Matthew 3:1 - 6.
1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’

4 Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him 6 and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

Matthew 3:11.
"I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."


The message of John the Baptist was repentance, baptism, and receiving the Holy Spirit. This is the heart and the fire of the evangelistic message, which is founded upon Jesus Christ. But Jesus hadn't been crucified yet when John the Baptist preached His message. Everything in the gospels about salvation, all the teachings and works of John the Baptist, and Jesus Himself, were in preparation for the New Testament plan of salvation that was to come.

The teachings, healing, and miracles that Jesus did was the kingdom of God being introduced to man ahead of time, the waves of it flowing in, before the New Testament salvation went into effect. The New Testament plan of salvation, which was by the blood and death of Jesus Christ on the cross, went into effect on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was first poured out, and the church was born.

In Matthew 3;3, John the Baptist said, "Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight". And in verses 5 & 6, it says, 5 "Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him 6 and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins."

John the Baptist said to prepare the way of the Lord and to make His paths straight. He was telling the people to prepare themselves to receive the Lord, and he did this by having them repent and be baptized. Then in verse 11, he said that he baptizes with water unto repentance, but that one mightier than he will come after him, speaking of Jesus, who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.

The ministry of John the baptist was to lead people to repent and be baptized to prepare them to receive the Holy Spirit. This is what he meant by, "Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight."

But the Holy Spirit wasn't given yet. In John 7;39, it says that the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

This preparation was only temporary until the New Testament salvation was in effect. No one would receive the Holy Spirit until the day of Pentecost, after the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, and He had ascended up into heaven, and poured out His Spirit.

And in Acts 19;1 - 6, it says,
And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples 2 he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" So they said to him, "We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit." 3 And he said to them, "Into what then were you baptized?" So they said, "Into John's baptism." 4 Then Paul said, "John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus." 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.

Years later, after the ministry of John the Baptist, and the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, and the Holy Spirit had been poured out, and the New Testament salvation under the dispensation of grace had began, the apostle Paul ran into a group of believers who turned out to be some disciples of John the Baptist, before he was imprisoned and executed.

Paul asked them if they had received the Holy Spirit since they believed. They said they never heard there was a Holy Spirit. So Paul asked them how they were baptized, and they said into John's baptism. So Paul explained that John did baptize with the baptism of repentance, but told the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. And when they heard this, they believed, and were baptized in the name of Jesus. And when Paul laid hands on them, they received the Holy Spirit, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.

The New Testament plan of salvation is given in Acts 2;38,
"Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

We prepare ourselves to receive the Holy Spirit by repenting and being baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins. In the Bible, a believer was baptized as soon as possible after repenting, sometimes even standing in the water while repenting, ready to be baptized on the spot. But if not, they sometimes received the Holy Spirit before they were baptized. So it's not always in the order given in Acts 2;38. We can receive the Holy Spirit anytime after we've repented from the heart. But we still have to be baptized because it's still a part of God's plan of salvation.


Acts 2;36 - 40.
36 "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."
37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?"

38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."

40 And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation."

"Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight"

   -- Matthew 3;3
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