from the Spark Story Bible p242
While Jesus was living in Galilee, his cousin, John the Baptist, was preaching out in the country of Judea. The people loved John and came to see and hear him wheenver they could.
Sometimes crowds of people came to see John by the Jordan River. When the crowds came, John would tell them "Change what needs changing in your life! God's kingdom is here!" The people would promise to change their lives, and then John would baptize them to show that they were a new person in God's eyes.
"I baptie you on the outside with plain old water from the Jordan River, but this is nothing compared to what and who is coming!" John would exclaim. "The one who is coming will baptize you with God's own Spirit! With God's Spirit, you will be changed from the inside out!"
While John was saying this, Jesus appeared. He asked John to baptize him. But John wasn't so sure.
"What? Me baptize YOU? I think it should be the other way around?!" John said.
But Jesus insisted. "Do it, John! God does amazing things in baptism!"
So John did what Jesus asked and baptized him. All the way under the water in the Jordan River Jesus went. When he splashed up out of the river, Jesus saw the skies open up and he saw God's Spirit! It looked like a dove gracefully floating down to land on him.
There was a voice too. The voice said "This is my Son! He has been chosen and marked by my love! He is the great joy of my life!"
How are you a great joy of God's life?
