Jesus’ Baptism

The Gospel reading is Matthew 3:13-17

Why did Jesus need to be baptized, as He was without sin? “To fulfill all righeousness….” which had the import of alignment with God, one another, and the world. And all involved were part of that.

Instead of looking down on the crowd, Jesus threw away his innocence and separateness to take on the identity of struggling men and women, becoming in every way one of us. Christ became one with humanity so humanity might become one with God.

There are many signs of our reunification in our world, not withstanding all the fragmentation. In this we are living into the meaning of Jesus’ Baptism, and our own. In Christ there is no separation.

Scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.