February 20

The Shadow of the Cross

“Let it be so now,” Jesus replied. “It is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness in this way.” Then John permitted Him. — Matt 3:15 BSB

One meaning of Christ’s baptism is that, as a man representing sinful humanity, He took upon Himself all the conditions of our fallen nature. He had no sins of His own to confess, yet He came to John as other men did. He did this because He stood in the place of sinners. A little later, John would point to Him and say, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” Jesus came to be baptized because “all we like sheep have gone astray, and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” However, this water baptism was only a shadow of the deeper cost He would bear in taking on our sins.

In Holman Hunt’s painting, The Shadow of the Cross, Jesus is depicted at age thirteen, standing in the carpenter’s shop at the end of the day. As He stretches out His arms, the setting sun casts a shadow of the cross on the wall. The artist’s intent was to show that, even in Jesus’ youth, the shadow of the cross was already falling over His life. This thought is especially true as Jesus entered His public ministry—He knew the cross was before Him.

This baptism by John was only symbolic. Jesus had another baptism to endure, the baptism of suffering, death, and curse, where He would “redeem us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.” Here at the Jordan, we see Him beginning that journey, which would lead to His resurrection on the third day. As we enjoy the blessings of redemption, we should never forget what it cost our Lord to secure them for us. He endured a baptism of sorrow, pain, and death so that we could receive the blessings of peace and joy. He tasted death for us so that we could have eternal life.