阅读经文 

以色列人在旷野中长期流离之后，神为他们开辟了一条跨过约旦河进入应许之地的道路。那从上游往下游流的水“立起成垒”，就像以色列人过红海时左右两边的水作了“墙垣”。（参出 14:22）这两个故事都证实人们是“在干地上”走过去的。（参书 3:17）

尽管神一直对以色列人显出信实，持守应许，拯救他们，并将他们带到应许之地，（参创 12:1-8，15:13-16，28:10-15，46:3-4；出 3:4-10）但以色列人却转离并悖逆了神。在漫长的历史中，他们一次又一次地表现出对主不忠诚。（参出 32章；民 14章；士 2:10-23；王下 17:1-23，25:1-21）最终，他们受到惩罚，被掳去，但永远信实的神又把他们带了回来。（参拉；尼）

此后，在耶稣降生（参太 1章；路 2章 ）约三十年后，神呼召施洗约翰为弥赛亚预备道路，弥赛亚将成为世界的救主。（参约 1:29，3:16）在《马可福音》第一章，我们看到约翰在旷野传道，呼召人们悔改，并在约旦河为他们施洗。这一次，人们不是被呼召跨越约旦河，而是在河里受洗。神呼召他们通过悔改重新开始，寻求宽恕，为救主的到来预备好自己的心。

After Israel's long sojourn in the desert, God opened a way for them through the Jordan River into the promised land. The waters upstream "piled up in a heap," perhaps like the "wall of water" on the right and left as Israel crossed the Red Sea (Exodus 14:22). Both stories say that the people passed through "on dry ground" (Joshua 3:17).

Although God had been faithful to Israel, keeping his promises to rescue them and bring them to the land he had promised them (Genesis 12:1-8; 15:13-16; 28:10-15; 46:3-4; Exodus 3:4-10), the people turned away and rebelled. They did that again and again in a long history of unfaithfulness (Exodus 32; Numbers 14; Judges 2:10-23; 2 Kings 17:1-23, 25:1-21). Eventually they were punished and sent into exile, but God, ever faithful, brought them back again (Ezra - Nehemiah).

Then, about 30 years after the birth of Jesus (Matthew 1; Luke 2), God called John to prepare the way for the Messiah, who had come to be the Savior of the world (John 1:29, 3:16). In Mark 1 we see John preaching in the wilderness, calling people to repent and baptizing them in the Jordan River. And here the people are called not to cross the Jordan but to be baptized in it. God calls them to make a new start through repentance, to seek forgiveness, and to prepare their hearts for the coming of the Savior.