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The first thing Jesus did after he was baptized and had received the Holy Spirit was to go to the wilderness to allow Satan to tempt him. We get some details about that temptation.
Satan thought he had found a weak point and was going to put his finger on it and suggested to Jesus since he hadn’t had a thing to eat for 40 days that Jesus should turn a stone into a loaf of bread and eat it.
The thing I want you to notice about this is that Jesus had the power to turn a rock into bread and he could have done so and enjoyed a meal with Satan but Jesus, unlike a lot of humanity, wanted nothing to do with Satan.
So Satan decides next to tempt Jesus with power and showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and offered Jesus authority over all of them if he would only do one small thing… bow down before Satan and worship him. A lot of humanity wouldn’t give that a second thought. They would drop right to their knees and revere Satan for the power to control all the countries of the world and think that they had pulled one over on old Sate.
Jesus wouldn’t do it because it was wrong to give something to Satan that only belonged to God and nothing Satan could offer was worth offending God. We’re quick to engage in things that are wrong because we know God loves us and is forgiving. Be careful you might get tangled up in that rope. You belong to God don’t give what is God’s to Satan.
The last desperate attempt of Satan was take a stab at Jesus’ pride. Satan led with a scripture this time. He quoted Psalm 91 in which the promise is made that God would send angels to protect his righteous one from harm.
With this scripture Satan invited Jesus to Jump off the highest point of the Temple to see if God would send angels to protect him. Jesus answered with Deuteronomy 6:16, “Thou shall not make trial of the Lord your God”. You don’t have to accept every challenge that is thrown at you. You can walk away.
Why did Jesus start his ministry by allowing Satan to tempt him?
Because he knew that when believers began their ministry after being baptized that Satan would attack them too. And to show them that it is possible to be tempted by Satan and to conquer him. Gather yourself up and get about your spiritual business and don’t worry and moan about Satan. He is a coward and you can beat him… just like Jesus did.
In Luke 3:16-17, John the Baptist after baptizing the people in water promised that Jesus Christi would baptize them in the Holy Spirit and in Fire.
John explained what these two baptisms were by comparing them to an agricultural harvest. Harvested grain was scattered over a “threshing” floor and the grain would be threshed to separate the grain from the chaff or hull. Then the grain would stored in a barn and the chaff would be burned up.
The grain are God’s faithful people, the chaff are the unfaithful. The thresher is Jesus Christ.
This sort of reference when applied to humanity must refer to a separation of people… the good being “stored” or gathered into Heaven and the bad being “burned” or destroyed with “unquenchable” fire and being consigned to Hell.
Therefore, within this context, “Baptism in the Holy Spirit” must refer primarily to the faithful being gathered into Heaven and the process that ends in that event. And “Baptism in Fire” must refer to God’s punishment of the unfaithful.
God’s blessings begin with baptism and end (so to speak) with eternal life.
God’s curses begin with being outside of God’s family and end with eternal punishment.
Acts 2:38, “Repent and be baptized … in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”.
