Reflection on Baptisizing Jesus
“REFLECTION #3” When John the Baptist baptized Jesus, a beautiful thing happened. God showed to everyone who were present that ‘Jesus’ was ‘the One Who is anointed by God’. That means that Jesus was God the Father’s Chosen One, the One Who God had promised to send to save the people He loved. When Jesus was anointed, He was anointed with the Holy Spirit and the power of God. This anointing proved that Jesus was God! The public life of Jesus began with His Baptism on the shore of the Jordan River.
It ended with Jesus commanding the Apostles to “go and make disciples of all, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that He had commanded them. ” These Words of Jesus from the Holy Bible teach the Christians the great importance of the Sacrament of Baptism. These Words of Jesus from the Holy Bible teach the Christians the great importance of the Sacrament of Baptism. This is the most beautiful thing that happens to a person during the Sacrament of Baptism, something that most Christians do not even realize.
This transformation is what it means to be reborn. God actually creates a new heart and a new spirit within the convert who is being baptized. The person is truly not the same anymore, part of his creation having been changed. When Jesus commanded the Apostles to go into the entire world and to preach the Gospel to the whole creation, that those who believe be baptized and saved, Jesus made faith an important part of the Sacrament of Baptism along with the forgiveness of sin.
A person cannot be baptized unless he sincerely repents of his sinful nature and has faith in Jesus Christ as Savior, the Giver of the Holy Spirit and the new birth. Before receiving the Sacrament of Baptism, the old self, the heart and human spirit, were stained by the original sin and all the other sins that the person had committed before being baptized. During the Sacrament of Baptism, all of this was crucified with Jesus so that the sinful body may be destroyed, the person no longer being a slave to sin.
When a person is baptized, the old inclination of his heart and spirit die and are buried with Christ. When a person is baptized, he is devoted to God. He has a responsibility to promote Christianity. Some people choose to become living sacrifices so they can enjoy a greater daily personal relationship with God. This is seen in those who consecrate their lives to God, the priests, the religious brothers and sisters and the missionaries. These Christians are required by their consecration to do missionary work according to the mandate of their religious Orders to which they belong.
And Baptism was a means of grace. God’s grace came upon Jesus when He was baptized. God grace comes upon any humans when they are baptized. It is just that if a human is not baptized, a belief in God is most likely going to lead that person to wanting to receive God’s grace. However, it is only God and Jesus that knows the heart of that human. There are certainly unbaptized humans that purely believe in God and Jesus. Let us remember not to judge upon if a person is baptized or not. After all, it is not said those who are unbaptized will perish. It says those that do not believe will parish.
