27 August | EVERYONE
«Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.» Matthew 3:13
The sky opened up. The clouds disappeared and the Holy Spirit appeared in the form of a dove. The time had come for Jesus’s baptism. He did not need to be baptized because he had not sinned. He did not need to be born again. He was God, but in the person of Jesus He had come to take the place of humanity. Jesus’s baptism was not for his own sake, but on behalf of the repentant sinner.
When Jesus came out of the water, the heavens opened and the voice of the Father was heard: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” In other words, “I recognize my Son, what He is and what He does.” The Father recognized and approved the Son as His own, He saw reflected in Him His own exact character when He gave Himself for human beings, assumed their sins and was baptized like any sinner, despite never having sinned.
At that solemn moment, the three persons of Divinity were present: the Father, uttering the voice; the Son, being baptized; and the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove. The mission was not only Jesus’, but it was also of the Father and the Spirit. They had to fulfill it together.
Always together, for eternity. Jesus was immersed in water, demonstrating humility, meekness, and freely accepting to take upon Himself the sins of humanity.
Now, the fact that Jesus took your place and died for your transgressions will only be of full value to you if you are baptized. Paul says that when we are baptized, we are baptized into the death of Christ (see Romans 6:3). His death and sacrifice will only change your life if you die and rise in Him.
Take Action
Baptism is the public declaration of your love for Christ. It is the symbol of your new birth. And of the “baptism of the Spirit” (see Matt. 3:11; Acts 1:5), which is the decisive one.
Are you ready to be baptized?