June 26: The Baptism of Fire

“John answered them all, saying, ‘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 with fire.’” –Luke 3.16
Fire consumes things. If you happen to drop your favorite book into the fire, it’s gone. The fire which John told the people Jesus was bringing was a fire of judgment that would consume the one whom it baptized. But the tongues of fire at Pentecost – which came with the promised baptism of the Holy Spirit – did not destroy the disciples. Why?
Luke 12.49-50 answers this question: that fiery judgment had already fallen on Jesus. Paul says in Galatians that he died with Christ. Therefore, in Jesus we did receive the baptism of fire – but it could not consume Him. Jesus suffered the judgment on the cross because of the baptism of fire that we deserved so that when Pentecost came the baptism of fire which the disciples received was a fire of grace. It gave to them rather than destroying them.
1. What would it have meant for us if Jesus had taken the baptism of the Holy Spirit only for Himself and left the baptism of fire only for us?
2. How did we receive the baptism of fire and the Holy Spirit in Jesus? And what does it mean for how we should continue to live now? (Read John 15 for direction.)