Jesus, the Baptizer

Announcer:

This is Today With Derek Prince. The internationally recognized Bible teacher and author presents to you Keys to Successful Living.

This week Derek Prince continues his series on Laying the Foundation, which is helping us discover the building blocks of a successful stable Christian life. The topic this week is ‘Immersion in the Spirit,’ which takes us through various aspects of the sometimes-illusive topic, and gives us a clear understanding of the purposes and applications of this divine promise. Let’s listen as Derek begins his theme at a conference held in New Zealand, and be sure to stay tuned at the end of today’s message for our address and this week’s special offer.

Derek Prince:

This morning I spoke about immersion in water or baptism in water, this evening I’m going to go on to immersion in the Holy Spirit. I pointed out that the word baptize that we use in the English Bible is not an English word. It’s a transliteration of a Greek word, and the meaning of the Greek word is absolutely beyond question, it means to immerse. And so I’m using the word immersion.

This morning I spoke about immersion in water, this evening I’m going to talk about immersion in the Holy Spirit. You see, there are two ways of being immersed. There’s the swimming pool way where you go down into the water, go under the water and come up out of the water. That’s water baptism. But then there’s the Niagara Falls way. I remember the first time I stood and watched Niagara Falls, I said to myself you couldn’t be under that fall one second without being totally drenched. That’s the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Every place that it’s described it indicates in one way or another that the Holy Spirit came down over them from above.

So, we’re talking about two immersions. Immersion in water: you go down into it, you go under it, you come up out of it. Immersion in the Holy Spirit: you just go under it and it comes down over you. But in either case you’re totally immersed, not just partially immersed; not sprinkled but totally immersed.

Now it’s very interesting that the introduction to each of the four gospels specifically states that Jesus Christ will baptize in the Holy Spirit. I think far too little attention has been given to this. I want to read the four passages in each of the gospels. Matthew chapter 3:11, John the Baptist says:

“‘I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. But he who is coming after me [that’s the Messiah] is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.’
And then in Mark chapter 1:8 we get the introduction there. John the Baptist is speaking, he says: ‘I indeed baptize you with water but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’
And then in Luke 3:16 the version that’s given in Luke’s gospel. John the Baptist says:
John answered and saying to them, ‘I indeed baptize you with water but one mightier than I is coming whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.’”

And then in John’s gospel, chapter 1, verse 33. So this is part of the official introduction of Jesus by His forerunner, John the Baptist. In every one of the introductions, in every one of the four gospels, it’s specifically stated that Jesus will baptize His people with the Holy Spirit. Now in John’s gospel the introduction is a little fuller. Beginning at chapter 1, verse 29:

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.’”

And then he went on to say in verse 33:

“‘I did not know Him but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit [the Holy Spirit] descending and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. I’ve seen and testified that this is the Son of God.’”

So John there says three things. This is the Lamb of God, this is the Son of God and this is He who baptizes in the Holy Spirit. We are all so wonderfully familiar with the statement that Jesus is the Lamb of God but it’s only stated in one gospel, whereas in all four gospels it’s specifically stated that Jesus is the baptizer in the Holy Spirit.

In other words, it’s one of the most important things that we need to know about Him. It’s wonderful to know Him as Savior, to know Him as Lamb of God. But, that’s not the end. It’s also very, very important that we come to know Him individually and personally as the baptizer in the Holy Spirit.

Now after His earthly ministry was completed, after His resurrection, in Acts 1:4–5 Jesus repeats this promise. It’s really hard to overemphasize how frequently this promise is given in the gospels. In Acts 1:4–5 it says of Jesus:

“Being assembled together with them [His disciples] He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem but to wait for the promise of the Father which He said, ‘You have heard from me. For John truly baptized with water but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’”

So Jesus was careful to repeat the promise with which John the Baptist had introduced Him, that He would be the baptizer in the Holy Spirit.

Now, almost all commentators on the Bible agree that the fulfillment of this promise of Jesus is recorded in Acts chapter 2:1–4, the Day of Pentecost. So I want to read what the Bible says there and then briefly consider exactly what is implied. Acts 2, beginning at verse 1:

“Now when the Day of Pentecost had fully come they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing, mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues as of fire and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues [or other languages] as the Spirit gave them utterance [or as the Spirit gave them to speak].”

