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John the Baptist reflects on baptising Jesus:

Well, that was weird!

Of all the people who might come and ask me to baptise them, I never once expected Him!

Of course, I tried to refuse. He is the one who should be baptising me, not the other way round!  But he would not be deterred.

And all the time the question remained in my mind: why? Why did he want to be baptised?   I could see no reason. I’m sure he had no need.  

But, he insisted. And if this was (as he was certain) what the Father wanted, then who was I to argue?

You may know that Jesus is not the first I have refused to baptise.

There was that group of Pharisees who came.  How on earth they got it into their heads that I would even consider baptising them, I just don’t know!  The very thought was anathema.   I sent them packing with a ringing in their ears!  

People were coming from Jerusalem and from all of Judea, not just the area around the river Jordan.  These genuine souls went to all that effort and travelled far, because they were serious about what they were doing.  Their hearts were breaking as the confessed their sins and turned back to God.  To them this was a life changing moment, not just an act.  I could not undermine their sincerity by allowing these snakes to do it simply as form or ritual, or to make themselves look good and ingratiate themselves with the people.  No!  Baptism is far too serious to be taken so lightly.  I would not let them abuse it.  So what, if they claimed a birth-right as children of Abraham?  Children of Abraham are as common around here as all the rocks in this desert!  It means nothing!  Unless, that is, you determine to live like children of Abraham!  All the others else who were coming genuinely wanted to change.  I baptise with the water to show they have repented – it’s both a symbolic bathing and a symbolic dying and rising again.  It means you will live differently from now on.  But these snakes had no intention of that whatsoever.  So, I sent them packing.  They will not escape the fire as easily as that!

And now here he was – the one I’ve spent my life preparing people for, the match that will light the fire.   But, why did he want to be baptised?  I’m sure as anyone can be about another human being, that he had nothing he needed to repent of.  He is genuine, pure and holy with a capital ‘H’.  I am nothing compared to him – I’m not even worthy enough to bend down and tie his shoelaces for him!  But there he stood, asking me to baptise him; gently silencing my protest and urging me to get on with it. “For this is what the father wants”, he reassured me.  Although how and why I still cannot understand.  

And yet, in a way, I realise that my whole life has been leading up to this moment. When I first saw him walking towards me along the river, my heart leapt inside me, just as my mother told me I leapt inside her when Mary, his soon to be mother, turned up at our door that day.  

Yes, I have known him all my life.  He is my cousin after all, even if we have always lived so many miles apart. My mother and father, bless them, told me all about him (and my part in preparing the way for him) when I was an infant.  As you can imagine, they died when I was still young, but the ones who raised me continued with the story and I learnt of all the prophesies and of my destiny and His.   I knew he was to be the sacrificial lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.  I knew he was the one who would come after me, to baptise with the Holy Spirit and with Fire.  Why else do you think I live as I do, out here in the wilderness?  Why else do you think my voice goes out from the desert, calling the whole nation back to God?  The need is immanent. The call serious. The people have to turn back to God, because he is here, now, among them.

I think that might be why he came to be baptised – not because he was dirty and needed a bath, but because he wanted to encourage those who do.  He wanted to stand with them as they turned back to God, because he has always been facing in that direction and has come to show the way.   Perhaps, even, in order to take the away sins of those who repent, this lamb has to become one with them so that his sacrifice would be for them: his death, the death of all that separates us from God; his life, our new life too?  

Perhaps.  But that will all take a lot more thinking through!  For now, not really understanding all the whys and wherefores, I just did what he asked.   

And, as soon as He came up from the water, I knew I had done the right thing.  At that very moment I saw the heavens open and the Spirit of God come down like a dove, landing on him.  And I knew (with a capital K N E and W), even before the voice from heaven declared it, that: “This is my own dear Son, and I am so pleased with him”

My cousin, Jesus; God’s own dear Son!  And God delights in him!

I’d always known it, but now I really knew it!  And I felt the pleasure of God settling on me too.  Everything was confirmed.  Everything was true.  And I had played my part.  The lead character I had been sent to prepare for had arrived, ready to take his place on centre stage.  I must slip into the shadows now, so that the limelight falls on him.

Oh, and yes, I still think it was all a bit weird! I’m still confused as to why he came to me.  But if it is weird, it was also wonderful.  I stand here in awe of that moment when God spoke so clearly.  

My role is complete. The scene has been set.  It’s time now for Act Two.  I only have a small walk on appearance yet to come, but that’s alright with me.   I bow out gracefully.  It’s time for Jesus to shine. 

My only hope is that when it comes to the final curtain, we will all be there to applaud him as loudly as God applauded today!