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  FIGURE OF THE TRUE
  by G.W. North
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Summary: Jesus reformed the idea of baptism after His resurrection,
elevating it to a visible picture of the invisible Spirit.

Topics: "Baptism", "Presence of Christ"
Scripture References: Acts 2:38

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DESCRIPTION
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G.W. North emphasizes the significance of baptism on the day of
Pentecost, explaining that while the apostles performed the baptisms,
Jesus was spiritually present, baptizing alongside them. He clarifies
that this act was not morally or ethically wrong, as Jesus had a divine
purpose in allowing His name to be used exclusively. North highlights
that Jesus' resurrection redefined baptism, transforming it into a
visible representation of the invisible Spirit, thus elevating its
meaning beyond what was understood before Calvary. The sermon
illustrates how the apostles, particularly Peter, were aware that their
actions were part of a greater divine transaction, reflecting God's
wisdom and love in the process of salvation.

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CONTENT
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When the three thousand were baptised on the day of Pentecost, they were
baptised with Jesus Christ's baptism. Though invisible, He was there
baptising together with His apostles just as He had been on earth
earlier. The difference lay in the fact that during that time He had not
baptised; they alone had baptised and had done so in His name
exclusively. There is no question of morality involved here. It was
neither morally, ethically nor spiritually wrong for Jesus to allow
baptism exclusively in His name at that time. He said that all His were
the Father's and that His Father had given them to Him.

Wisdom and love restrained God from thrusting upon men things they could
not possibly understand.

Jesus kept the men Father gave Him during His earthly life, then at the
end handed them over to His Father so that they should be Father's
responsibility while He underwent death. In resurrection the Lord came
again to His own and reformed the idea of baptism, placing it in its
eternal context, elevating the water to be a visible picture of the
invisible Spirit in which people were being baptised into His own
personal baptism. Before Calvary this was entirely unknown and could
only at best be implied (and perhaps also in a measure imputed) but now
it is a picture of an actual experience.

Peter and those who we may reasonably assume, even though we cannot be
sure, were co-opted with him into the vast operation of baptising all
those people, knew that their own action was the least part of the
transaction then taking place.

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/gw-north/figure-of-the-true/
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