Di One Wey God Love: Di Baptism of Jesus

Water dey run from one man hair and shoulders as e rise comot from di river. For top of am, e be like say di sky tear open. And one voice talk, e near well well and e warm, e be like hand wey rest for im shoulder.

For many months, people don dey pour go di Jordan River to hear John di Baptist. Im preaching get fire, e dey call everybody make dem turn back to God, and make dem show am by baptism for di river. Farmers, fishermen, tax collectors, soldiers, all of dem dey waka enter di water. And John dey talk di same thing every time. Somebody dey come after me wey big pass me far far. I dey baptise una with water. Na im go baptise una with di Holy Spirit and with fire. Then one day, among di crowd, one man come from Galilee. E be like thirty years. Carpenter son from Nazareth. Im name na Jesus.

Jesus come di Jordan for one reason: make John baptise am. E waka for inside di water go meet am. And John stop. Something no correct for dis picture. John don spend many months dey call sinners make dem wash and start again. But e know who dis person be. E try stop am.

Na me need make you baptise me, and na you dey come meet me?

You fit hear di confusion inside di question. E be like say dem ask student make e teach di headmaster. But Jesus answer am with gentle voice, and e no shake. Make e be so now. E correct for us to do dis one, to fulfil all righteousness. Jesus no explain everything. E just talk say dis na di correct thing, di thing wey God want. Christians don understand im words for different ways. Many people say Jesus, wey no get any sin of im own, dey stand with sinners, dey enter di water together with di same people wey e come save. Others dey talk say e dey show say e obey im Father completely, from di very beginning. Whatever John understand dat day, e trust Jesus. And so e agree.

John baptise am. And as soon as Jesus comot from di water, Matthew say, di heavens open. Jesus see di Spirit of God dey come down like dove, and e rest on top of am. No be fire wey dey roar. No be storm. Na dove, gentle and quiet, wey settle for im shoulders. And then one voice from heaven. Dis na my Son wey I love, and I dey well pleased with am. Think about am. Jesus never preach any sermon. E never heal anybody or calm any storm. E never face di cross. And already im Father dey talk say, I love you. You dey make me glad. Everything wey follow for di Gospel dey flow from dat moment.

Where e happen? Matthew just talk say di Jordan. But di Gospel of John say John dey baptise for Bethany for di other side of di Jordan, for di east side of di river. Today, for di Jordan side of di river, north of di Dead Sea, one place wey dem dey call Al-Maghtas, wey mean immersion, na di place wey people believe say na there. Archaeologists don dig find di remains of old churches and pools wey Christian pilgrims dey use. For two thousand and fifteen, UNESCO add am to di World Heritage List. Pilgrims don dey come dis part of di river for more than one thousand years.

Di baptism of Jesus. You go find am for Matthew chapter three, verse thirteen to seventeen. Before e do any big work, Jesus hear im Father call am di Son wey e love. Christians believe say, through Jesus, God dey talk word of love over im children too. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. How e fit change your day, if you start am with di knowledge say God love you, even before you do anything at all?