Preparing for Easter: Week 2

Stained Glass Reflections on the Life of Christ

For our second week through Jesus’ life, we jump forward at least 30 years from His birth to His baptism, at the very start of His public ministry. Do you ever wonder what Jesus did during those years growing up in obscurity? We have very little in Scripture about that time until He bursts onto the stage with this baptism.

One thing we know for sure He wasn’t doing during that time – sinning! He led a life of simplicity, but it was never sinful. He perfectly obeyed the Law of God even as He worked as a carpenter. In fact, this first public act of His baptism was a major part of that “fulfilling all righteousness,” as He tells John in Matthew 3:15. Aren’t you thankful that Christ’s life – whether those 30 years in obscurity or the 3 years of His ministry – was absolutely perfect, fulfilling what we never could do…so that now we stand in His righteousness, His all-sufficient merit now our own? His baptism is a great time to reflect on that perfect righteousness.

Recommended Reading: Matthew 3, Mark 1, Luke 3.

Let’s take a look at our stained-glass piece – what stands out to you?

Week 2: The Baptism of Jesus

1. A HUMBLE CORONATION – I notice right away how humble this scene appears. Does that sound familiar? We said the same about His birth. Humility and lowliness marked His whole life, though He was the all-glorious One! But notice again the colors and textures, and picture the scene in your mind. John of course is dressed in his trademark camel-hair attire, which you will not find in the latest fashion magazine. See them standing in the middle of a river. The stained glass does a good job making it look beautiful, but if you’ve ever swam in a river around here (I don’t recommend the Reedy!), you know that rivers are full of mud, sliminess, and no telling what else. And yet this was the setting of Jesus’ “debut” as the Messiah. Of course, He was the Son of God from eternity past. But this moment is significant in all four Gospels as a time when He starts His public ministry of healing, preaching, and ultimately dying. It’s a “coronation” of sorts, though He was born as King. But what a messy coronation! I read a book recently which talked about Roman coronations of the emperor and how grand they were. They often looked for a sign of the Caesar’s power and majesty in the form of an eagle flying nearby. In contrast to that pomp and circumstance, Jesus’ baptism is done by a dirty, locust-eating, camel-hair-wearing preacher in a muddy river – and no eagle is to be found. Instead, the appearance of a dove descends on Him, hinted at in our stained glass by the cloud above His head. Though appearing humble and weak, this King – anointed by God’s Spirit – will ultimately topple the military might of Rome through His own humble death!
2. NEW LIFE: Second, I notice how bursting with life this scene is. Having never been to the Jordan, I picture it as a continuation of the Middle Eastern climate of dusty desert, and it likely was all around. But I love how this artist imagines it – a river in a dry wilderness, a source of life in a region of death. With all this water, no wonder the banks are bursting with life – trees, cattails, a lily pad in the bottom left, and beautiful blue and red flowers. It reminds me of the scene around Greenville this time of year, when the long-dormant trees all of a sudden explode in white and pink and purple, the daffodils popping up soonest as the forerunners of something even more beautiful to come. The Old Testament Prophets and Psalmists often used the imagery of flowers in the desert and life-giving water (for instance, Ezekiel’s vision of water streaming out of the Temple). So it’s fitting that Jesus’ baptism would be accompanied by signs of springtime in a world of winter. He came to bring new life where there was death – and He Himself is the Lilly of the Valley (another stained glass piece at the entrance to Altizer Hall) and the Life-Giving Water (see John 4). And He demonstrated that right after this baptism by resisting the temptation of Satan and returning to bring renewal to those who were sick, demon-possessed, and even dead. Jesus is a restoring Savior – He brings new life wherever He goes! So as you see springtime spring to life around you this March, think of Christ – the One whose perfect life and substitutionary death and rebirth from death brings a much greater renewal.
3. FORESHADOWING: Finally, it struck me that this moment foreshadows Christ’s death. As we’ve been talking about baptism in preparation for our next baptism service, I’ve been encouraged to think of our baptisms as picturing our union with Christ in His death (under the water) and resurrection (coming out of the water). Obviously, Jesus’ baptism and the ones John was performing were not the same as what we experience today. But baptism does picture a “death,” a turning away from an old life to a new one. So I wonder if Jesus, as He’s being baptized by John under the water and back up, was thinking about His upcoming death and resurrection? Just as we saw from His birth, so too at His baptism, everything is driving toward Easter and His death. So our hearts, as we too journey through His life, should be focused on the death and resurrection of our Savior.