AFTER SOME months the news was brought to Nazareth that John the Baptist
had come up the river Jordan and was now preaching at a place about
twelve miles south of the Sea of Galilee. The place where John was
preaching had two names. It was called "Bethany beyond Jordan," there
being another Bethany quite near Jerusalem; and it was also called
"Bethabara," a word which means "the place where one can walk across the
river"; for there the river Jordan was so shallow that people waded
across it. John had chosen this place because the sloping shore beside
the river was fitted for the crowds to listen to his preaching, and the
shallow water was near at hand for baptizing the people.
Bethabara or Bethany was about twenty-five miles from Nazareth; and over
the plain just across the hill was a road leading down to the river at
that place, where people used to cross the Jordan on their way to the
land of Decapolis and Perea beyond. Nearly all the people had heard John
preach, and most of them had been baptized by him as a sign that they
promised to turn from evil and do good and look for the King who was
soon to come.
Jesus felt that the time had now come for him to begin the work to which
God had called him. He had told no one of his purpose, not even his
mother; but one day he left his carpenter shop to his younger brothers,
who were now young men and able to care for their mother. He walked down
the valleys, came to the river Jordan, waded the stream, and at
Bethabara, in front of a crowd of people from every part of the land,
for the first time he saw John the Baptist. No doubt Mary had told her
son all the story of the angel by the altar, of John's birth and of his
early life; but in all the years Jesus and John had never met.
Jesus listened to the words of John, and then with the others he came
forward to be baptized. John looked at this strange young man who was
drawing near, and as he looked the voice within him said:
"The long-promised King has come! This Man is He!"
John felt that here was one who needed no baptism; for he knew that this
man had no sins to give up, and was already doing God's will perfectly.
He felt unwilling to baptize him, and said:
[Illustration: The Jordan. At the supposed place of Christ's baptism.]
"It is not fitting that I should baptize one so good and so great in the
sight of God as you are. I need to be baptized by you, and do you come
to me?"
But Jesus answered him:
"It is best that it should be so. Whatever is right for other men is
right also for me. Let me do this as my duty to God."
[Illustration: As Jesus rose out of the water, a light flashed from the
sky, resting on his head, and the voice of God was heard saying: "This
is my Son, my Beloved, in whom I am well pleased."]
Then John yielded to the will of Jesus and baptized him. Just as Jesus
rose out of the water a strange thing happened. While he was praying a
light flashed from the sky and seemed to rest upon the head of Jesus
like a white, shining dove coming down upon him; and a voice was heard
somewhat like a peal of thunder. Those standing on the shore felt that
some words were spoken, but they could not understand them. John alone
heard and understood. It was the voice of God, and John afterward told
the people that these were the words spoken:
"This is my Son, my Beloved, in whom I am well pleased."
At that instant a mighty Power came upon Jesus. The Spirit of God had
always been with him and had caused him to feel that the Lord was
fitting him to do some great work. But in that moment when the light
from heaven fell upon him and the voice of God was heard, Jesus was
filled with the Spirit of God as no man, not even the greatest of the
prophets, had been filled before. He knew now that he was not only a
prophet, one who hears God's voice and speaks God's words; but more than
a prophet, he himself was the Son of God. He saw as in a flash what was
God's plan for his kingdom on the earth; and that it was a kingdom far
different from that expected by the Jewish people. He knew that he, who
up to that moment had been the woodworker of Nazareth, was from that
hour to be the Prince of the heavenly kingdom. He was to lead the people
to God and to show in his own life how men should live. He was to bring
God down to men and to bring men to God. All this and more that we
cannot understand came to the soul of Jesus as he stood on the brink of
Jordan with the light of God upon his face.
Alone in the Desert