In the Old Testament, it’s written that General Naaman was cleansed from his leprosy by dipping his body in the Jordan River seven times. In the Book of Joshua, the people of Israel had to cross the Jordan River in order to enter the land of Canaan. It’s written that for the people of Israel to cross the Jordan, the priests stepped into the river first while bearing the Ark of the Covenant, and when they did so, the flooded river ceased to flow and the Israelites were able to cross it on bare ground. All these biblical events occurring at the Jordan River imply that the Jordan River is the place where Jesus would be baptized by John the Baptist.
This indicates that Jesus is the Son of God who would fulfill all righteousness by bearing our sins on His own body. Our Lord has become true bread for those who sincerely believe in His baptism with their hearts. The blood that Jesus shed on the Cross has become true drink for our souls. That’s because the very fact that Jesus was condemned for our sins gives peace and rest to our hearts. Because Jesus bore all our sins through His baptism, He also had to be condemned for them, and He bore this condemnation of sins in our place. How wonderful it is! The flesh of Jesus has given us new life. That’s because Jesus took upon Himself all the sins of this world by being baptized by John the Baptist. That is why we have received true life by believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit.