“Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.” - Luke 3:21-22
Allison Krauss is credited for the popularity of the song, “Down To The River To Pray.” The song is believed to have been originally published in 1867. The Allison Krauss rendition of this song was used in the film, “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” The tune is used during a river baptism scene in the movie. To be honest, I've never seen this movie, just bits and pieces of it. What I've seen keeps me from recommending it to anyone.
When we think of the song, “Down To The River To Pray,” we typically visualize a river baptism, don't we? Yet the song doesn't specifically mention baptism. But prayer and baptism should go together. The Gospel of Luke records, “... that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened.” Jesus prayed at His baptism. It would be a memorable day for a number of reasons.
First all, it was a memorable day because the Son of God was baptized by John. What a tremendous honor! One of the highlights of my Christian life was the day I was baptized by my father. I was baptized in a creek on a Mother's Day. It was hot that day. In fact, I was nearly dried off by the heat before I got back in the car. It was a special day I won't forget. As a pastor, I've had the pleasure of baptizing converts. A few pastors can testify of celebrities that they have baptized, but I can't say that I've baptized any celebrities. To me, every person is special, whether they are well-known or not. Yet John had the distinct honor of baptizing the Savior of the world! Wow!
Secondly, it was a memorable day because the Holy Trinity made their presence known to the observers. The Son was baptized in Jordan, the Spirit came down like a dove and the Father spoke from heaven, affirming His Son. That was a special day!
Third, it was a great event because Jesus received verbal appreciation from His Father. It meant a lot to me when I received praise from my father. The Father was pleased with Jesus and let Him know it!
Fourth, it was a glorious day because John would give verbal testimony that Jesus is the Messiah. John had been sent as a forerunner for Jesus, preparing the way for the Lord. When Jesus came to the baptismal waters, it was John that proclaimed, “Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world.” John had promised that the Messiah was coming. Now He was blessed to recognize and testify of the Lord's arrival. John's ministry had led to this pinnacle event of identifying the Son of God.
Next, it was memorable because Jesus was identifying with John's message. John had preached a strong message about sin. He had been proclaiming that the Messiah was coming. John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. Obviously, Jesus did not need to repent, but He was aligning Himself with the core message of John.
Also, Jesus was bold enough to pray in front of others. Yes, others were watching. In fact, two of the men who witnessed His baptism would become His disciples.
Finally, it was a special event because Jesus' ministry seemed to kick into high gear after His baptism. The baptism of Jesus seemed to be the launching point of His preaching ministry. Soon thereafter, the ministry of Jesus seemed to explode with growth, while John's ministry diminished.
Yet at this special event, Jesus prayed. Again, we have no record about the content of His prayer. We suspect that it was a brief prayer, but there is little said about its duration. We just know that Jesus spoke to His Father and His Father responded.
Sometimes we have special moments in our lives that seem so glorious to us. It would be easy to be caught up in the moment and forget to pray. Jesus gives us an example that we need to apply personally. When the mountain peak events occur, never forget to thank God for them. Be engaged in prayer even when things are going great.
Have you ever noticed that a momentous occasion is typically followed by great adversity? That would be the case for Jesus, too. Right after His baptism, He faced the tempter in the mountain. We should remain in prayer during the peak moments of life, knowing that the enemy is ready to attack at any moment.
Every event in life should be bathed in prayer. Every location can be a special place of prayer. There is not a bad place or time to pray.
In fact, it's a good time to pray right now.
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