“祭司在约但河中……站定……直到国民尽都过了约但河。” – 书 3:17
以色列人在旷野中长期流离之后，神为他们开辟了一条跨过约但河进入应许之地的道路。那从上游往下游流的水“立起成垒”，就像以色列人过红海时左右两边的水作了“墙垣”（出 14:22）。这两个故事都证实人们是“在干地上”走过去的（书 3:17）。
尽管神一直对以色列人显出信实，持守应许，拯救他们，并将他们带到应许之地（创 12:1-8; 15:13-16; 28:10-15; 46:3-4; 出 3:4-10），但以色列人却转离并悖逆了神。在漫长的历史中，他们一次又一次地表现出对主不忠诚（出 32章; 民 14章; 士 2:10-23; 王下 17:1-23; 25:1-21）。最终，他们受到惩罚，被掳去，但永远信实的神又把他们带了回来（以斯拉记-尼希米记）。
此后，在耶稣降生（太1 章；路 2章 ）约 30 年后，神呼召施洗约翰为弥赛亚预备道路，弥赛亚将成为世界的救主（约 1:29; 3 :16）。在马可福音第一章，我们看到约翰在旷野传道，呼召人们悔改，并在约但河为他们施洗。这一次，人们不是被呼召跨越约但河，而是在河里受洗。神呼召他们通过悔改重新开始，寻求宽恕，为救主的到来预备好自己的心。
祷告
神啊，当我们悖逆你时，请提醒我们：是你呼召我们悔改，在耶稣里蒙了宽恕，又使我们为你而活。阿们。
约书亚记3:14-17; 马可福音1:1-8
14百姓离开帐篷要过约旦河的时候，抬约柜的祭司乃在百姓的前头。
15他们到了约旦河，脚一入水（原来约旦河水在收割的日子涨过两岸），
16那从上往下流的水，便在极远之地，撒拉但旁的亚当城那里停住，立起成垒。那往亚拉巴的海，就是盐海，下流的水全然断绝。于是百姓在耶利哥的对面过去了。
17抬耶和华约柜的祭司在约旦河中的干地上站定，以色列众人都从干地上过去，直到国民尽都过了约旦河。
1神的儿子，耶稣基督福音的起头。
2正如先知以赛亚书上记着说：“看哪！我要差遣我的使者在你前面，预备道路。
3在旷野有人声喊着说：‘预备主的道，修直他的路！’”
4照这话，约翰来了，在旷野施洗，传悔改的洗礼，使罪得赦。
5犹太全地和耶路撒冷的人都出去到约翰那里，承认他们的罪，在约旦河里受他的洗。
6约翰穿骆驼毛的衣服，腰束皮带，吃的是蝗虫、野蜜。
7他传道说：“有一位在我以后来的，能力比我更大，我就是弯腰给他解鞋带也是不配的。
8我是用水给你们施洗，他却要用圣灵给你们施洗。”
A New Start
“The priests . . . stopped in the middle of the Jordan . . . until the whole nation had completed the crossing.” – Joshua 3:17
After Israel’s long sojourn in the desert, God opened a way for them through the Jordan River into the promised land. The waters upstream “piled up in a heap,” perhaps like the “wall of water” on the right and left as Israel crossed the Red Sea (Exodus 14:22). Both stories say that the people passed through “on dry ground” (Joshua 3:17).
Although God had been faithful to Israel, keeping his promises to rescue them and bring them to the land he had promised them (Genesis 12:1-8; 15:13-16; 28:10-15; 46:3-4; Exodus 3:4-10), the people turned away and rebelled. They did that again and again in a long history of unfaithfulness (Exodus 32; Numbers 14; Judges 2:10-23; 2 Kings 17:1-23; 25:1-21). Eventually they were punished and sent into exile, but God, ever faithful, brought them back again (Ezra – Nehemiah).
Then, about 30 years after the birth of Jesus (Matthew 1; Luke 2), God called John to prepare the way for the Messiah, who had come to be the Savior of the world (John 1:29; 3:16). In Mark 1 we see John preaching in the wilderness, calling people to repent and baptizing them in the Jordan River. And here the people are called not to cross the Jordan but to be baptized in it. God calls them to make a new start through repentance, to seek forgiveness, and to prepare their hearts for the coming of the Savior.
Prayer
O God, when we rebel against you, remind us that you have called us to repent and be forgiven, in Jesus, that we may live for you. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
