Matthew’s account of Jesus’s baptism is brief and direct. Jesus comes to the Jordan to be baptized by John, an act John hesitates to perform because it seems reversed. Yet Jesus insists, and when he emerges from the water, the heavens open, the Spirit descends, and a voice declares, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” It is a moment of public naming and divine affirmation at the very beginning of Jesus’s ministry.
It is not difficult to imagine that this moment became a source of deep comfort for Jesus later on. As his ministry unfolded, he would face sustained opposition from religious authorities, particularly when he spoke about corruption and abuse of power in the Temple leadership. The memory of the Jordan—of being named God’s beloved and receiving God’s pleasure—would have grounded him when his authority was questioned and his faithfulness misunderstood.
At its core, baptism is the remembrance that you belong to God. It is the declaration that God has claimed you just as you are. This understanding marks a departure from ritual washing practices in Judaism, particularly the mikveh. Historically, a mikveh was a ritual bath used for purification—before worship, after certain life events, or before entering the Temple. The emphasis was on restoring ritual purity so that one could properly participate in the religious life of the community. But it was a repeated practice. John’s baptism, and even more so Jesus’s baptism, moves beyond ritual readiness toward relational identity. It is not simply about being made clean, but about being named and sent. Many world religions include symbolic washing as preparation for worship or leadership. In Islam, wudu and ghusl involve washing before prayer to signify spiritual and physical readiness. In Hindu traditions, bathing in sacred rivers such as the Ganges is understood as purifying and restorative. In Buddhism, ritual washing can mark the beginning of festivals or ordinations. Across cultures, water signifies transition, renewal, and readiness for what comes next.
Within the United Methodist tradition, baptism is understood as a sign of God’s grace already at work in a person’s life. We call this prevenient grace—the grace that “comes before.” It affirms that God is active, loving, and accepting us before we are able to respond in faith. John Wesley emphasized this theology to make clear that faith is not reserved for the wealthy, the educated, or those who have their lives pulled together. God’s grace is not earned. It is given. Even in simply existing, you are within reach of God’s grace.
So what is your baptism story?
• Where did it take place?
• When did it happen?
• Who was there?
• And how has that moment—whether remembered or remembered for you by family—become foundational for your faith and your relationship with God?