I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose

Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, John answered, saying to all, "I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire."

And with many other exhortations he preached to the people. But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison.

When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, "You are my beloved Son; in You I am well pleased."

- Luke 3:15-22

In yesterday's reading, we were introduced to John the Baptist's ministry. He quoted from Isaiah, in expectation of the Messiah, "Make His paths straight." Then he taught the people what they must do, as he baptized for the remission of sins, in expectation of the One to come. Each must bear his or her own good fruit, and cannot rely only on ancestors or tradition before the Messiah. He said, "He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise." To the tax collectors, he said, "Collect no more than what is appointed for you." And to the soldiers he taught, "Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages."

Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, John answered, saying to all, "I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire." My study bible has a note, which is worthwhile to quote here: "With a clear understanding of his own mission, John points to Christ as coming Messiah who 'will baptize . . . with the Holy Spirit and fire.' Although baptism is practiced by Jesus' circle of disciples (John 4:1,2), the prophecy here describes the baptismal gift of the Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). Fire in this context seems to imply judgment, the same as the images of the winnowing fan and of burning the chaff. John understands that the coming of the Messiah brings judgment, as the Apostle John writes, 'This is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil' (John 3:19)." It's important to understand John's profound impact on the population: he was very widely respected and considered a holy man. But, true to his mission, he points to the One who is to come. To be baptized with fire is not only an image of judgment, but also of holiness. Many saints and mystics have spoken of this holy, purifying fire. It seems to me that the fire of God's love and the fire of hell must be the same thing: but it depends on what we are "made of" in a sense, in what we abide, how we choose to align ourselves and in whose image we grow, and if we are willing to depart with the things that are not good for us (see If your right eye causes you to sin) -- we are either burned by the fire or purified in its energy and grace. In this sense, the baptism of the fire -- of the Holy Spirit, or the Spirit of truth -- works at once in the world to reveal sin, righteousness and judgment, as He has said in the recent readings from the Gospel of John.

And with many other exhortations he preached to the people. But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison. John had rebuked Herod Antipas for divorcing his wife in order to marry Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, while Philip was still living. Matthew's Gospel gives us the story of John's death. We know that even Herod both feared and was in awe of John, and curious about Jesus. But he feared the authorities more, and the loss of his position. John is a righteous figure, and as so often is the case, the Gospels teach us that righteousness may often be at odds with state power and its use.

When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, "You are my beloved Son; in You I am well pleased." This is Luke's treatment of the manifestation of the Trinity, an Epiphany or Theophany -- the revealed Father, Son and Spirit. My study bible teaches that while Jesus has no need of baptism Himself, He recognizes John's ministry. Jesus undergoes baptism as part of a teaching to us about how we live as He did -- and He sanctifies and blesses the waters of the world for our own baptism as the future Church -- as my study bible says beautifully, "by mystery restoring [all of creation] to its original condition through union with Him." The dove is the sign of the "anointing" of Jesus with fullness of the Spirit that is eventually to baptize us all following His death and Resurrection.

It is rather poetic that we have just been through the readings of Jesus' Farewell Discourse to His Apostles in John (beginning with the reading for Good Friday, and ending with Wednesday's reading). Jesus, in the lectionary, has recently told us of the coming of the Spirit, the Comforter, into the world. But here we begin the story of His ministry: we start with the last and greatest of the Old Testament prophets, John the Baptist -- and we are introduced to the revelation of Trinity in the Person of Jesus at His baptism by John. It is a beautiful, poignant, and also, sad beginning, because of the note of John's imprisonment. It is a kind of reflection of Jesus' words about His own death: that the grain of wheat falls to the ground and bears much fruit. In baptism, we also die to ourselves -- to the old self, and are born again through the Spirit, as Jesus' ministry is born in this passage. Let us remember the transitions that we go through in life, the holy fire that purifies and sends us beyond what we knew and into the unknown, the life of God -- the Way -- whose thoughts are not our thoughts and whose ways are not our way. What do you have to learn today? What is it that you may need to leave behind in order to go forward into the holy fire of the Spirit and His life for you?