Was reading the story of Jesus' baptism to the kids this morning, and this line hit me hard:

"He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry."

I've heard the point made many times about how dirty sandals would be due to the state of hygiene in the ancient world. From this perspective, John is equating himself to the kind of bottom-tier servant who would have to deal with people's shoes.

But there's something more going on here. This isn't a commentary on the humility of John's position, but a statement about who Jesus is. His sandals are *too clean* for John to touch. Jesus' presence sanctifies everything he comes into contact with. Even his dirty sandals are sacred, and even John — a descendant of Aaron, a Nazirite — is not qualified to touch them.

The person of Jesus is on par with the Holy of Holies. And yet he comes to John to be baptized. John asks "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?" Jesus, the face of God Himself, undergoes baptism (typological death) by man, for man. And just as he made his own dirty sandals holy by touching them, he makes us — equally filthy — clean as well.