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The Plunge


Somewhere along the Jordan River.

Somewhere around 30AD.


******************

The roar of the crowds made it sound like market day as the townsfolk spilled out of the nearby towns and headed out towards the Jordan Rift Valley. The normal hubbub of the streets softened to an unusually eerie hush as the people rushed out down the desert road to where the harsh deserts sands of the Judean wilderness met the tall, swaying reeds that dance along the edge of the River Jordan. 

The atmosphere was a strange mixture of curiosity and excitement, occasionally tinged with a sense of danger. In amongst the people were the Pharisees and Sadducees - the Religious elite who nervously surveyed the crowd with threatened eyes. There were tax collectors too, their unwelcome presence ever attracting tension. And a crowd of this size would draw the ever-present Roman guard even closer; their golden armour glistening around the edge of the crowd like the eyes of a prowling tiger; waiting, warning, ready.

Not everyone knew exactly what to expect - some who had come out had been here before, but most of the people were new. They had heard the stories about this wild prophet who lived out in the desert on a diet of locust and wild honey, who people were calling "the Voice in the Wilderness". And the Voice was already causing quite a stir.

This new prophet was speaking out against King Herod, calling for fair treatment from the Roman soldiers, challenging Tax Collectors to run their lives with honesty. But his harshest words were reserved for the Religious elite, "You brood of vipers!" he would shout as the Pharisees and Sadducees drew near to assess him, "Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?"

And yet his words seemed to find a way of hitting their target... people would sit around on the banks of the river, looking down at this passionate preacher and find real hope in his words. He was calling for change, big change: change at the very highest level of society, right down to a change of heart in the lives of each and every listener. His words flew from his mouth like sparks from a fire, and were kindling flames of hope that had not been lit for generations.

The Pharisees had dismissed the reports about John as crazy, but now they could see it with their own eyes: people were hungry for the truth, they actually welcomed his challenge... because they were hungry for change. 

The Prophet's name was John, and he had already earned his nickname: John the Baptiser!

John stood waist deep in the river, his camel-skin clothes faded as the water brushed up against them. Over the sound of the lapping waters his urgent call rushed up the banks like crashing waves, speaking of a spiritual cleansing; a cleansing of the nation and a cleansing of the heart. He was pleading with the people: "It's time for us to turn back to God! He has promised to send Messiah to us, but we have to prepare the way for Him to come!" 

John offered the people a simple invitation - "Will you come and stand with me in the waters? Will you come and be baptised, and wash your past away?" A simple symbolic act, a powerful prophetic sign; a washing clean of the old life, an immersion into the new.

And they did. In their droves!

One after another, wading out into the centre of the Jordan River; confessing their sins, repenting publicly and plunging deep under the surface. Each one emerging from the waters deeply moved, the sunlight catching the water that run down their faces like early morning dew. This was a new day, something new was being born, a new path forged through the wilderness.

**********************

In all the excitement, a group of priests edged forward to the shoreline. Their presence caught John's attention, and he paused to walk over towards them.

"Who are you?" one of them asked John, "And what makes you think you can do this? Do you think you're the Messiah or something?" 

But John just smiled. "No" he said, "no, that's not me, but He is coming!" 

"Well, who then?" another priest enquired, "Are you Elijah, or the Prophet that Moses promised would come to us?" 

John smiled even wider. "No, no, no... I'm just the voice crying out in the wilderness: 'make straight the way of the Lord!'" John let his arms drop to his sides and he stooped slightly to scoop up handfuls of the water, letting it run through his fingers, "My baptism is with this water, as a symbol of change - but when Messiah comes, that's when real change will start. He will baptise with the Holy Spirit and with fire!" 

John's words caused a ripple of excited cheers throughout the waiting crowd. The expectation was tangible; faith was rising.

"Am I the Messiah?" John said again, "No, of course not. I'm not even worthy enough to untie the straps of His sandals!" There was another cheer from the crowd and with that, John turned and went back out into the centre of the Jordan. 

**********************

As the day went on, the crowds seemed to swell, and there were plenty who wanted to respond to John's call; people continued to pour into the Jordan like a steady steam. Each new person that walked out into the waters was greeted by John welcoming eyes and a grateful smile. This was exactly what the prophet had been hoping for: the tide was begin to turn.

But then the people heard something they were not expecting.

Someone had walked out into the River to be baptised - but John appeared to be refusing. The crowd 
quickly hushed each other, heads turning quickly to see what, or rather who, had caused John's strange reaction... John the Baptiser turning down someone wanting to be baptised? Impossible.

In front of John stood a man of similar age. John seemed to know Him, but John's head was shaking, bowed in disbelief.

