Letters from Adina - #9

Letter IX. Behold! There Stands the Christ of God!

The Baptism of the Christ

My Dear Father,

In these letters to you, which give an account of my excursion with Rabbl Amos to the Jordan, I beseech you pardon the details into which I enter, for it is my earnest desire that you should see everything with my eyes, as if you had been present with me.

At length, dear father, after hastening our mules, and riding pleasantly for two hours along the verdant banks of Jordan, we came in view of a square tower of stone, peering above the trees, which marked the site of the village of Bethabara.

Near that place the winding river takes a broad curve, and the opposite village of Bethabara lies in the hollow, forming the centre of half a circle. This widely curving shore was alive with human heads. Not a place could be seen where some man or woman did not stand. And of this vast multitude every eye was concentrated upon the prophet.

The clear voice of the youthful prophet of the wilderness fell distinctly on our ears, such silence was kept by the vast audience. We could not approach very near on our mules; therefore, dismounting at the outskirts of the throng, we left them with the two servants, and on foot drew near to the place where the prophet stood.

There now came several persons towards him who desired baptism. While he was baptizing these men and women, I saw appear, on the little mound near the tower from which Rabbi Amos had said Elijah ascended, Lazarus, the brother of Martha, accompanied by a man of about his own years, of an indescribable dignity and grace of aspect, combined with an air of benevolence and peace that at once attracted me.

“It must be the friend of Lazarus,”’ said Mary to me, for she had discovered him. ‘‘See with what calm serenity he gazes upon the multitude, yet retiring in his manner, as if he shrank from the common eye!”

He was wrapped in a vesture of dark blue cloth, which was folded about his form; his head was bare, and his dark hair flowed down about his shoulders after the fashion of the Nazarenes.

He seemed so unlike all other men, in a certain majesty united with sweetness that marked his whole air, that I could not withdraw my gaze from him.

The prophet, at the same moment, fixed his eyes upon this man, and as he did so I saw a change come over his face as if he had seen an angel.

His eyes shone with unearthly brilliancy, his lips parted as if he would speak, yet had lost the power; and then, with his right hand stretched forth towards the noble stranger, he stood for a moment like a statue.

All eyes followed his, and the direction of his stretched-out arm. Suddenly, he exclaimed, and oh, how like the trumpet of Horeb his voice rung out! – he exclaimed -“Behold!”

There was not a face in that vast multitude that was not directed towards the little eminence, where Lazarus, evidently amazed at the attitude and words of the prophet, and the gaze of the multitude, stood by his friend.

“Ye have asked wherefore is slain the daily lamb,’’ continued the prophet. ‘“The day has come when the sacrifice of lamb, which can take away no sin, shall cease. Behold! “and here he stretched forth both arms towards the dignified stranger: “behold Him who taketh away the transgressions of men. 

He it is who, coming after me, is preferred before me. He it is to whom I bear witness, as the Messiah, the Son of the Highest!

There stands the Christ of God! Behold the only true Lamb, whose blood can wash away the iniquities of us all!

He hath stood among you —He hath walked your streets—He hath sat in your homes, and I knew him not - but I now behold on Him the sign of the Messiah, and therefore know I that it is He who is to redeem Israel!”

When the prophet had thus spoken in a voice that thrilled every heart, we beheld the august stranger advance towards him. 

He moved on alone. Lazarus had fallen prostrate on his face when he heard that it was the Messiah with whom he had had walked on terms of friendship.

As he continued to come forward, all was expectation in the immense multitude.

The mass of heads swayed this way and that, to get a sight of His face, which I could see was serene, but pale and earnest.

John, the cousin of Mary, seeing Him approach, knelt humbly, and bowed his head in reverential awe and love.

Those who stood between him and the prophet moved involuntarily aside, and left an open path for him to the water-side.

He walked at a slow and even pace, with an air of humility, veiling the native dignity of His kingly port.

The prophet, on seeing him come near, regarded Him, as it seemed to me, with far more awe than all the others.

‘‘What wouldst thou of thy servant, oh, Messiah, Prophet of God, mighty to save?’’ he said, in tremulous tones, as the stranger came some paces down into the water towards him.

“To be baptized of thee,’’ answered the Christ, in a still, quiet voice, that was heard to the remotest bounds of the crowd. Never, oh, never shall I forget the sound of that voice, as it fell upon my ears!

‘‘I have need to be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to me?’’ answered the prophet, with the lowliest humility and awe, and with looks expressive of his amazement.

‘‘It becometh us to fulfil all righteousness,”answered Messias, mildly; and when He had said this, the prophet, though still as one who doubted,, and with the holiest reverence, administered unto Him, in the sight of all the people, the baptism which he had administered to his own disciples.

And now, my dear father, I have to relate the most wondrous thing that ever came to pass in Israel since the law was given from Sinai. It must be clear to you that this event bears unquestionable testimony that Jesus of Nazareth, the noble stranger baptised in Jordan, and to whom John bore witness, is truly Messias the Son of God.

No sooner did the baptized stranger go up out of the water, than there was heard above all our heads a noise of rolling thunder, although the sky was cloudless; and when we looked up we beheld a dazzling light, though it was noon-day, brighter than the sun; and from the midst of this celestial splendor there darted a ray of light, which descended upon the head of the Christ.

Some of the people said it thundered; and others that it lightened; but judge the amazement and admiration of all, and the dread awe that shook every soul, when, amid the glory above His head, was seen the form of a dove of fire, with outspread wings overshadowing Him; and from the heavens the voice what was supposed to be thunder, shaped itself into language, and uttered these words in the hearing of every ear:

“THIS IS MY BELOVED SON, IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED. HEAR YE HIM.”

At hearing these words, a great part of the multitude fell on their faces. Every cheek was pale, and each man gazed on his neighbor in wonder and fear.

When the majestic, yet terrible voice had given utterance to these words, the light disappeared, the dove reascended to the skies, and was lost to the sight, leaving a halo of divine  glory resting upon the head of this “Son of God.”

He alone seemed unmoved and calm amid all this awful scene, and going up the river bank, disappeared suddenly from my earnest gaze.

At length, when men came a little to themselves, and would gaze on Him whom all knew now to be the Christ, no one could find Him, so effectually had he withdrawn himself from their homage.

Your affectionate

Adina.

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LADY DONNA PROGRAM

The new Lady Donna Immersion in Spirituality, Academics and Citizenship @ the "I AM" School will study abridged excerpts of the Letters from Adina taken from Reverend Ingraham's original edited version of 'The Prince of the House of David', published by Cassell & Co. Ltd (1903), that reveal remarkable insights into the Living Etheric Record left by Beloved Jesus's Ministry in the Holy Land.