Second Immersion

Now, what was this in view of? Was there a reason the root of sin was dealt with? Was there a reason that the central problem of fallen humanity was given its death blow? Yes there was. The Son of Man was making a way for a "Person," another immersion, a new creation, and the solution to our problem of happiness.

Between the last Passover supper with his students, and his travail in the garden of Gethsemane, Christ made the following statements to his students, which they had a very hard time understanding:

"I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. ... I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever... the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost [Spirit], whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. ...But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me ... Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you ... Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you."

The Greek word for "Comforter" means "one called alongside to help," and is thus a consoler. Christ was saying that when He left, He would leave a replacement who was just like Him, and would be for them as He had been to them, by mediating His self to their selves ("he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you"). They would not be left orphans by His returning to His Father to prepare a place for them. The replacement would communicate Him to them and them to Him.

This replacement was and is none other then the Third "Person" of the Godhead. And given that the Holy Spirit of God is the inwardness of God, somewhat like our unholy spirits are our inwardness, where do you suppose the Third "Person" of the Godhead will make His appearance?

The Record says that the risen Christ was with His students for forty days before returning to where He came down from. Some days later, Jewish feast of Pentecost arrived. (the Greek word for Pentecost means "the fiftieth day", its fifty days from the Passover to the feast of Pentecost).

At this time, the event Christ had promised His students happened:

"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost [Spirit], and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God."


An immersion had occurred. The Third "Person" of the Godhead became immersed in the persons of Christ’s waiting students. Or it can be looked at the other way: that Christ’s students were immersed in the Holy Spirit of God.

In the terms of the Chicagoland metaphor, The Holy Spirit of God had now replaced the scientists and was speaking directly from within rather than from without And in this particular inaugurating instance, He was not just speaking but fairly shouting. The barrier of sin having been dealt with, the Holy Spirit of God now takes up His proper residence in the human spirit. A new creation was born. The age of the Holy Spirit of God on earth had begun.