The Baptism of Jesus: A Story from the Jordan River

“In the land of Israel, the holiest land of all,/ There is a quiet, peaceful place, not too big or small./ “Yardenit” on the River Jordan is the place/ Where over half a million come every year, by God’s grace."

So begins the book The Baptism of Jesus, by Reverend Jim Reimann. The story, based on historical location and John the Baptist, is written in rhyme. Each two-page spread includes a watercolor picture, done by Naywan Zoubi, and a four-line verse.

It starts showing modern-day pilgrims lined up to be baptized in the river, then tells why people travel all this way: because this is where John the Baptist baptized Jesus. The artist shows Christ depicted in traditional garb, while a variety of ethnic people dot a number of background images.

The portion recounting John’s work is inspired by Mark 1:1-11. Although this isn’t stated in the text, the author sites this Scripture reference on the back cover, and he encourages readers to locate and read the passage.

The tale ends with an intricate drawing of “The Wall of New Life”, which currently surrounds “Yardenit”, and contains the passage of Scripture in more than 80 languages. As a follow up, the author included a photograph of a white clad crowd awaiting their turn in the river with the wall in the background plus a full page of historical facts about the location.

What I Like: It was interesting to see the image of the Wall of New Life and all the people lined up to be baptized.

What I Dislike: The rhyming text doesn’t always work. The meter is sometimes awkward on the tongue when read aloud, and the rhyme that drives the word choice and structure of the narrative often feels forced. Also, despite the title, the story focuses more on the location and on John the Baptist. The encounter between John and Jesus only takes three verses.

Overall Rating: Good

Age Appeal: Ages 3-9

Publisher Info: Intelecty, 2014; ISBN: 978-9657607152 ; Paperback/ Kindle, 24 pgs., $6.99.

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Special Info: There are ten books in this bestselling series, all designed and produced in Israel. Many have been translated into other languages. Other titles include: Stories of Yeshua, The Jesus Boat, John 3:16: Jesus And Nicodemus In Jerusalem, Jesus Loves The Little Children Of The World, Jesus Is Alive: The Empty Tomb In Jerusalem, Jesus Is Born! The Bethlehem Story, Jesus Raises A Little Girl to Life - A Miracle in Capernaum, Saul is Born Again, and more.