"THIS IS MY BELOVED SON IN WHOM I AM ALL PLEASED"

The Jordan River

Today our group drove to the Jordan River, about an hour or so away and several thousand feet lower.  No one knows the exact spot where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, but the place we visited still drew us into the holy moment that took place somewhere along the river over 2000 years ago.  After praying Daytime Prayer together, we had some time for quiet meditation along the river bank. Despite the many pilgrims, the place still has a peaceful atmosphere.

The river at this spot and on the day we visited is only about twenty feet across, and on the other side is the country of Jordan.  The land on either side of the river is desert, utterly barren land.  The river appears to be the only source of life here, and reeds and grasses that rise over our heads line either bank. While there, we reflected on the events of Jesus’ baptism. He purified these waters when he descended into them.  Part of Jewish custom involves a daily ritual cleansing done in a pool of water called a miqvah. The size of the miqvah can vary, but one essential requirement is that the water must be flowing.  The pouring of water in baptism reflects this practice of ritual cleansing. 

When Jesus descended into the gently flowing waters of the Jordan, he purified the waters that wash us clean in baptism through the forgiveness of sins.  Just as the Jordan gives life to a dry, colorless region, so too the waters of baptism give us the hope of eternal life.  At Jesus’ baptism, the voice of the Father was heard from heaven declaring, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”  Through baptism we all become beloved sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father.  And this new identity of ours can give life to us, life infinitely richer than the natural beauty we encounter here in the Holy Land.