Matthew 3:11 ”I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” 13Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. 14And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” 15But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.”
It had all started so slowly. One afternoon, John chatted with a few shepherds who were watering their flocks in a quiet pool at the edge of the Jordan River. He was completely shocked when he suggested baptism and the shepherds agreed. The next morning, more shepherds turned up, and they brought their friends from nearby towns with them to hear John preach. And when John finished preaching, he realized that his audience had tears streaming down their faces and they were all moving forward toward the river. What was he to do? The Holy Spirit said, “Baptize,” so he baptized. Day by day, the crowds grew larger and larger. Even religious leaders began coming to hear John. At first Pharisees came because they wanted to check John out to make sure that his message was really orthodox; after all, he had not studied under any of them! And John spoke harshly to them, demanding to know why they had bothered when they were obviously not sincere. Calling one’s hearers “a brood of vipers” is scarcely diplomatic; yet, John was stunned to realize that many of the religious leaders also were repenting and coming for baptism.
That particular day, the Holy Spirit was moving and John was preaching and baptizing. By mid – morning John had already baptized shepherds and rabbis and Roman soldiers and even tax collectors! John remained amazed at the people God was drawing to this out of the way place on the river bank. John was still standing waist – deep in the water when he looked up to see his cousin Jesus coming down the bank toward him. And suddenly, John remembered everything that he had been told about Jesus. Looking into Jesus’ eyes, John KNEW by the power of the Holy Spirit that Jesus was truly the Messiah whose coming John had been announcing. Overcome with emotion and a sense of the Holy, John wanted to throw himself prostrate on the ground before Jesus in worship. Never before had John had such a clear sense of his own unworthiness. “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” John asked. But Jesus reached out His hand to John and answered, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” In this baptism, both John and Jesus were being obedient. John was carrying out his assignment from God despite feeling totally inadequate. And Jesus? Before Jesus could begin His ministry as Messiah, He had to undergo baptism at the hands of John. By this act, Jesus was demonstrating His humanity, but more than that, Jesus was submitting Himself as an act of humility and obedience to His heavenly Father. Had Jesus refused to undergo baptism, submitting Himself in this fashion, His ministry would have been a failure, even though He was the Son of God.
True ministry must be based on humility and obedience. No matter what God has called you to do, the day you act in pride is the day you fall short of the high calling of God. Which of us has not come to a point in our work where we suddenly realized how little we knew about our work or the people around us and how much more there was to learn? Only when we are guided by the Holy Spirit can we truly discern what it is God wants us to do. And only when we become quiet enough to listen will we be able to hear the Spirit’s urgings.
PRAYER: Father God, today we ask you to help us submit to Your will and to Your leading. Help us to be quiet enough to hear your Holy Spirit. And help us to realize that it is only with and through you that we will succeed in Your plans for our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of Jesus. Amen.
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