What comes to mind when you picture the Jordan River? The northern area around the Jordan River is actually lush, fertile, and green, quite different from the barren wilderness further south. But the Jordan is far more than just a geographic feature. It is a place deeply rooted in God’s story of redemption. Throughout the Old Testament, the Jordan served as a symbolic border, crossing into new promises. For the nation of Israel, it marked the passage into the Promised Land. For Jesus, the Jordan was the gateway into his public ministry. At this river, Jesus was not called to repent or be baptized for the forgiveness of his own sins but to stand in our place under the perfect law of God.

Imagine the scene: crowds had gathered, listening to and acting on John’s call to repentance. As John preached, he pointed people’s hearts toward God and prepared them to meet the Savior. When Jesus approached, even John was caught off guard. Here was the perfect, sinless Lamb of God, asking for a baptism of repentance. But Jesus insisted, saying it was necessary “to fulfill all righteousness.” By his baptism, Jesus publicly declared his dedication to carrying out God’s plan for our salvation. As the official beginning of his public ministry, identifying with us in our position under the law was his first step on the road to the cross.

In that moment, as Jesus rose from the waters, the heavens opened, and God’s voice declared, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). The Holy Spirit descended on him like a dove, anointing him for the work ahead. This moment was a visible sign that Jesus was the chosen Messiah, fully empowered by the Father and ready to begin his mission. Just as the Jordan had once represented the Israelites’ entry into the land of promise, here it marked the entry of God’s Son into his public ministry to fulfill every promise.

As we stand at the banks of the Jordan with Jesus, what can we learn? His humility challenges us. Jesus had no sin, yet he chose to place himself in our position, under the law of the holy and righteous God. Baptism, which cleanses us, became an indication of his absolute willingness to bear the burden of the law for us. This is the heart of Lent: Christ taking on our sin and guilt, walking the path we could never walk ourselves.

The Jordan River reminds us that Jesus willingly took on his role as Savior, humbling himself to become one of us. As we prepare our hearts for the solemn journey to the cross, let us remember the depth of Christ’s love that began at the Jordan and led him all the way to Calvary. Here, in the waters of the Jordan, we see a Savior who took every necessary step to redeem us.