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“To Jordan’s river came our Lord, The Christ, whom heav’nly hosts adored, The God from God, the Light from Light, The Lord of glory, pow’r, and might.
“The Savior came to be baptized—The Son of God in flesh disguised—To stand beneath the Father’s will And all His righteousness fulfill.”
“To Jordan’s river came our Lord” … in disguise. When Jesus went to be baptized in the Jordan River, He was not wearing a mask or a hooded cloak, but He was “the Son of God in flesh disguised.” Our hymn borrows words from the Nicene Creed to reveal Jesus’ hidden identity. The Lord who came to the Jordan that day was and is God from God and Light from Light. As the apostle Paul would later describe Him, in Jesus “all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell” (Colossians 1:19b).
Jesus, true God and true Man, is the holy Child whose birth we recently celebrated. He is “the Lord of glory, pow’r, and might” who was adored and praised by the heavenly host when His birth in Bethlehem was proclaimed to the shepherds. The holy Child was recognized and worshiped by those shepherds and by wise men from the east. There were many other people who, by faith, recognized Jesus during His earthly ministry. These people believed in Him as the Son of God and the promised Messiah. Yet to many others who were blinded by unbelief, Jesus remained unrecognized. He would be rejected, betrayed, condemned, and crucified.
When the Lord came to the Jordan to be baptized, John recognized Him and announced Jesus’ identity and purpose: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29b). Jesus came “to stand beneath the Father’s will and all His righteousness fulfill.” At His Baptism, the sinless Son of God took His place among the sinners He came to save. He fulfilled all righteousness, perfectly obedient to His Father’s will in all things: “Being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the Name that is above every name” (Philippians 2:8-9). By faith we recognize and love that Name above every name, the Name of Jesus. We are clothed in Jesus’ righteousness and, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we seek to follow the Father’s will in our own lives. Finally, the day will come when Jesus will return as the Scriptures foretell: “Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him” (Revelation 1:7a). On that great day we will see our Savior, true God and true Man—in human flesh and undisguised glory!
WE PRAY: Lord Jesus, I look forward to the day when I will see You face to face. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler. It is based on the hymn, “To Jordan’s River Came Our Lord,” which is number 405 in the Lutheran Service Book.
Reflection Questions:
- How is God disguised, if you will, in the world around us?
- How did Jesus show Himself to be both true God and true Man?
- What comfort can we take in knowing that Jesus was a human being just like us?
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