I baptize with water, but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose. (St.John 1:26)

I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance; but he that cometh after me is mightier than I; whose shoes I am not worthy to bear; he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire; whose fan is in his hand and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. (Matthew 3: 11-12)

These words were uttered by John the Baptist, the last of the prophets, in reference to Christ. John was raised up, commissioned, and sent to be the forerunner of the Messiah. As foretold by the prophets and as are told by the apostle John, John the Baptist came to bear witness of Christ, the true light, that through him all men might believe. As such John the Baptist was the morning star which preceded and indicated the approach of the Sun of righteousness, the true light of the world. John the Baptist was the voice of one crying in the wilderness, "Prepare ye the Way of the Lord make straight in the desert a highway for our God"

It was customary in the ancient world for kings and emperors to be preceded by heralds who would arrive a day's journey in advance of the monarch so that all might be ready for their arrival so that a proper welcome and due homage could be paid. John the Baptist filled that role for Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of the Living God. Christ, the Prince of Peace, King of kings, and the Lord of lords was preceded by John the Baptist, who acted as his herald, not so as to draw attention to himself, but to draw attention to Christ.

John gives an exalted picture of Christ, and makes it clear that he, John, is the servant not the Messiah. In the gospel this morning John says: "he it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose." In a similar passage of St. Matthew John states: "He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear."

In Semitic cultures, the feet were considered the as the lowest and dirtiest part of the of the body, and to untie a person's sandals or shoes and carry them, was considered by the Jews as one of the most servile and degrading of all menial tasks. John, however, announces that even this service for Christ, was an honor of which he was completely unworthy.

It is important to note that John was no ordinary Jew. John was born into a high priestly family. His miraculous birth was itself foretold by an angel. He was, according to scripture, filled with the Holy Spirit from the time of his conception. Furthermore, as the long anticipated prophet who would announce the coming of the Messiah, whose appearance had been predicted for four hundred years, there was a natural inclination of men to put John the Baptist on a pedestal.

John attracted a lot of attention. He was admired and followed by many, and some actually thought he was himself the promised Messiah.

Christ Himself would say of John "yea I say unto you, and more than a prophet; for among them that are born of women there has not risen a greater than John the Baptist."

So when John the Baptist compared himself to the Christ who was coming, as one not worthy to untie and carry his shoes, he was making a statement that must have astounded his hearers.

John the Baptist uses the comparison of his baptism to the baptism of Christ to demonstrate his inferior role as messenger and not as Messiah. "I indeed baptize with water unto repentance, but he that cometh after me shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire."

In the old covenant, through what we call the Old Testament Church, the Holy Spirit was given only to a few prophets and kings. The priestly office was administered according to the Law, but the offering of sacrifices were only a temporary "covering over" of sin which had efficacy by Divine decree alone. Even after the coming of Christ, the Holy Spirit was not given until after the resurrection. Jesus Himself declared the gift of the Spirit as inseparably connected with His ascension to heaven: "If I go not away, the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, will not come; but if I depart, I will send him to you."

The Old Testament prophets were inspired to predict this truth. Addressing Christ, as if he had already come, David the psalmist says, "Thou hast ascended up on high, thou hast received gifts for men, yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them."

The gospels affirm that this prophecy was fulfilled at Christ's ascension. It was also foretold by the prophet Isaiah that Christ should "pour out" his Spirit on all flesh" and "baptize (literally 'sprinkle' in the Hebrew) many nations." The Church Fathers generally declare this to refer to Christ baptizing them with the Holy Ghost, since Christ personally never baptized anyone with water.

These prophecies were literally fulfilled on the day of Pentecost, when there came from heaven a "sound as of a mighty rushing wind, which filled the place where the disciples were assembled, and there appeared unto them cloven tongues, like as of fire, which sat upon each of them; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost."

In a similar vein, when St. Peter was preaching to Cornelius and his friends scripture records: "The Holy Ghost fell on all who heard him, and he remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, John indeed baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost."

John baptized with water those who professed repentance for Sin as an outward and visible sign of repentance. The baptism of the Holy Ghost was an inward and spiritual grace, and produced through grace, the fruits of the Spirit.

John could baptize the body and visibly declare outward obedience, but Christ's baptism alone could purify the conscience and turn men and women from dead works to a life lived in the Spirit.

