Baptism by Fire

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This day, the first Sunday after Epiphany, memorializes the baptism of our Lord. It is the day that Christians across the globe celebrate the baptism of Jesus by John in the waters of the Jordan. But there is more to baptism than water; there is also fire. In Luke’s account of John’s ministry, we hear the Baptizer say to the crowds, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming…. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Luke 3:16).

What is this baptism by fire?

In my sermon today, I attempted to give answer to this question. I put it like this:

Jesus’ baptism was the source of his identity. It told him who he was and what he was here to do. The voice from heaven announced: “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22). These words are all but a direct quote of Isaiah 42:1, one of the Servant Songs, where one who will serve God’s ends is identified. The prophet writes:

Here is my servant, …my chosen, in whom my soul delights;

I have put my spirit upon him;

he will bring forth justice to the nations.”

Jesus’ baptism marked him as God’s servant. If that is true of Jesus’ baptism, then it is true of ours. Baptism identifies us as the people of God. All other identities are burned away — or, washed away, if you prefer. But in either case — washing or burning — the point is that we are now the people of Jesus, and we know why we are here. We don’t belong to this world in the same way we did. Its self-serving agendas no longer compel us. We belong to God. We serve God’s ends.

One way of getting at this is to recognize that, in the New Testament, baptism is almost always associated with dying. The Apostle Paul writes on one occasion, “…All of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death…” (Romans 6:3). Jesus himself refers to his impending death as a baptism. “I have a baptism with which to be baptized,” he says, “and what stress I am under until it is completed” (Luke 12:50). On one occasion, two of Jesus’ disciples ask him whether they might have the places of honor in the kingdom. He, in turn, asks them, “Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” (Mark 10:38).

In other words, in baptism we “die” to certain things, and we die in order that other things may come to life. We die to old ways so that new ways may be embraced.

  • We die to self-preoccupation.
  • We die to the desire to control or overpower others.
  • We die to the ways that are approved by this world.

We die to old identities. And, when we die, God raises us to new life, to a new identity. Baptism purges us — burns away the dross so that the gold may be refined.

  • We pass under the waters of baptism belonging to one order of things; we come through the waters of baptism belonging to another order, God’s order, of things.
  • On one side of the flow, we are here to be served; on the other side, we are here not to be served, but to serve.

That’s what baptism is about, whether by water or by fire.

Is it worth it? Is it worth it to be identified in baptism with this God whom Scripture calls “a consuming fire?” (Hebrews 12:29). Belden Lane, a professor at Saint Louis University says it is. He writes:

I really don’t want a God who is solicitous of my every need, fawning for my attention, eager for nothing in the world so much as the fulfillment of my self-potential. One of the scourges of our age is that all of our deities are housebroken and eminently companionable; far from demanding anything, they ask only how they can more meaningfully enhance the lives of those they serve” (The Solace of Fierce Landscapes: Exploring Desert and Mountain Spirituality, p. 53).

The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, whose Son was baptized in the harsh desert wilderness, is not like that. This God, who claims us in baptism, will not be domesticated. Ours is a baptism by fire.

Scripture citations are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

Photo Credit: Ceiling of the church at Bethany by the Jordan, believed to be the site of Jesus’ baptism | Bob McCaffrey

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5 Responses to “Baptism by Fire”

  1. Sharon Hartman Says:
    January 10, 2010 at 1:57 pm

    While I enjoyed the spoken word of your sermon it is even more meaningful to be able to read it and think about it some more. Your message always speaks to my heart and for that I am grateful.

    • Sharon, my thanks to you. I puzzled about whether to include text from a sermon in a blog post. I am glad that it had value for you.

  2. Matt Muehlberger Says:
    January 24, 2010 at 4:16 pm

    Great mesage Ike. I have often wondered what our lord meant by baptism by fire. We know, or at least think and hope we know, what baptism by water is by studying the properties and uses of water. What is water? It cools, it cleans, it washes away. Similarly, can we know what baptism by fire is by studying the properties of fire? Fire burns, destroys, and, when applied to sentient organisms, painful. If this is true, does it mean that gods servants must experience pain to be saved? The answer is, in my opinion, a resounding yes. How else are we to know that what we are is not who we were intended to be. The function of pain, at its most basic level, is used to shatter the illusion that all is well. As C.S. Lewis once said: the purpose of pain is “to plant the flag of truth in the fortress of a rebel soul.” God forbid we remain “content in our sins and in our stupidities” Pain insists on “being attended to.” Pain is the only catalyst to true change. I think this is an inherent truth recognized all the saints – only through pain can we see who we truly are in our lords eyes. This will lead a willing and humble heart to the true meaning of God’s grace. How can we fully enjoy God’s grace until we realize how truly flawed an undeserving we really are? If we come to this realization and understand that our Lord DOES accept us as we are – what joy! So, the question…must we all be baptized by fire before we can truly understand and receive the baptism of water? Thanks Ike. Loving the blog. Keep em coming!

    • Matt, thank you for your insights on baptism. Baptism by water is often described as an outward and visible sign of an inward, invisible grace. Baptism by the Spirit and fire is certainly inward and not seen. As you suggest, God does “burn” the chaff in our lives. (The word “pure” comes from the Greek term pyr, which means “fire.”) This is a merciful cleansing, even though it may be painful at times. I often do not want to give up those attachments that serve as substitutes for what only God can be and do in my life, but God, in characteristic mercy, removes them. The process is sometimes painful. Jesus’ words, recorded in John 15:2, remind us that, if we are to bear fruit for God’s glory, the Great Gardener (God) will often prune us so that we will be even more fruitful. Pruning, of course, is a surgical process and, while painful, leads to health. Thank you again for your thoughts.

  3. Joe N. Baldwin Says:
    February 12, 2010 at 4:58 am

    I am very impressed with this article. I hope you will continue to provide such useful and unforgettable content. One truth that I consider universal: There is no such thing as a tiger. I will be back to read more. Thanks.

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