Bear Grylls shares his excitement over wading into the Jordan where his 'hero' baptized his Lord

Survivalist and former SAS trooper Bear Grylls has made little secret of his faith, stressing in an interview earlier this year, "There's always struggle, there's always hardship, but there's always faith, and faith always wins."

On Monday, Grylls noted on X that he had realized a long-standing dream: "to get in the water that Jesus was baptised in by my hero John the Baptist."

The 49-year-old Briton shared a photo in which he appears waist-deep in water on the east bank of the Jordan River, noting, "The story is so amazing, & it seems wherever Jesus went, that new birth, new life, a new vision followed."

"Bethany Beyond the Jordan," also known as Al-Maghtas, is a Christian pilgrimage site in the Jordan Valley, 5.5 miles away from the Dead Sea. This UNESCO World Heritage site, referenced in the Gospel of John, has reportedly been the place of devotion and religious activities dating back to at least the fourth century.

Grylls added in the post that "Luke (in the [B]ible) was probably a Syrian doctor before he met Jesus. He writes a reliable, poignant account of his life. It's short. I like it."

This is not the first time the survivalist has emphasized his affinity for the Gospel of Luke. In 2021, he expressed his hope that he would be like the second thief crucified next to Jesus in in Luke 23:39, who appears to be granted an express pass in his final moments.

Speaking to the Christian Post in January, Grylls said, "The world is tougher than it's ever been" and "there are so many things hitting, especially young people from every angle."

"I think we neglect our spirituality at our own peril," continued the Emmy-winning father of three. "If you've got that connection to the Almighty, everything else is window dressing. Spirituality is such a key part of a survivor's toolbox. I say, arguably, it's the number-one thing. If you get that right, everything else is bearable and possible, and achievable. ... The solution is always found in connection with the Almighty."

Last year, he told CBN he had "kind of ditched" his faith at an early age. However, through grief and hardship, it came back to him and with it, newfound strength.

"My faith was, as you say, has been a quiet strength, like a backbone that’s sustained me a lot during those times when you’re at your wits' end, and have nothing more to give," he said. "I think my faith through that journey has been an important thing. I found it hard to talk about for a long time. But I look back now and realize that it takes a proud man to say he never needs any help. I’m not that man now."

Grylls' post preceded celebrity tattoo artist Kat Von D's viral baptism reveal by just one day.

TheBlaze previously reported that Von D, whose real name is Katherine von Drachenberg, has in recent years renounced witchcraft and the occult, having both recognized that there is "a spiritual battle taking place" and determined that she wanted to be on the right side of it. On Tuesday, she circulated footage of her baptism before a packed church of family and friends.

H/T: The Western Journal

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