15 Now the people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Messiah.16 John answered them all, saying, “I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. (Luke 3:15–16a) After inquiring how they might prepare themselves for coming judgment, now, they ask whether John is the Messiah. Green [180] notes: “Recognizing in John’s mission the first hints of eschatological consolation (Isaiah 40; cf. Luke 3:4–6), they wonder if he is God’s agent of salvation. For them, the meaning of “Messiah” is manifestly fluid at this point; hope is present but ill defined. They do not know if John and the anticipated messianic figure fit the same profile, and this allows John to begin the process of outlining what to expect of the Messiah. At the same time, he is able to identify his own relationship to the coming one. According to the narrator, John’s answer is to all the people; everyone receives the invitation to accept his baptism and receive the baptism ‘with the Holy Spirit and fire.’”

Luke has already constructed the first two chapters of the gospel as an extended comparison between John and Jesus as the author interweaves the stories of their annunciations, nativities, and early childhood. The contrasts now come to the fore: (1) The Messiah is superior to John in terms of status. John does not count himself worthy even to serve as the Messiah’s slave by removing the thong of his sandals. (2) John characterizes himself as the messenger or prophet who prepares the way for the coming one, using language that echoes Mal 3:1; 4:5, thus embracing the role anticipated for him in Luke chapter 1:17, 76. (3) John designates the Messiah as “mightier” than himself

He will baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” 18 Exhorting them in many other ways, he preached good news to the people. (Luke 3:16b–18)

There is lots of scholarly debate about the meaning of “holy Spirit and fire” as regards baptism. Perhaps simply put, John contrasts his baptism with that of Jesus. The point is not that one baptism is with water, the other in the Holy Spirit and fire (the early church also baptized in water from the beginning), but that John’s baptism is only in water, that is, a ritual sign expressing outwardly what the person must express inwardly. The baptism of Jesus will be definitive: it will be an act of God bringing salvation (Holy Spirit) and judgment (fire). Nonetheless, in all the debates, there is a convergence of thought in this: it is important to realize that John presents his baptismal activity as an anticipation of the Messiah’s; his baptism forces a decision for or against repentance, and this prepares for the Messiah’s work.

The image of fire is expanded by reference to the process of separating wheat from chaff. A “winnowing fan” or shovel tosses the mixture into the air; the heavier kernels of wheat fall to the floor, while the chaff blows away for later burning (Isa 21:10).

Green [182] comments: “Although the image described here is generally taken to be that of winnowing—that is, tossing harvested grain into the air by way of allowing the wind to separate the wheat from the chaff—the language John uses actually presumes that the process of winnowing has already been completed. Consequently, all that remains is to clear the threshing floor, and this is what John pictures. This means that John’s ministry of preparation is itself the winnowing, for his call to repentance set within his message of eschatological judgment required of people that they align themselves with or over against God’s justice. As a consequence, the role of the Messiah is portrayed as pronouncing or enacting judgment on the people on the basis of their response to John.”

But is there a connection between Spirit and fire in John’s words? Culpepper (“Luke”, New Interpreter’s Bible, 85-6) offers the following:

“What is the relationship between Spirit and fire in this saying? The following interpretations have been advanced: (1) fire describes the inflaming purifying work of the Spirit; (2) the repentant will receive the Spirit, while the unrepentant will experience the judgment of fire; (3) since the Greek term for “Spirit” can also mean “wind,” the meaning is that Jesus’ baptism will bring the judgment in a mighty wind and fire; (4) as might be implicit in the first option, “Spirit” or “wind” and “fire” reflect the Christian interpretation of the Pentecost experience; or (5) John saw in Spirit and fire the means of eschatological purification: the refiner’s fire for the repentant and destruction for the unrepentant. The last combines elements of (2) and (3) and fits both the historical context of John’s preaching and the literary context in which the saying about winnowing follows. Luke, of course, may have seen the fulfillment of this saying at Pentecost in ways John could not have imagined.”

In v.18 we are told that John preached “good news.” This is part of the Lucan transition to move from the ministry of John to that of Jesus.  We can assume John preached about the soon-to-come arrival of the Messiah.  Craddock (Luke, Interpretation Commentaries, 49) offers this wonderful summary: “When repentance and forgiveness are available, judgment is good news (v. 18). The primary aim is to save the wheat, not to burn the chaff.” John offers hope and new life for the tax collectors, the soldiers, and all sinners. We all can be gathered by Jesus into his kingdom.

As a part of that transition John the prophet challenges Herod to repentance for his marriage to Herodias, the wife of Philip. Luke does not repeat the details of Herod’s marriage nor of his crime against John. Here he simply mentions the imprisonment. Later there will be a reference to the martyrdom of John, but obliquely after the fact (9:9). The vivid details had obviously had wide circulation by this time, thanks to Mark’s account; Luke did not think it necessary to repeat the story.

Image credit: John the Baptist Preaching | Pietre Lastman | 1219 | Chicago Museum of Art | PD-US