Jesus Waded Into War

What Did Jesus Do?

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized.
Matthew 3:13

If baptism is about, at least in part, cleansing from sin, then the Jordan had to have been a pretty dirty river during the time when John was doing a brisk business washing repentant sinners. Just think about how polluted with unrighteousness that water must have been! Then along came the Lord to “clean it up,” so to speak, for John and Jesus would be fulfilling all righteousness in and through Christ’s baptism (Matthew 3:15). Little did John suspect, I’m sure, that when Jesus stepped down into the river, he waded into war.

Think about it, immediately after his baptism Jesus was led off to forty days of real wilderness survival boot camp (Matthew 4:1), at the end of which time came the first skirmish between Jesus and the devil (Matthew 4:3-11). After being stopped cold, Satan pulled back, while Jesus took the offensive, taking “ground” for the Father’s Kingdom soul by soul. It was war, war to the death, the death of Jesus on the cross. But by the Lord’s death, which, like his baptism, fulfilled all righteousness, came life everlasting.

I doubt many of us think of war when we see a baby being presented for baptism. Or, if your tradition is “believer’s baptism,” I suspect that you do not look upon the baptistery as an “induction center” for new recruits preparing for battle. But there should be no doubt that Jesus knew, the moment he stepped into the Jordan if not before, that he was in for a fight. Even so, Jesus was no “G.I. Joe.”

Christ’s armor was unconventional (see Ephesians 6:13-18). His humble, peaceful, obedient spirit was not that of your typical warrior. And his tactics were, well, different. From the moment Jesus surprised John by asking to be baptized, it was clear that Jesus would keep everyone, Satan most of all, off balance. His family thought he was mad. The priests believed he was possessed by a demon. Jesus’ radical ways alternately frightened and puzzled his own disciples. And it would ultimately be by surrendering himself into the hands of those who would take his life that Jesus would achieve victory.

As the United States government rapidly bankrupts the nation in order to fight the wrong wars the wrong way, I believe it might well be time for those of us who have been baptized to get serious about being the Lord’s Army, to mobilize and start to follow Christ’s example, and seek to advance the Kingdom as the Lord did, by fulfilling all righteousness, and wading into war.

S.D.G.

Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
Ps 37.4