Christ is the Baptizer. Matthew 3:11b says, “He Himself will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire.” The Lord’s baptism is either for eternal life in the Holy Spirit or for eternal perdition in fire. The Lord’s baptism in the Holy Spirit began the kingdom of the heavens, bringing His believers into the kingdom of the heavens, whereas His baptism in fire will terminate the kingdom of the heavens, putting the unbelievers into the lake of fire. Hence, the Lord’s baptism in the Holy Spirit, based on His redemption, is the beginning of the kingdom of the heavens, whereas His baptism in fire, based on His judgment, is its ending.
Another verse that speaks of Christ as the Baptizer is John 1:33. In this verse John the Baptist says, “He who sent me to baptize in water, He said to me, He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and abiding upon Him, this is He who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.” Water signifies death and burial for the termination of the repenting people; the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of life and resurrection for the germination of the terminated people. The Holy Spirit, into whom Christ baptized those who believed in Him, is the Spirit of Christ and the Spirit of God (Rom. 8:9). Hence, to be baptized into the Holy Spirit is to be baptized into Christ (Gal. 3:27; Rom. 6:3), into the Triune God (Matt. 28:19), and even into the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13), which is joined to the Lord in one spirit (6:17).
As the Baptizer, Christ puts us into the Triune God. For this reason Matthew 28:19 speaks of the believers being baptized “into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Such a baptism is both essential and economical. The Lord Jesus is the One who is able to put us into the Triune God that we may have a new beginning, become a new being, and enter into a new sphere-the sphere of the Body.
Christ is the Baptizer to make us grains of wheat and then to gather us into His barn (Matt. 13:30b, 43). Matthew 3:12 says, “He will thoroughly cleanse His threshing floor and will gather His wheat into His barn, but the chaff He will burn up with unquenchable fire.” Those typified by wheat have life within. The Lord Jesus will baptize them in the Holy Spirit and gather them into His barn in heaven by rapture. Those typified by the chaff are without life. The Lord will baptize them in fire, putting them into the lake of fire.
For our experience and enjoyment, Christ is also God the Father’s beloved Son. Matthew 3:17 says, “Behold, a voice out of the heavens, saying, This is My Son, the Beloved, in whom I have found My delight.” This was the speaking of the Father as a testimony to the Lord Jesus as the Father’s beloved Son. Matthew 17:5 says, “Behold, a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is My Son, the Beloved, in whom I have found My delight. Hear Him!” This declaration of the Father to vindicate the Son was first given in 3:17 after Christ’s rising from baptism, which signified His resurrection from the dead. Later, in 17:5, the Father declared the same thing, this time to vindicate the Son in His transfiguration, which prefigures the coming kingdom. In each instance we see that Christ is the beloved Son of the Father, the Son of His love (Col. 1:13).
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