There are many interesting stories from the New Testament and artists have painted them for hundreds of years and yet, there is one story that has never been painted.
“After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized.” (John 3:22)
I was commissioned by Jerel D. Lindley to paint the story of Christ baptizing his disciples. It makes sense to me that as the greatest example, not only was He baptized, but He performed baptism for those who accepted His gospel. He showed His disciples the way.
“And they came unto John (the Baptist), and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.” (John 3:26)
John 4: 1,2, “When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, (Though Jesus himself baptizeth not, but his disciples.)
But what was the significance of Jesus Baptizing? John 1:19-26 records that because John was baptizing; the Jews sent Priests and Levites to question if he was Elias or the Messiah whom they believed were the only ones who could have authority to institute such a baptism forJews. Jews did not baptize as they considered themselves born under the covenant between God and Abraham. Gentile proselytes to Judaism immersed themselves as part of an introductory rite of cleansing, but were not baptized as John did unto repentance.
When “Jesus Himself Baptized” it was his great witness and testimony that he was the Promised Messiah sent to restore all things and establish a new gospel dispensation.
As the artist, my task was to capture the moment and emotion, as Jesus immerses one of his closest disciples. A tear falls across her cheek. The Apostles, with other disciples, watch intently from the bank of the Jordan River. Jesus is the Great Exemplar, whose example they would follow in performing more baptisms than would Jesus.
Who is Jesus baptizing in the painting? Though the Bible is silent, it was probably someone very close to His heart.
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