders and signs were performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and owned everything in common. They would sell their property and possessions and distribute the proceeds to all according to what each one needed. Every day, united in spirit, they would assemble together in the temple. They would break bread in their homes and share their food with joyful and generous hearts as they praised God, and they were regarded with favor by all the people. And day by day the Lord added to those who were being saved.

Jesus the Baptizer

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