October 18

"Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region around about Jordan, and were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins." Matthew 3:5-6

Think of the whole population going out to hear this wonderful open-air preacher, to be "baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins!" John was a preacher of repentance. Perhaps no one ever rang out the word "Repent!" like John the Baptist. Day after day, as he came out of the desert and stood on the banks of that famous river, you could hear his voice, "Repent! for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." We can almost hear the echoes of his voice as they floated up and down the Jordan.

Many wonderful scenes had been witnessed at that stream. Naaman had washed away his leprosy there. Elijah and Elisha had crossed it dryshod. Joshua had led through its channel the mighty host of the redeemed on their journey from Egypt into the promised land. But it had never seen anything like this: men, women, and children, mothers with babes in their arms, scribes, Pharisees, publicans and soldiers, flocked from Judea, Samaria and Galilee, to hear this lonely wilderness prophet.