REPRESENTATION

REPRESENTATION

Next look with me at a third element of the event, a glorious representation. People from the entire region came to John confessing their sins, and he baptized them in the Jordan. We can almost picture him waist-deep in water with people streaming out to be baptized. First they were confessing their sins because they weren’t being baptized unto salvation. John was baptizing them unto repentance, preparing them to encounter the Savior, the only One who could bring them salvation.

I believe they were quite specific confessing their sins. In all likelihood they were crying out these confessions, maybe even wailing them. They may have been weeping over their sins. Then came Christ. We know He was not coming to be baptized unto repentance. He was the spotless Lamb of God. Complete perfection. The only One who had no confessing to do that day in those waters. He came for John to baptize Him.

We know that God was baptizing His Son into ministry. The representation of the death, the burial, and the resurrection.