Remember Whose You Are
Preaching of St. John the Baptist by Domenico Ghirlandaio, 1486-1490
Mt 3:5-6 - Jerusalem, Judea & the Jordan
“Remember who you are.”
As a kid, I heard these words from my dad almost every day. They didn’t mean a whole lot at the time, but years later I finally realized he was talking about identity.
In a sense, this is what Matthew is doing with these verses about John the Baptist.
How?
When he says that “all” of Judea and “all” the region around the Jordan came to be baptized, he’s using prophetic hyperbole.
In biblical writing, “all” often functions as a rhetorical flourish rather than a strict census count.
Matthew is emphasizing the widespread impact of John’s ministry.
Think of it as: “Everyone was talking about him. People came from everywhere.”
This frames John as the prophetic voice calling the nation as a whole to repentance, preparing them for the Messiah.
In short, Matthew’s “all Jerusalem, Judea, and the region” isn’t statistical but theological.
He’s saying that John’s call touched the whole people of God, symbolizing a national turning point - a fresh Exodus, a fulfillment of prophecy, and the stage for the Messiah.
Salvifically, through the waters of the Jordan - through baptism, “remember who you are” becomes remember Whose you are.
What’s God up to here?
He’s about the business of reminding us that we are His - that’s our identity.
And in Jesus Christ, He’s come to restore us to His love and friendship, beginning here and now.
Remember Whose you are.
Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. (Is 43:1)
Onward and upward,
Ted
Here’s What I’m Reading This Week
In her essay Towards a Philosophy of Education Charlotte Mason accomplishes what might be the most important synthesis in the history of the Western, Christian education tradition.
Her ideas about the philosophy of education, pedagogy, and parenting are the educator’s treasure hidden in a field.
For anyone concerned with education - all practitioners, parents, or anyone trying to make sense of the behaviorist-materialist mess of modern education - this text is a must read.
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