There is a connection between this day in our Story, Jesus is baptized for us, and when Jesus prays for us (on Pentecost Sunday). First, Jesus is baptized (in water). John the Baptizer is there to do it. This story is across all four gospels. An interesting counterpoint to this is that there is mention of the other disciples also baptizing, but that Jesus never did.
Why did Jesus never baptize? One reason is addressed by Paul. It involves factionalism. Paul addresses it in his first letter to Corinth:
11For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters. 12What I mean is that each of you says, ‘I belong to Paul’, or ‘I belong to Apollos’, or ‘I belong to Cephas’, or ‘I belong to Christ.’ 13Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15so that no one can say that you were baptized in my name.
Bad enough that there are 'ownership issues'. Can you imagine if Jesus baptized some? Maybe there would be a faction of 'super-apostles'? Some would argue that we don't do that today. Yah. Used to be the argument of 'best' denomination. Now it is more an argument between being denominational or nondenominational.
This first introduction of baptism is by water. John was doing it before Jesus-or Jesus' disciples-picked up the practice. But here is more that goes in baptism. For Jesus, first water and then the Spirit descends upon Him. It is a process that will be replicated in the church. At Pentecost, the Spirit descended once again, this time like fire and not a bird, to come to rest upon the disciples and the whole assembly of the people gathered.
While not explicitly laid out in the text, I would venture the presupposition that these folks have already been baptized in water, given that Jesus lays out baptism in the Great Commission at the end of the gospel of Matthew. And the Spirit was not a 'one off' at Pentecost.
We read in Acts 8: 14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit 16(for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). 17Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
When we sing about it, we sing 'baptized in water, sealed by the Spirit'. When Jesus answered Nicodemus, He tells him, and us, 5Jesus answered, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.
I would venture to say that many, most, maybe all of us have been born of water, have been baptized by water, but consider what it means to be baptized in the Spirit as well. If that has even happened yet for us.
Food for thought.
Pastor Peter
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