When I Heard John the Baptist Speak

Everyone is at the Jordan listening to John the Baptist

We just came out to hear him cause we heard he was crazy, but he is actually making a lot of sense

He talks about how you know you aren’t perfect— I feel that.

He talks about how you know you should live differently— I feel that too.

He talks about how you are separated from God— I don’t like it, but that one hits home too.

John the Baptist is a bit scary. He is loud. He looks almost angry, tough, like someone who knows they are in charge. His voice carries over the crowd all around you- hundreds and hundreds of people looking to be entertained and starting to feel the weight of eternity press in on them, just like you. They weren’t expecting that. And neither were you.

But, not everyone is here for the first time. Other people nod in agreement, like they have been listening to him teach many times. What are they agreeing to? That no one is safe and God is coming to judge? Why would people smile about that?

John goes on though: He says there is a way to be free from our own actions. He says that if we want to be pure that we can turn back to God. Just like any other time something needs to be cleaned, we should come forward to him and be cleaned. When we confess our sins and dirtiness then, like our other rituals, we would wash.

John says that this will be the beginning of a new life where we love one another because God loves us. We will share, care, give, help, open our hearts, arms, and homes to people who need to know God’s love.

I thought that this was a pretty simple idea: when we mess up, we apologize and we try harder. When we get dirty, we wash off. But John wasn’t done. He talked about how this new life and salvation in God couldn’t be earned. It didn’t matter if we were holy, from a good family, or good people- John said that this water washing baptism is just a picture of a Holy fire baptism.

I was kinda losing my mind at this point. What was he even talking about? Being washed in fire?

No way to earn salvation? how were we supposed to get it then? I don’t need to pay with blood for my sins? how were they supposed to get paid for then?

But, things got cleared up a minute later when I saw Him.

John the Baptist saw Him first. In the middle of a sentence, he stopped and began to yell. Over the roar of the crowd, John’s voice boomed. “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!” Everything got quiet and the crowd scanned amongst itself. A path was made and a man walked to the edge of the water to meet John.

This was Jesus, and John explained this is who we have been waiting for. This is where the baptism of fire and judgment would come from. This is the one who would pay for our salvation. This is the one who would bleed out what we owed to God. This was Him.

It was starting.

John was confounded when Jesus asked to be baptized. It was ridiculous to John, but Jesus assured him it was necessary.

**But, Jesus didn’t go under the water confessing sins like everyone else had. He didn’t go under seeking to be saved. He didn’t get baptized to repent.

**No, Jesus went down into human submission as a humble obedient servant King.

Everyone baptized goes under to signify that they will die. Everyone comes back up, signifying that they will live again. Everyone has now become symbolically clean and is able to live a new life.

He, like others would die, but not because he deserved it.

He, like others would live again, but not by someone else’s power.

He, like others would be clean, but he was never dirty.

The next moment is blurry in my memory. I know that i heard God. I know that I saw the Holy Spirit coming down from the place I heard the voice. It flew like a dove. The brightness overtook my eyes and I only then could see Jesus standing there: absolutely pleasing to God the Father.

Then, just like he came out of the crowd, he left. Alone, I saw him head up into the mountains. He didn’t even take any food.

There is something Kingly about this Man. Something Godly about this Servant.