In each of the four Gospels we find some verses dedicated to this important event in the life of Jesus: his baptism.
Matthew 3:13-17
One day Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But Juan tried to dissuade him. I am the one who needs to be baptized by you, and you come to me? he objected. Let’s do it as I tell you, because it suits us to comply with what is fair —Jesus replied. So John consented.
As soon as Jesus was baptized, he came up out of the water. At that moment the sky was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God come down like a dove and settle on him. And a voice from heaven said: “This is my beloved Son; I am very pleased with him.”
Mark 1:9-11
In those days Jesus arrived from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Immediately, rising from the water, Jesus saw that the sky was opened and that the Spirit descended on him like a dove. A voice from heaven was also heard saying: “You are my beloved Son; I am very pleased with you.”
Luke 3:21-23a
One day when everyone went to John to be baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he prayed, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in the form of a dove. Then a voice from heaven was heard saying: “You are my beloved Son; I am very pleased with you.”
Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, it was believed, of Joseph…
John 1:29-34
The next day John saw Jesus approaching him and said, “Here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is what I was talking about when I said: “After me comes a man who is superior to me, because he existed before me.” I didn’t even know him, but so that he might reveal himself to the people of Israel, he came baptizing with water».
John declared: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove and remain on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me:
“He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” I have seen him and therefore I testify that this is the Son of God.
How was the baptism of Jesus?
Jesus was 30 years old when he went to the Jordan River where John the Baptist was baptizing other people. Once there, Jesus asked John to baptize him. John did not feel comfortable with this request and resisted saying to Jesus: «I am the one who needs to be baptized by you, and you come to me». However, Jesus convinced John by reminding him that his baptism was important in God’s plan. So John proceeded to baptize him.
John immersed Jesus in the waters of the Jordan River. Just as Jesus rose from the water, two things happened:
- Heaven opened, the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in the form of a dove and remained on him.
- A voice from heaven was heard saying “This is my beloved Son; I am very pleased with him.”
In John 1:33-34 we see that thanks to these two events, John the Baptist was certain that Jesus was the Son of God, the promised Messiah. The Savior of the world had arrived!
Why was Jesus baptized?
It may be hard to understand why Jesus went to John to be baptized. John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Mark 1:3). This means that those who went to John to receive baptism recognized that they had disobeyed God’s commandments and declared that they repented.
But Jesus, being God incarnate, had no sins and did not need to repent. So why was he baptized? Some of the reasons may be the following:
- To fulfill what was fair, as he himself told John the Baptist in Matthew 3:15. The ministry of Jesus would be subject to the will of God the Father from the beginning. And the Father’s will included John baptizing Jesus.
- your baptism marked the beginning of Jesus’ ministry on earth, one without equal and full of the power of God. As an example of this, the Holy Spirit rested on Jesus in the form of a dove (physically) and the voice of God was heard clearly and audibly.
- To set an example for each of us. Jesus did not need to be baptized, for he was sinless. For us it is good to do it. God commands us to be baptized and to baptize all who decide to be disciples of Jesus (Matthew 28:19-20). Baptism does not save us, but with it we declare that we will obey God and that we will leave behind everything that separates us from him. With his baptism Jesus showed us precisely that: how to approach God and how to live for him full of humility, in obedience, recognizing our failures and our great need of him, of his forgiveness and of his love.
Learn more about Jesus: the way, the truth and the life
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