The Scriptures identify Jesus as our Salvation. He is the “Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29).” He is Christ our Passover Lamb, sacrificed for us (1 Corinthians 5:7). The shedding of His blood provides the washing away, or the remission, of our sins. As the Passover lamb of the Old Covenant and its blood provided salvation, so Jesus, through the shedding of His blood on the cross at Calvary, fulfills the same typology.
When we receive the blood of Jesus, according to John 1:12, we are given the power to become sons of God. This new birth takes place the moment we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, as the Lamb of God Who takes away our sins. The salvation experience that Jesus provides is therefore awesome in power, yet distinct from the experience of His baptizing us with the Holy Spirit.
First, we experience salvation with Jesus representing our sacrificial Lamb. Secondly, we experience Holy Spirit baptism with Jesus as our Baptizer.
In the Old Testament, there is a beautiful picture of the operation of the Holy Spirit for cleansing and then for baptism. Leviticus 14:14-18 takes us on a journey through the priest’s routine, taking blood from the sacrifice and placing it first on the tip of the ear, then upon the thumb, and lastly, upon the large toe. This indicates salvation and cleansing of sin through our hearing, doing and walking. After the application of the blood, the priest would sprinkle oil before the Lord and then place the remaining oil upon the tip of the ear, thumb and large toe atop the blood of the sacrifice. Notice the oil was applied on top of the blood; this signifies a cleansing and regeneration, a sanctification by the Holy Spirit. Then, the remaining oil was poured upon the head of the one being cleansed, and the priest made atonement for him before the Lord. This remaining oil placed upon the head would run down over his hair and face. The Holy Spirit, in like fashion, makes available that cleansing and reception of baptism!
Now, Passover and Pentecost are two distinct feasts. The observance of Passover is found in Deuteronomy 16:1-3, where the Israelites celebrated salvation and deliverance from Egypt through the Passover lamb and seven days of unleavened bread. Fifty days after Passover, they celebrated another feast called Pentecost, or the Feast of Weeks. It was a celebration. I find it thought-provoking that Jesus died on the cross for our sins as our Passover Lamb, but fifty days later on the day of Pentecost, Jesus became the Baptizer of the Holy Spirit.
Another distinction between salvation and the baptism of the Holy Spirit is the life of Christ Himself. In Luke 1:35, we read that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit’s coming upon Mary. Later on, we read in chapter 4, verse 1 that when He was thirty years of age, He was filled with the Holy Spirit. He was born of the Holy Spirit and then, after His water baptism, He was filled or baptized in the Holy Spirit.
In Acts 2:38, Peter told the crowds to repent and be baptized. Now, on the day of Pentecost, they were saved, they were regenerated by Christ, and they were commanded to go and receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. These scriptures further point to the necessity of first receiving salvation and then receiving the promised baptism.
Today, I want to encourage you to follow your salvation with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Receive the application of His cleansing blood and life-giving Spirit. Receive the empowerment of this baptism!
