The Jordan River: Key Events in Its Waters

The River That Demands a Decision

Brethren, the Jordan River still speaks. It calls every believer to the same question Israel once faced on its banks: Will you step into what God has promised, or will you stay on the edge, watching others cross?

This isn’t just a river in history – it’s a mirror for the soul. The Jordan divides the wilderness from the promise, the past from the future, self-reliance from surrender.

Every step into its waters requires faith, and every crossing demands trust. Praise be to God who still parts impossible rivers! The Jordan is not a place of comfort – it’s a place of confrontation, where obedience meets opportunity and fear faces the faithfulness of the Lord.

The same God who stopped the waters for Joshua, who cleansed Naaman, who baptized the Savior Himself, still calls you to step in. The Jordan is waiting. The question is: will you move?

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1. The Jordan Divides for Israel’s First Entry into the Promised Land

Joshua 3:15–17 (KJV) – “The waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap… and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground.”

Friends, imagine it – the river overflowing its banks, roaring with power, impossible to cross. Yet the moment the priests’ feet touched the water, the flow stopped. God didn’t part the river until they stepped in. That’s faith in action.

Sometimes, you won’t see the miracle until you move. Praise the Lord, He still makes a way where there is none! The Jordan reminds us that faith stands in the flood and watches God do the impossible.

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2. The Twelve Stones of Remembrance

Joshua 4:6–7 (KJV) – “That this may be a sign among you… that the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord.”

Thank You, Lord, for reminders that never fade. God told Joshua to lift stones from the riverbed as memorials. Each stone preached a silent sermon – God did this! In your life, do you have stones of remembrance?

Those moments where you know the Lord delivered you, healed you, or provided just in time? Write them down. Tell your children. Remember – what God did before, He can do again.

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3. Naaman’s Cleansing in the Jordan

2 Kings 5:14 (KJV) – “Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan… and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child.”

Pride almost kept Naaman from his miracle. He wanted something grand, not muddy water. But obedience, not glamour, brings the breakthrough. When he humbled himself and dipped, healing flowed.

Sometimes, God hides His greatest power in the simplest instructions. Praise be to God, His grace still meets the humble! The Jordan humbles the proud but heals the obedient.

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4. Elijah Divides the Jordan with His Mantle

2 Kings 2:8 (KJV) – “And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither.”

Elijah walked in authority because he walked with God. That same Spirit that parted the waters for Moses now flowed through Elijah’s mantle. When God calls you, He equips you.

The mantle represents divine calling – and when you walk in obedience, even rivers recognize the authority of the Lord in your life. Praise the Lord, His power still parts barriers for His servants today.

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5. Elijah’s Fiery Departure from the Jordan

2 Kings 2:11 (KJV) – “And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that… there appeared a chariot of fire… and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.”

What a finish! From the Jordan’s edge, Elijah was caught up into glory. One moment he’s walking with Elisha, the next he’s riding heaven’s chariot. Friends, what if your Jordan isn’t the end – it’s the beginning of glory? The Jordan teaches us that death is not defeat. The faithful may go up by a whirlwind, but they never go down without the Lord.

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6. Elisha Parts the Jordan in Elijah’s Spirit

2 Kings 2:14 (KJV) – “And he took the mantle of Elijah… and smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? and… the waters parted.”

When Elisha stood alone with that mantle, he faced the same river. The question wasn’t if the river changed – but whether Elisha believed God still would. He struck the waters in faith, and they obeyed. Hallelujah! The God of Elijah is still the God of today. The same Spirit that worked then still works now – if you dare to believe.

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7. The Lost Axe Head Floats

2 Kings 6:6 (KJV) – “And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim.”

Axe heads don’t float, but God makes impossible things rise. What was lost was recovered when faith met obedience. Maybe something in your life feels too heavy to redeem – a relationship, a calling, a hope. But the God of the Jordan specializes in recovery. What sinks in sorrow can rise by faith. Praise be to God who restores what we thought was gone.

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8. John the Baptist Prepares the Way at the Jordan

Matthew 3:5–6 (KJV) – “Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea… and were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.”

Here, the Jordan became a pulpit. John’s message was simple: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand! The Jordan turned into a place of awakening. People came burdened by guilt and left washed in confession. Praise the Lord, the message hasn’t changed! The Jordan still calls us to turn, to cleanse, to make room for the Lord.

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9. Jesus Is Baptized in the Jordan

Matthew 3:16–17 (KJV) – “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him…”

When the sinless Savior stepped into those waters, something eternal shifted. The heavens opened. The Spirit descended. The Father spoke. This wasn’t just a baptism – it was a declaration: This is My beloved Son. The Jordan witnessed the revelation of the Trinity. Every believer’s baptism echoes that moment – a dying to self and a rising with Christ, the beloved of God.

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10. The Jordan as a Symbol of Death and New Life

Romans 6:4 (KJV) – “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death… that like as Christ was raised up from the dead… even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

The Jordan is more than geography – it’s theology in motion. It marks the passage from death to life, from wandering to walking in promise. When you go down into the water, the old you stays buried. When you rise, you walk new. Praise God, the Jordan still flows with resurrection power.

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Conclusion: The River That Still Speaks

The Jordan’s current still whispers through the ages: Step in. Whether you’re facing fear, sin, loss, or transition, God is still calling His people to cross. Don’t camp on the wrong side of your promise. The waters won’t part until your foot moves. Faith stands in the flood and believes in the God who parts it.

Praise be to God, the Jordan River still runs – but now, it runs through hearts willing to obey.