So my mom texted me on Whatsapp – asking me to send a few pictures that we took while we were in the Holy Land. So I had to go through all the pictures again – probably hundreds if not thousands of them and then I remembered there are quite a number of places that we went to that I haven’t really blogged about yet.
Of course one of the most significant ones is the River of Jordan where Jesus was baptized more than 2000 years ago.
We went to the Jordan River on our last day in Israel. I guess the exact location where Jesus was baptized is not really known because I heard there are a few sites that offer visitors a first-hand experience of being baptized just how Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist about 2 millenniums ago. I believe that the river itself has changed its course over time so there is no way of telling where the exact location is.
The place that we went to was quite simple but very much well maintained. They provided basic facilities and there are rooms to take a shower in which I was so thankful for knowing that the river of Jordan is not really the cleanest river in the world. The water is so murky and it took a hell lot of courage to take a dip in.
Jordan River is much narrower that I had thought and it really is amazing how it had stood the test of time with the global warming and all. I can only assume that there is some kind of divine intervention because seriously, it is very narrow and it looks more like an earth drain than a river (and it probably is now). Just on the other side is already the Jordanian soil with its own Baptism site. Those who do not want to get through all the fuss of entering Israel from Jordan would go to that side.
There’s a long wooden platform that stretches on the river bank from which visitors would disembark and enter the river. The water was surprisingly cold which was such a pleasant relief from the scorching Middle –East sun.
I think I don’t have to tell you how significant the river of Jordan is – at least to the Christian and probably the Muslim world (since they believe in Moses or Musa too). It was mentioned in the Holy Book that God had to stop the flow of the river so that Joshua and his people – 40,000 of them altogether – could get across to what was described the Promised Land after spending so many years in the deserts looking for their way in (chronicled in the Exodus).
That is in the Old Testament (before Jesus era). In the New Testament, it was mentioned that Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist right there at the Jordan River. He was hesitant about baptizing him first, thinking that he was not eligible to baptize the son of God himself. Jesus insisted and the moment he was baptized, the Holy Spirit came down upon him in the form of a dove, and a voice from Heaven – saying – “you are my own dear son, I am pleased with you”.
I was actually hoping that a dove would come down upon me the moment I dipped myself in but there was none – unfortunately. I guess I was too much of a sinner to be awarded with such a miracle. Heh.
But then I left the site with a renewed soul. I felt – lighter – somehow.
Note: For the record, there’s no such this as being re-baptized in Christianity, or at least in Catholicism. Each Catholic only gets baptized once in his/her life. That the Holy Spirit would stay in him/her forever. Let’s just say I renewed my faith 😀