Jordan River Baptism

It is 8:30 a.m. on a cool Monday morning in March 2000.

The sun is shining brightly through the trees surrounding the Jordan River baptismal site called Yardenit.

As my bare feet step into the chilly water, I am immediately aware of the Presence of the Divine. It was here, in this water, this same water, that my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ placed His Perfect Spirit Feet shod with flesh. He was baptized, and immediately coming up out of the water, as He looked up to this same sun, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him, and His Father's Voice came out of the heavens: "You are My beloved Son, and in You I am well-pleased."
I see the bright sun shining through the trees above me, I feel its warmth on my face, and as I am baptized in the chilly Jordan River, I experience once again the cleansing feeling of being buried with Christ in baptism, and raised to walk in a new way of life. A re-commitment of my life to the One and Only Son of God, Who loved me so much that He took my sin upon Himself, nailed to that Cross, I come to Him again. I bow before Him, and look up to His thorn-pierced brow, and feel His Blood flow over those thorns to cover my heart, giving me His Robe of Righteousness to wear.

From this day forward, I am a bond-servant to Jesus Christ. I am willing to be willing to surrender to You, Your Plan, Your Hope, Your Future for me. I will go where You want me to go, I will do what You want me to do, by the power of Your Holy Spirit Who dwells in the innermost part of me, taking authority over my soul--the seat of my emotions, and my body--my fleshly desires and appetites.

This is the only place in the Scriptures where the Trinity--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--appear all-at-once is here...Mark 1:9-11 “In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; and a voice came out of the heavens: "You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased."

(All photos taken at the Jordan River Baptismal Site Yardenit in March 2000)




At the entrance of the site there is a ceramic wall with Armenian tiles created and designed by the artist Hagop Antreassian from the Armenian Quarter in Jerusalem. The written Scripture verses are from Mark 1:9-11 describing the Baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River, by John the Baptist.