“I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matthew 3:11).
God knew that we were not to be left on our own to carry His message to the world. He knew that our victory over sin could not be left to our own abilities. He knew that His followers would need the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.
John the Baptist knew that and after he announced the coming of the Kingdom of God he introduced the resource Jesus would provide to those who followed Him. He would baptize them with the Holy Spirit.
Not only did Jesus, by His baptism in water, validate John the Baptist’s message of repentance, but He came with the promise of the Holy Spirit as our continuing and completely adequate resource to live out the life Jesus came to bring us.
