Scripture tells us that all of Jerusalem and the surrounding countryside went to the Jordan to see John the Baptist. There they saw a man in camel hair clothing. Mark 1:5-6. These people came, acknowledged their sins, and were baptized.
From my visit to the Jordan, I recall many reeds on the shorelines; reeds that were so thick it would have been hard to get to the river had people not cut a path through it. Beyond the reeds was a muddy river. Using my imagination, I now picture John baptizing people in the muddy water. People are entering into muddy water to become clean. This baptism that John himself declares inferior to that of the one coming after him, likely takes place in muddy water.
Jesus, a man without sin now enters the scene. He chooses to be baptized. He approaches John, and goes into the water. He allows John to dip him in the dirty water. What a bizarre image! The one who has no need of cleansing goes into the muddy water. As I imagined this scene and pondered what it meant, my mind’s eye saw the mud dissipate; the water became clean. In the first instance, sinful people entered the dirty water as an imperfect way of seeking salvation. In the instance of Jesus, the perfectly clean entered the dirty water and made the water clean. Because of this, sinners can now enter the baptismal waters and emerge perfectly cleansed.
Sadly, none of us live this purified life perfectly. Scripture tells us that all of us are sinners. Rm 3:23. However, all of us would likely benefit from spending some time pondering what happened at the Jordan on that day, and how that event opened the way for us to live up to our commitments to God. Ezekiel 36:27 sheds light on this issue. The Israelites were unable to live up to their commitments under the Covenant. God promised to send the Holy Spirit to help us walk in the covenant. Thus, baptism is what helps us live our lives in the clean waters of salvation.
Spend some time with the Holy Spirit pondering your own baptism and its effects. Ask him to show you how you are living this purified life, and where you need grace to help metaphorically remove the mud from your life in the Spirit. Ask him to show you how you can better cooperate with him in this on-going process of perfectly living our covenantal life in him. Thank him for the transformation he is working within you, and ask him how you might more fully cooperate with his sanctifying grace.
In Him,
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