Bethabara beyond Jordan - John 1:28

John the apostle wrote how, “this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who are you? And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Are you Elias? And he said, I am not. Are you that prophet? And he answered, No. Then said they unto him, Who are you? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What say you of yourself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias. And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. And they asked him, and said unto him, Why do you baptize then, if you be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet? John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there stands one among you, whom you know not.He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose”, and in chapter one and verse twenty-eight of his book, John shared how, “These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan” where we read:

These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

The verse reads, “These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, ...” John began with the words, “These things were done” which means “the questioning of John the Baptist by the religious leaders and his answers to them were performed, appeared and came into existence” “in Bethabara” which means “within Bethabara which means house of the ford and was the place where John the Baptist was baptizing” “beyond Jordan” or “across and on the other side of Jordan which means the descender and was the one river of Palestine which has its course of little more than two hundred miles which was from the roots of Anti-Lebanon to the head of the Dead Sea”. John shared that the activities concerning John the Baptist were within “Bethabara” which was across from the “Jordan” river.

The verse continues, “... where John was baptizing.” John added the words, “where John” which means “the place and location that John the Baptist” “was baptizing” or “was immersing and submerging people in water to make them clean”. John shared how “Bethabara” was not only from the “River Jordan”, but was also employed as the location where John the Baptist “baptized” people.

When we meditate upon John's words in this verse, we learn the “location” of the activities of John the Baptist. John was baptizing people in the “Jordan River”. This sole river in the land of Palestine was the place where people came to John the Baptist to outwardly demonstrate their desire to repent from their sins and be made “clean”. John the Baptist was able to outwardly show the people's desire to be made clean, however, Jesus came to actually cleanse people from their sins. When a person yields their life to Jesus, He not only will forgive their sins, but He will “cleanse” them from their sins from within. (See John 1:9) Those who are wise will understand the importance of John the Baptist's activities and submit themselves to Jesus as their personal “Savior and Lord”.

Next time John shares how, “The next day John saw Jesus coming unto him, and said, Behold the Lamb of God”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".