A Companion to

Monday with Matthew: Week 3

“I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I… He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
— Matthew 3:11 (NIV)

Original Language

• Greek Word: βάπτισμα (baptisma)
• Root Verb: βαπτίζω (baptizō)
• Meaning: To immerse, to dip repeatedly, to submerge

In the time of John the Baptist, baptisma didn’t refer to a ritual alone. It was a word used in both sacred and secular life—for dyeing fabric, washing utensils, and fully plunging beneath the surface. John takes that familiar word and saturates it with kingdom meaning.

Theological Insight

In Matthew 3, baptism is introduced not as tradition, but as confrontation. It calls for:

• Repentance (μετάνοια – metanoia): a radical reorientation of life
• Preparation: for the arrival of God’s Kingdom
• Participation: in a new covenant soon to be sealed in Christ

John’s water baptism was a precursor—a shadow of what would come through Jesus, who would baptize not just with water, but with Spirit and fire.

Jesus Himself submitted to baptism—not because He needed cleansing, but to:

• Affirm John’s message
• Identify with humanity
• Initiate His public ministry
• Fulfill righteousness (v.15)

Baptism becomes a divine moment of anointing, commissioning, and divine approval.

Devotional Depth

Baptism is more than water on skin.
It is death and resurrection.
It is letting go and rising again.
It is a visible act of invisible surrender.

John invited people to wade into the Jordan with honesty and hunger. Jesus stepped into those same waters to meet them there—and to meet us here.

• Have you forgotten the wonder of your own baptism?
• Have you drifted from the daily immersion in God’s presence?

Your baptism may be behind you—but its power lives in every forward step of obedience.

Reflection

• What did baptism mean to you when it happened?
• What does it mean to you now?
• Where is God asking you to “step into the water” again—not literally, but spiritually?
• Write down or reflect on your own baptism (or your thoughts about it). What did it mean then, and what does it mean now?

If you haven’t been baptized—what holds you back?

Spiritual Application

• Immersion in Grace:
  Baptism reminds us that God’s grace doesn’t skim the surface. It saturates, cleanses, and renews from the inside out.
• A Public Declaration:
  In baptism, we go public with our faith. It’s our response to God’s call: “Come, follow Me.”
• A Daily Invitation:
  Though a one-time event, baptism reflects a daily choice—to walk as one who has been made new in Christ.

Key Usages in Scripture

1. Matthew 3:11 (NIV)
   “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I… He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
2. Romans 6:3–4 (NIV)
   “…Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?… we too may live a new life.”
3. Acts 2:38 (NIV)
   “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins…”

Prayer

Lord Jesus, You stepped into the Jordan not for Your cleansing, but for ours. You didn’t need repentance, but You led us through it. Remind me today that I am washed, sealed, and risen with You. Help me live like I belong to You—because I do. Baptize me again in the fire of Your Spirit. Amen.