Free The Gospel of the Twin by Ron Cooper

that we should join them to represent a new beginning.
    â€œI’m not sure,” Jesus said. “Baptism is a ritual cleansing. Do you feel unclean? Besides, John is not a priest.”
    I was confused by Jesus’ comment. “Ritual? Priest? When did you start caring about rites?”
    Jesus picked at the back of his hand as if removing a flea. “I don’t care. I just . . .” He lowered his head and rubbed his temples. “It would mean that we are putting our faith in John. He seems to believe the Lord will lead us in war, or . . . I don’t know. What do we expect? Maybe the time isn’t ripe.”
    â€œWhen do you think the time will be ripe?” asked Judas. “Do you have a plan? Let’s just get into the water. That will align us more closely with John. At least he has a following, and more people join every day. We can build upon it. It’s not much now, but we could have the start of an army here.”
    Jesus looked up at Judas. “You’re the only one here thinking that.”
    Judas laughed. “You haven’t been listening to John.”
    Judas, Mary, and I took our places in the baptismal line. Andrew, who had been baptized the month before, stood on the river bank and waved at us. We entered the water and John submerged us one by one, each time chanting something about entering the water as stained slaves but rising as washed soldiers for the Lord. Andrew hugged each of us as we walked out of the water.
    When we looked back towards the river, we saw that Jesus had joined the line.
    â€œWell, well,” said Judas. “Perhaps Jesus is ready to join the fight after all.”
    â€œStop it, Judas,” Mary said. “Jesus is only showing that he is with us. Right, Thomas?”
    â€œOf course,” I said, although I really did not know what to think.
    â€œI believe Jesus has ideas that none of us know,” said Andrew.
    When Jesus’ turn came and he waded into the river, his back straight, his head high, John announced, “Behold this man! He is upright and good and righteous. Why do you seek cleansing? Are you not already favored by the Lord?”
    â€œAm I not a man?” said Jesus. He placed John’s hand upon his head and lowered himself into the water. When he arose, the full moon emerged from behind a cloud, and he was awash in light, as if even the heavens knew that Jesus was unlike the rest of us. The people watching on the bank cheered.
    A complex set of emotions—embarrassment, jealousy, admiration—swelled in me. Did Jesus expect John to say that he was not a man? What else could he be? Everyone who met him recognized that Jesus was special, but what was John suggesting when he said “favored by the Lord”? For that moment, I felt as if I were not part of Jesus—as if he had stepped into a room and locked me out. Am I not his twin? I thought. Am I not a man like him?
    I left the riverbank. Soon Judas caught up with me. “Do you understand what just happened, Thomas?”
    I did not answer but continued to walk away.
    â€œJohn did not simply baptize Jesus as he did the rest of us. He anointed his successor. You saw how John acted when Jesus walked into the water. And what about the others? Have you heard anything like that when anyone else was baptized? These people, and surely many others, will do whatever Jesus says.”
    â€œThat’s their problem.”
    â€œThomas, you see how they look at John? Longing to be told what to do? He just repeats that the wrath of God is on its way and all they can do is wait. They sit for the same tired speech for days on end, but they ache to be given orders. If we counsel Jesus onto the right path, and if Jesus commanded it, we could raise tomorrow an army of Galileans who’d face the Romans barehanded.”
    Judas actually made sense. “You may be right,” I said, “but first, John is still the leader here. Second, you