“I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap 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 the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”(Luke 3:16-17)
Luke introduces the account of Jesus’ ministry with a description of His forerunner or prophet, John the Baptist. His ministry indicates that God is about to do a new thing, to create a new covenant, to do away with the Mosaic system of sacrifices. No longer will God accept animal sacrifices and grain offerings. He desires a changed life, a new heart, repentance, an admission that one is sinful and wicked. The public proclamation of such an admission was proclaimed by baptism, which indicated that one has died to self and the old ways, a total change of life. Thus repentance will be marked by the fruit of righteousness as well as active caring concern for the poor and oppressed.
John’s Baptism of repentance served as the sign of a person’s dedication to God, commitment to righteousness, and new life. That is why Jesus came to be baptized: to mark the start of His ministry. The time of repentance and God’s forgiveness was at hand. When Jesus came to be baptized, however, He had no need to repent for He had no sin. He came to identify with us, to show He was a man just like us, one who was completely obedient to His Father. And yet Jesus was no mere man. The appearance of the Holy Spirit and the voice from heaven indicate to us that He has a unique relationship with God, He is the Son of God; He is God. We who have entered His Kingdom by faith, belong to Him and must serve Him with our whole being. And we will have such joy over our redemption in Him that we will tell others about the salvation that is found in Him alone.