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There is no definite article before the words "Holy Spirit" in verse 11. Literally it
reads "He shall baptize you with (or in) holy spirit and fire". There is no need to debate
whether this primarily refers to the Holy Spirit or His action. What is clear is that this
baptism is not one of water, but is the refining, purging and purifying of those in Israel
who will then be ready to enter into the kingdom of heaven. It is judgment that is being
spoken of by John not grace, and is in line with such O.T. passages as Isa. 4: 4:
"The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; He will cleanse the
bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire" (N.I.V.).
By such judgment the Lord, through the Spirit's work, will "thoroughly purge His
floor" (Matt. 3: 12).
The more we consider John's ministry the more we realize how startling it must have
been and entirely different to what the Jew was expecting. The Baptizer was truly the
forerunner of the King, opening up the way for Him, so fulfilling Isa. 40: 3 which
Matthew quotes:
"The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make
straight in the desert a highway for our God."
The word LORD is the great title Jehovah. The One Whose way is being prepared is
addressed as "our God", which presents no problem to those who acknowledge His
Deity, even if they cannot fully comprehend the fullness and greatness of His Being. In
fact no one can; nor are they asked to do so, but faith steps in where reason cannot reach
and rests upon the unchanging Word of God which is always true and is the ground for
faith to rest on.
The third great item in this section of Matthew's Gospel is the baptism of the Messiah.
This may bring problems, because we may be certain of one thing, the Lord Jesus had no
need to repent for He had no sin. Of Himself He was "holy, harmless, undefiled, separate
from sinners" (Heb. 7: 26). Then why did He submit to water baptism by John? We
must consider this in our next study.