"Baptism by Fire"

      The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. John answered them all, "I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

      It'll be a baptism by fire. She's going to get thrown in, feet first, head first, whatever you want to call it. She is going to have to hit the ground running. It's sink or swim, and she just might sink. They've already eaten alive two chairmen, who's to say it won't happen a third time? It's going to be brutal. If she comes out of it, she will be scarred, there's no question. But she will also be invincible, if she can survive that first six months and come out alive.

      Today when you hear the phrase, "baptism by fire," more likely than not you are going to think of a hostile takeover, a CEO hired to shore up a floundering company. Many people may not even know the phrase comes from the Bible.

      This week we continue our discussion about baptism. Now I must warn you from the outset: last week was the easy week. It was the "get your foot in the door" week. Or more aptly, the "stick your toe in the water" week. We had baby Owen at the first service. The very INSTANT I splashed him for the third time and spoke the words, "and of the Holy Spirit," he grinned a huge grin at his mom and dad and me. Little did he know. Because when we are dealing with baptism and the Holy Spirit, we are playing with fire.

      Last week I mentioned several biblical images of baptism, all of which had to do with new life. Cleansing. Repenting of the past. Being clothed in Christ. A new creation. Adoption into a new family.

      Today is different. Today I continue to speak of how the Bible talks of baptism, but today I am afraid I must speak of death. The Bible doesn't mince words. It's dead serious.

      Here are some scriptural references to baptism and death:

1. Dying with Christ

His disciples ask to be glorified with Christ, seated on his right hand side, and Jesus replied in Mark 10:38--"You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said. "Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?"

2. Death and Resurrection

In Romans 6:3-4 the connection is made between baptism, death, and resurrection: "Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."

3. Buried with Christ

Similarly, in Colossians 2:12 we see an extension of this same image: "Having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead."

4. Overshadowed by the Holy Spirit

The power of the Holy Spirit is active in baptism: In Matthew 3:16 we are told: "As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him." "I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." Mark 1:8 And in the first actions of the church, we hear Peter speak of the Holy Spirit and baptism: "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Acts 2:38

      The way the gospel writer Luke tells the story (which, by the way, is almost exactly the same in the Gospel of Matthew), John the Baptist sets up a contrast between his own baptism and Jesus' baptism. John baptized with water, but the Messiah would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Ultimately the fulfillment of the baptizing work of the Spirit was seen on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4), which we celebrate today.

      Today is more sobering because today we speak of the baptism of death, the baptism of fire, and the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the side of baptism we often do not think of, because quite frankly the smiling baby and the proud parents and the celebration of new life is just all that much nicer and certainly a lot more fun. It is easy to soften the awe-some power of the life and death God when that sweet baby is grinning up at you.

      Our tendency is to tame God and to keep God at a safe and careful distance. This reminds me a bit of what Annie Dillard once said:

      "... Does anyone have the foggiest idea what sort of power we blithely invoke? Or, as I suspect, does no one believe a word of it? The churches are children playing on the floor with their chemistry sets, mixing up a batch of TNT to kill a Sunday morning. It is madness to wear ladies' straw hats and velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life preservers and signal flares; they should lash us to our pews. For the sleeping god may wake someday and take offense, or the waking god may draw us to where we can never return." ¹

      Yes, when we allow ourselves to truly reflect on the awesome power of God, we realize we are at risk of being drawn in to a place from which we can never return.

      A very long time ago in the early church baptisteries were built into the ground, and they were very large. I remember seeing one in Turkey that dated from about the 3rd century. It was formed in the shape of a cross and it had steps which descended to the deepest part (the center of the cross) and then steps which ascended. The one to be baptized walked down (descending into death), was submerged (signifying death with Christ) and then ascended into life (resurrection).

      Now for the good news. Though sobering, this link of baptism with death is not all bad. Yes, in baptism to we die to self. Yes, in baptism we are buried with Christ. Yes, in baptism we are struck by the power of the Holy Spirit. But there's more. That's just the beginning of the story! That's just the entrance of the scene!

      There is this incredible promise that we are then never alone. We are supported, held, and uplifted by the almighty power of God. Yes, it's awesome, yes, it's frightening! But oh, it's wonderful, too.

      I cannot put it any better than Eugene Peterson does in The Message:

      “That is what happened in baptism. When we went under the water, we left the old country of sin behind; when we came up out of the water, we entered into the new country of grace-a new life in a new land!

      That's what baptism into the life of Jesus means. When we are lowered into the water, it is like the burial of Jesus; when we are raised up out of the water, it is like the resurrection of Jesus. Each of us is raised into a light-filled world by our Father so that we can see where we're going in our new grace-sovereign country.

      Could it be any clearer? Our old way of life was nailed to the cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life-no longer at sin's every beck and call! What we believe is this: If we get included in Christ's sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection.”

      Sin conquering death. Grace-sovereign country. Life-saving Resurrection. It doesn't get any better than that.

      Baptism by fire and the Holy Spirit. There is no question we come out of it scarred. Scarred for life, yes, but invincible, too. Invincible, praise God, through the power of the Holy Spirit.