Crossing the Jordan

Near Gilgal Joshua took twelve stones from the Jordan River and constructed a stone monument on the Promise Land side of the river.

•  Joshua 4:2-9
  • Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man,
  •  And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night.
  • Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man:
  • And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of Jordan, and take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel:
  • That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?
  • Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.
  • And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, as the Lord spake unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.
  • And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day.

• Joshu 4:20-24
  • And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal.
  • And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones?
  • Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.
  • For the Lord your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over:
  • That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the Lord your God for ever.

After crossing the Jordan River, Joshua had 12 men take stone to the river. Those stones were placed in the Jordan River.

The monument of stones on Israel’s side became a visible marker for future generations reminding of the great miracle of the crossing of the Jordan.

Link to Jesus Christ

About 1,500 years later, Christ arrived to be baptized by John the Baptist in the same area where Joshu and ancient Israel had crossed the Jordan River. The Hebrew name of Joshua, Yehoshua, is similar to the Hebrew name of Jesus, Yeshuah. In Joshua’s day
the waters were rolled back to the city of Adam

• Joshua 3:16
  • That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho.

Through Christ’s redemptive work, the sins of mankind going all the way back to the first man, Adam, were going to be covered.
John the Baptist’s message was to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins.

• Luke 3:2-3
  • Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.
  • And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;
• Mark 1:4
  • John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

Christ was sinless. Therefore, he did not need the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. So, the question is why did Jesus need to be baptized?

Transfer of Priesthood

Jesus’ baptism is linked to the transferring of the priesthood from the temple in Jerusalem to a new Melchizedek Priesthood initiated through Christ. Under the Old Covenant, when a high priest was preparing to transfer his position and authority to his firstborn son (as the priesthood was hereditary), a threefold ritual occurred

1. The high priest’s firstborn son was ceremonially purified in water.
   • Exodus 29:4
     • And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shalt wash them with water.
2. The high priest’s firstborn son had anointing oil poured upon his head.
   • Exod. 29:7
     • Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and anoint him.
3. The high priest announced this truly was his son to publicly confirm him before the people.

In the New Testament, Christ arrived at the Jordan River to be baptized by John the Baptizer, whose father serving as a priest in the temple. (Luke 1:5-26, 57-63 KJV))

As Christ was baptized in water, the Holy Spirit descends upon Him to anoint Him for ministry, and the Almighty declared that this was His Son in whom He was well pleased.

• Matt. 3:13-17
  • Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
  • But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
  • And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
  • And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
  • And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
• Mark 1:9-11
  • And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.
  • And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:
  • And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
• Luke 3:21-22
  • Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,
  • And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
• John 1:29-34
  • The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
  • This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.
  • And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
  • And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
  • And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
  • And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

Melchizedek Priesthood