FROM THE TREE TO THE CROSS

In the first Exodus God saved his people from the flood of judgment by providing an ark with a single door for them to enter and be saved.
In the second exodus God saved his people by providing another ark made of bullrushes within it, the baby Moses whom he used to lead his people out of physical bondage by passing them through the waters of judgment when he divided the red sea and brought them into the wilderness and toward the promised land.

In the third exodus God will once again save his people but this time he will save them from spiritual bondage by passing them once again through the waters of judgement and bring them into the promised land.

Meet John the baptist

The voice crying in the wilderness grew sharper, cutting through the stagnant air of tradition like a scythe through dry grass. John stood in the river, his eyes fixed on the horizon of history and the significance of this moment in time.
“I indeed baptize you with water,” he cried, the droplets falling from his hands like tears. “My baptism is but a shadow; it touches the skin but cannot reach the soul. But One mightier than I is coming! I am not worthy to stoop down and loose even the strap of His sandal.”
“He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with Fire! His winnowing fan is in His hand!”

Imagine the terrifying honesty of this image! The Messiah does not come merely to gather; He comes to separate.
He stands upon the threshing floor of the world. With one mighty heave, He tosses the souls of men into the winds of eternity. The wheat—the weighty, substantial souls of faith falls to the ground to be put into His barn.
But the chaff—the light, empty husks of hypocrisy—He will burn with unquenchable, never-ending fire!

The next day, the sun beat down upon the Jordan, and suddenly, John’s spirit leaped within him. He saw a figure approaching—unassuming, humble and kind, yet carrying the weight of the moment.
“Behold!” John shouted, pointing a trembling finger. “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’”
Jesus began to step down the bank. The Creator stood before the creature and as He began to walk into the water, John’s courage faltered. The reality of his office overwhelmed him. He tried to prevent Him, his hands shaking. “It is I who need to be baptized by You,” he whispered, “and do You come to me?”
But Jesus, with the calm authority of the One who laid the foundations of the earth, replied, “Permit it to be so now, for in this way all righteousness shall be fulfilled.”
John understood. It was the Will of the Father. He took the Master’s arm and walked with Him into the deep part of the Jordan. For baptism is not a sprinkling; it is a burial. To be baptized is to be fully submerged, to be overwhelmed by the waves of judgment and death and rely on God to save you from them.

John placed one hand on the Messiah’s shoulder and the other upon His forehead. He leaned Him backward.
As the water covered Jesus’ face, John looked up to heaven to pray. But the prayer escaped from his lips.
He was amazed to see the sky ripped open! Like a garment torn or the veil of the temple split into two,  the blue firmament was shredded by a flash of lightning, and through the tear, the heavens became visible—dark, deep, as though noon had suddenly become midnight.

Beneath the surface of the water, the vision is entirely different.  
Jesus was no longer in the river
He was sinking into the abyss of a boundless ocean, surrounded by complete darkness.
He was alone, a solitary speck of life in the primeval chaos.

Above the surface, a shimmering glow pulsed like a heartbeat.
Suddenly, a voice narrated the scene—ancient, resonant, it pierced even the water
it was the voice of Moses reciting the Torah:
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.
The Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”
Jesus, looking up from the depths, saw the shape of a Dove hovering over the surface
Then, the vision accelerated! In the shimmering light, Jesus saw a fast-forward history of the world He had made.
He saw the sun sending beams of light penetrating the water.
He saw plants shooting from the ground, a garden of laughter and delight.
But then, shadows fell. Thunderstorms gathered. The fountains of the deep broke open.
He saw a violent flood—a world drowning in judgment.
He saw an Ark, tossing and turning upon the waves of wrath.
And once again, we see Jesus underneath the violent waves, looking up at the bottom of the Ark—the only safety in the storm.
Moses spoke again, his voice thundering through the water:
“Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light.”
An illuminated Arm and Hand reached down from the surface—the Right Hand of God! as soon as it made contact with Jesus’ hand it pulled Him upward and out of the deep abyss.

His face broke the surface of the water
Blinding light was all that could be seen. The turbulence vanished. The water was suddenly calm.
” And God saw the Light, that it was good.”
John stood there, trembling, as he saw a Dove hovering directly over Jesus as He stood up from the grave of the river.
A Voice from the heavens, rolling like thunder yet tender as a father, declared:
“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased!”
John was speechless. The vision had seared his soul.
Jesus, led by the Spirit, turned away from the Jordan and began to walk toward the wilderness mountains. He was the Scapegoat bearing the sins of the people, heading into the desolate land.
But as John watched Him climb, his silence broke. The Prophet could not contain the joy. The fire of Isaiah consumed him, and he began to preach to the people and proclaim the King, his voice rising in joyful triumph:
“Arise! Shine! For your light has come! for the glory of the Lord is risen upon you!”
He watched the Messiah ascend the slope, and the words poured out:
“For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you!”
John’s voice echoed off the canyon walls, chasing the Savior:
“The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising! You shall know that I, the Lord, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob!”

“And He will destroy on this mountain the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever! And the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces!”
Tears streamed down John’s face as he shouted the promise:
“And it will be said in that day: ‘Behold, this is our God; We have waited for Him, and He will save us! This is the Lord; We have waited for Him; We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation!’”
He fell to his knees, whispering as Jesus disappeared into the heat and haze of the top of the mountain:
“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who proclaims salvation! Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

John was the new Moses, he had led the people through the water of judgment and into the wilderness but only Jesus like  Joshua could defeat the giants of sin that had taken possession of the promised land, Only Jesus could lead the people back to God and to his promise.

But unfortunately the pattern of the old testament is once again repeated in this moment of time and events, because Gods chosen people rejected him and his Word.  they crucified Him instead of their own lusts and disbelief and for it instead of 40 years we are now at 2000 years of wandering in the wilderness as punishment,  but the horizon is here we are at the time of Joshua, we can see the promised land in view we only need to defeat what seemed to us as the giants in our lives, but really are as insignificant and vulnerable as being chased off by bees.