Martin Luther wrote that “At the Jordan [River], in his thirtieth year, Christ reveals himself fully for the first time.” What does this mean? It means that in his baptism Jesus acted as our substitute. Jesus’ work was to undergo baptism, death, and resurrection. Jesus went into the Jordan and joined the fate of sinners to his own— John’s baptism was for sinners, for repentance; one could not be said to have repented unless one had been baptized. The Gospel author Mark writes “In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when ...