Jesus grew up as a carpenter in Nazareth, but the river that had the most to do with His life was the River Jordan.

In the year 28 A.D. (15th year of the reign of Caesar Tiberius, Luke 3:1）, there appeared a person who called himself John the Baptist at the estuary where the River Jordan meets the Dead Sea. John the Baptist had been living a life of asceticism in the wilderness ( Matthew 3:4）, proclaiming prophetically the message of the need for repentance and the coming of judgment day. He baptized in the River Jordan those who repented. His message and deeds soon reached the ears of all the Jews.

Jesus, harkening to the cries of John the Baptist, went at once to the River Jordan to be baptized. ( Mark 1:9） The baptism in the waters of the River Jordan signaled for Jesus a change in his life. ( Mark 1:11） Without further ado, Jesus began his mission of announcing the Kingdom of God. Firstly, Jesus accepted the attitude of John the Baptist towards simple living with its absolute emphasis on poverty in practice and in spirit. Jesus also accepted the preaching of John the Baptist affirming God’s judgment and the need of people to face ‘that which will come to pass’.( Luke 3:7-9; Matthew 3:7-10）

Jesus then went immediately into the wilderness to experience what was propounded by John the Baptist: in the midst of difficulty, emptiness, poverty and struggle, came to an understanding of God's will and care so as to experience in depth the spirit of novelty, wonder and challenges. In the wilderness, Jesus saw clearly His own vocation, chose His direction and His way of acting. ( Matthew 4:1-10; Mark 1:12-13; Mark 8:31; Mark 11:9; Mark 12:13-17; Luke 4:1-13; John 6:15）

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