"You come to me, wanting to be baptised?" John was saying to this man. "You want me to baptise You?

The man stood patiently, looking into John's confused face and waiting for John anguished eyes to meet His.

"You should be baptising me!" John continued, "Not the other way around!" 

He should be baptising John?!
Who baptises a prophet?
Who was this man?

A wave of whispered excitement began to spread throughout the crowd... ripples of hope. John had spoken of One who would surpass him. One he was preparing the way for. One who would baptise with fire. One who he called: "The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."

Could this man be the One?
If He was, what was He doing asking to be baptised?

The man turned and looked up at the crowds along the shore, and flooding over the banks of the Jordan. John saw a look of compassion sweep across His face as the man's eyes took in the sight - it was immediately clear that He loved these people. He saw their desperate hunger for change - they knew their lives were dirty with sin and that they longed for hearts made clean - and He longed to bring it to them.

The man's eyes then looked down into the waters around His waist, His body causing ripples out in all directions. Suddenly John saw it. This man didn't need to be baptised - there was nothing for Him to confess or be cleansed of - but He wanted to share these waters with us, to be part of this world. He came to be here, among us - one of us, even if that meant being out here on the edge of the wilderness, sharing the water with the dirty, and the sinful, and the lost. 


"John," the man said calmly, "Let it be done now, I want to obey all that God requires." 

John found himself nodding slowly back at him, understanding now but still completely overwhelmed. John put one of his arms behind Jesus' back and the placed the hand of his other arm on His chest.

The man smiled at him.
It was time.

John lowered Him back slowly into the water until the waters of the Jordan closed slowly over His face. Then then he lifted Him back out above the surface. As the water poured down His face and beard, the skies above them burst into glorious sunshine; heaven itself was torn open and the warmth of the pleasure of a Father's proud face beamed down upon Him. 

In his spirit, John heard the sound of flapping wings drawing near to them. He instinctively looked up and the prophet's eyes saw the Holy Spirit coming down from heaven like a dove and resting upon this man.

John stepped back in the waters - this was a holy moment, an anointing from on high, an empowering for a unique mission.

Suddenly, a loud voice boomed over them, coming from the very throne of heaven itself: "This is my Son... whom I love... with Him I am well pleased!" 

The whole place went suddenly still. The only sound that could be heard was the gentle lapping of Jordan's waters. No-one wanted to speak, or even dared to move. They couldn't deny it - the Voice had come from heaven.
God had spoken - the man standing in the water was God's Son!
Heaven had been opened, the Kingdom of God had come near, the Messiah was now right here, among them.
The new work of The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit had just got started.
This was just the beginning, and nothing could ever be the same again.

**********************



On Sunday the 22nd of May, we've got a baptism service, and if you've never taken the plunge, and you want to find out more about this "simple symbolic act, a powerful prophetic sign; a washing clean of the old life, an immersion into the new." then please get it touch. I would love to explore it with you! 

baptism

 

Glenys
Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Planning your Visit

A Warm Hello 

 

Where and When

The church is open for activities throughout the week but if you are just seeking us out it is likely that you will want to come and be a part of our Sunday worship which is core to what we are about.
We meet in the main church building (details here) at 10:30 each week. See our calendar to find out plans for the next few weeks.

Accessibility

There is wheelchair access and a sound loop for anyone who needs it. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up. There are disabled toilets in the main foyer and church lounge.

Our Sunday Services


Sunday morning services are structured but informal. They include a mix of both contemporary and traditional worship songs and hymns, prayers, readings from the Bible and a sermon that unpacks this. Occasionally we will also have specific updates about ways that God has been working through and in people and activities. Once a month we celebrate communion as part of the service. The last Sunday of the month is usually an Altogether Service when all ages are all together in one place for a more relaxed and activity based time of worship.

We aim to finish at about 11.45 to Midday when we serve free tea, coffee and cold drinks. This is a great opportunity to get to meet people.

Sunday Evening services, either in person or online, tend to be shorter and more reflective and are an opportunity to dig a little deeper into our relationship with God.
 

What about the children and youth?

We have a great programme for children of all ages, for more information about what happens please visit our Children and Youth page.

Getting Connected

 

Small Groups

It is often in smaller gatherings that we can really get to know other people. Being part of one of our small groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a variety of groups that meet throughout the week, some in the afternoon and some in the evening either in the church, in peoples’ homes or online    .
If you are interested in joining a Small Group, let us know and we can put you in touch with the small group coordinator who will be more than happy to find a group that is convenient for you and introduce you to the group leader.

Get Involved

There are plenty of opportunities to get involved with the life of our church. If you'd like to find out more, please let us know.

Get in touch with us to plan your visit
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