So there are three successive phases of that experience. First of all, it was a baptism. The Holy Spirit came from above and immersed them. It filled the whole place where they were sitting, they were immersed from above.

Secondly, each one of them was individually filled with the Holy Spirit. It was not just a collective experience but it was an experience in which each individual had his personal share. And thirdly, there was an overflow, a supernatural outflow from the infilling. This is in line with a principle that’s stated in Matthew chapter 12:34, just the latter part of the verse. Jesus is saying:

“. . . for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”

I represent that by saying when your heart is filled it overflows through the mouth in speech. There are a number of passages in the New Testament where it speaks about people being filled with the Holy Spirit. I’ve looked at each passage and in every case the next thing that happened was that person spoke, prophesied, spoke in tongues, whatever it might be. This is a universal principle. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. When the heart is filled to overflowing then the overflow takes place through the mouth in speech. And that’s what happened on the Day of Pentecost. When they had been filled, then they all began to speak with other languages as the Spirit gave them utterance, or as the Spirit gave them to speak. It’s very important to understand that this is a matter in which God and man have to cooperate. God filled them but they began to speak. The Holy Spirit didn’t do the speaking; they did the speaking, the Holy Spirit gave them the language.

I’ve met so many—and my background for many years has been in the Pentecostal movement—who said, ‘Brother Prince, I want God to do it all.’ I met a man who said, ‘I’ve been tarrying twenty-five years.’ He said, ‘I’m waiting for God to do it all.’ I said, ‘You’ll tarry for the rest of your life, because it’s not Scriptural.’ God will do His part, you have to do your part. You do the speaking, God gives the language. But, God will not do the speaking. They all began to speak as the Holy Spirit gave them to speak.

And let me say it’s true, they tarried or they waited until the Holy Spirit came on the Day of Pentecost.

After that there’s no record that anyone ever tarried for the Holy Spirit. He had been given and after that when they prayed and met the conditions they immediately received the Holy Spirit. I want to say to each of you here tonight if you meet the conditions, and I’ll go into them later, and you’re thirsty, you can be filled with the Holy Spirit here tonight. If you’ve never received it, this can be your night. We’ll come to that later.

Now I want to say a little bit about the way the apostle Paul describes this. In 2 Corinthians chapter 1:22 he says, well, we’ll read verse 21 as well:

“Now he who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, is God, who has also sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a deposit.”

So Paul says two things. The Holy Spirit is a seal and it’s a deposit. In Ephesians chapter 1:14 he uses similar language. He says, verse 13:

“In whom also [that’s Jesus], having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchase possession.
And in the margin it says for guarantee, ‘down payment.’”

So, the Holy Spirit, the baptism, which is visible, which is audible, which is not merely something that happens inside you and cannot be seen by others, it’s something that can be seen and heard. Paul says it’s two things. It’s a seal and a down payment.

First of all, it’s a seal. You already belong to Jesus but this publicly identifies you as belonging to Him. He sets His public seal upon you.

I don’t know whether any of you can remember the days when we used to send registered mail and you had to seal it with hot wax. Can you remember those days? And then you had to put an imprint on it. That’s exactly what the Holy Spirit is. It’s a seal, it’s hot wax. And then Jesus puts His imprint on it and it sets you apart. And you know registered mail is treated in a special way. It’s much more carefully looked after. And when you’ve been baptized in the Holy Spirit you’re registered mail, you get special attention from heaven’s post office.

Announcer:

Tomorrow Derek Prince will continue his theme on ‘Immersion in the Spirit,’ sharing with us how this baptism is a seal or down payment which marks us as God’s possession.

This message is available on audiocassette No. RC4165, and also on video. Our special offer this week is Derek book Baptism in the Holy Spirit, in which he offers more Biblical insights into this experience and its chief purpose in our lives. To receive your copy of ‘Immersion in the Spirit’ write today and include a contribution of $5.00 or more for audiocassette RC4165 or $14.95 for the video. Include a gift of your choosing for the book Baptism in the Holy Spirit.

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