In 3:15-17 we have John the Baptist’s recommendation of the Man-Savior. Verse 15 says, “Now while the people were in expectation and all were reasoning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ.” Here we see that the people were expecting to know whether John might be the Christ, the Messiah (John 1:19-27).
In verses 16 and 17 John said, “I indeed baptize you with water, but He who is stronger than I is coming, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie; He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire; whose winnowing shovel is in His hand to thoroughly cleanse His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Here we see that although John preached a baptism of repentance, the goal of his ministry was a wonderful Person, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He did not make himself the center of his ministry, as a magnet attracting others to himself. He realized that he was only a messenger sent by Jehovah of hosts to bring people to Jesus Christ and exalt Him as the goal of his ministry.
In verse 16 John said that he baptized with water, but the One coming, the Man-Savior, will baptize people in the Holy Spirit and fire. Water signifies death and burial for the termination of repenting people; the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of life and resurrection for the germination of terminated people. The first was a sign of John’s ministry of repentance; the latter, a sign of the Man-Savior’s ministry of life. John buried the repenting people into the death-water; the Man-Savior raised them up for their regeneration in the Spirit by His resurrection life.
The death-water, pointing to and signifying the all-inclusive death of Christ, into which His believers are baptized (Rom. 6:3), buried not only the baptized people but also their sins, the world, and their past life and history (just as the Red Sea buried Pharaoh and the Egyptian army for the children of Israel—Exo. 14:26-28; 1 Cor. 10:2), and separated them from the God-forsaking world and its corruption (just as the flood separated Noah and his family from the world—1 Pet. 3:20-21).
The Holy Spirit, into whom the Man-Savior baptizes those who believe in Him, is the Spirit of Christ and the Spirit of God (Rom. 8:9). Hence, to be baptized in 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 Christ in the one Spirit (1 Cor. 6:17). It is through baptism in such a water and in such a Spirit that the believers in Christ are regenerated into the kingdom of God, into the realm of the divine life and the divine rule (John 3:3, 5), that they may live by the eternal life of God in His eternal kingdom.
According to the context, “fire” in 3:16 and 17 is not the fire in Acts 2:3, which is related to the Holy Spirit. Rather, the fire in these verses is the fire of the lake of fire (Rev. 20:15). The word spoken by John the Baptist here means that if the people will truly repent and believe in the Lord Jesus, the Lord will baptize them in the Holy Spirit so that they may have eternal life. Otherwise, the Lord will baptize them in fire, putting them into the lake of fire for eternal punishment. John’s baptism was only for repentance, to usher people to faith in the Lord. The Lord’s baptism is either for eternal life in the Holy Spirit or for eternal perdition in fire.
In these verses there are three kinds of baptism: the baptism in water, the baptism in the Holy Spirit, and the baptism in fire. The baptism in water is for repentance, the baptism in the Holy Spirit is for life, and the baptism in fire is for perdition.
Luke 3:17 indicates that the Lord will gather the wheat into His barn, but will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. Those typified by the wheat have life within. The Lord will baptize them in the Holy Spirit and gather them into His “barn” in heaven by rapture. Those typified by the chaff, like the tares in Matthew 13:24-30, are without life. The Lord will baptize them in fire, putting them into the lake of fire. “Chaff” in 3:17 refers to the impenitent Jews, whereas the tares in Matthew 13 refer to nominal Christians. The eternal destiny of both will be the same—perdition in the lake of fire (Matt. 13:40-42).
Luke 3:18 says, “So, with many and various things he exhorted and brought good news to the people.” The Greek word rendered “brought good news” is euaggelizo. This word means to evangelize, to announce good news, to declare or bring glad tidings, to preach the gospel. To bring good news of the kingdom of God (4:43) is to preach the kingdom of God as the gospel, the good news.
In 3:21 and 22 we have the baptism and anointing of the Man-Savior: “Now it came about that, when all the people were baptized, and as Jesus was baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form as a dove upon Him; and a voice came out of heaven, You are My beloved Son, in You I delight.” The Lord Jesus was baptized not only to fulfill righteousness according to God’s ordination (Matt. 3:16), but also to allow Himself to be put into death and resurrection that He might minister not in a natural way, but in the way of resurrection. By being baptized He lived and ministered in resurrection even before His actual death and resurrection three and a half years later.
The Lord’s being baptized to fulfill God’s righteousness and to be put into death and resurrection brought Him three things: the open heaven, the descending of the Spirit of God, and the speaking of the Father. This should be the same with us today in our experience.
Luke 3:22 says that the Holy Spirit descended upon the Man-Savior in bodily form as a dove. Before the Spirit of God descended and came upon Him, the Lord Jesus was conceived and born of the Spirit (Luke 1:35). This proves that He already had the Spirit of God within Him for His birth. Now, for His ministry, the Spirit of God descended upon Him. This was the fulfillment of Isaiah 61:1; 42:1; and Psalm 45:7 to anoint the Man-Savior and introduce Him to His people.
Luke 3:22 says that the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form as a dove. A dove is gentle, and its eyes can see only one thing at a time. Hence, a dove signifies gentleness and singleness in sight and purpose. By the Spirit of God descending upon Him as a dove, the Lord Jesus ministered in gentleness and singleness, focusing solely on the will of God.
In 3:22 we are also told that a voice came out of heaven, saying, “You are My beloved Son, in You I delight.” Whereas the descending of the Spirit is the anointing of Christ, the speaking of the Father is a testimony to Him as the beloved Son. Here we have a picture of the Divine Trinity: the Son standing on earth, the Spirit descending upon the Son, and the Father speaking concerning the Son. This proves that the Father, the Son, and the Spirit exist simultaneously. This is for the accomplishment of God’s economy.