John's baptism could be applied only to the body; it could not reach the soul nor change the character of those who received it. But the baptism of the Spirit converted and purified the soul, and they who received it were washed and justified and sanctified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

Christ was the sinless Lamb of God "who takest away the sins of the world" and the offering of His blood was an acceptable sacrifice for sin to a Holy God.

In the end, John, as the messenger, could at most confer only a sign; but Christ could give the actual thing.

In effect John was saying "The one who comes after me can cleanse the soul as easily as I can the body, he can confer the thing signified as easily as I can confer the sign; he can pour out the Holy Spirit upon you as easily as I can apply water."

In the fourth gospel, we are told by St. John that Jesus after his resurrection breathed upon his disciples, saying, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost".

To fully understand the full force and meaning of this act, it is necessary to know that, in both the Hebrew and Greek languages, the same word signifies the concepts of spirit and breath.

This is the same word used in Genesis when God breathed the breath of life into Adam. It should be apparent that if Christ could breathe the Spirit of God into the souls of his disciples, the breath or spirit of Christ must be the actual breath or spirit of God. In other words, Christ Himself must be God. The life-giving breath of God comes to change and purify lives.

In Matthew it is recorded that John the Baptist testified that Christ would "thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

This was an obvious allusion to the words of the prophet Malachi, the final prophet of the Old Testament, which foretold the coming both of Christ and of His messenger. God declares through Malachi: "Behold I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me, and the LORD whom ye seek shall come suddenly into his temple; even the angel of the covenant whom ye delight in. But who may abide the day of his coming, and who shall stand when he appeareth? For he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; and he shall purify the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness."

In a similar manner the Baptist declared that Christ would purify the church. John uses the image of a threshing floor, where the true members of the church are the wheat and the false are the chaff. Christ will gather the wheat into his barn and consign the chaff to the fire.

Let us draw a few conclusions.

First, all genuine preaching of the gospel points to Christ and not to men. All who are sent by God to preach the gospel, will like John, preach repentance toward God. "In those days", says the evangelist, "came John the Baptist preaching and saying, repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

Second, repentance is always marked by a change in a person's life. "Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance; for the axe is laid to the root of the trees; every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire."

Third, John taught his hearers not to trust to their penitence, nor to the outward sign of their baptism, but to Christ alone for salvation.

John was very careful to teach that he could not himself save them. All who came to him he sent to Christ. It is John who boldly identifies Christ at his baptism when he declares "Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world" John told the people that "they should believe on him who should come after him" meaning they should believe in Christ Jesus.

John preached repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Thus he made Christ the whole subject matter of his preaching, and effectively declared him as the beginning and ending, the author and finisher of our faith. Preaching which teaches that salvation is possible apart from Christ is not of God. "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Finally, let us ask ourselves these two questions: First, did Christ come to baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire?

At the Last Supper Jesus said this to St. Peter: "If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me". In other words, Peter, if you are not baptized with my baptism, the baptism of the Holy Ghost, and sprinkled with the blood of my sacrifice, sprinkling, which cleanses from all sin, you cannot share in the blessings which I alone can give.

The second and final question: Has Savior baptized you in this manner? Has the Spirit of truth taught you to know the truth? Has the Spirit of adoption taught you to cry, Abba Father, with the feelings of a child? Has the Spirit of grace taught you to pray? Are you led by the Spirit of God to bear the fruits of the Spirit, such as love, joy, peace, long suffering, meekness, goodness, faith, and temperance?

If the answer is yes, you have indeed been baptized with the Holy Ghost, and cleansed as if passed through a purifying fire. You have been washed in the blood of the Lamb and have the assurance of eternal life in Christ and demonstrate that assurance in the fruits of a lively faith. But if you have not, if you do not live by faith, do not seek after God's truth, you do not have the Spirit of Christ, and you are not part of Him.

The message of Advent is as the Messiah has come once in great humility, which we remember at this Christmastide, so it is a certainty that He will come again in glory to judge the quick and the dead. "Who can stand at the day of his coming?" asked Malachi. Even his prophet John the Baptist announced that he was unworthy to carry His sandals. As we celebrate the first coming of Christ in that manger so long ago, let us ask if we are ready for his second coming. On what basis shall we receive him? Unless it is on the basis of being born again by water and the Holy Ghost we cannot see the kingdom of God.

I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance; but he that cometh after me is mightier than I; whose shoes I am not worthy to bear; he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire. (Mat. 3:11)