This Sunday we celebrated the Baptism of the Lord. The significance of this event has long been debated: why would Jesus, an observant Jew, submit himself to baptism, a ritual which only converts to Judaism would have had to submit to? If we hold to the traditional belief that Jesus was without sin, and if we consider to be a cleansing of sin, why would Jesus need to be baptized?
One explanation for the baptism of Christ is that it was symbolic of his personal choice to follow God's will; his commitment to his mission. We often forget that he, like all of us, have the choice to accept or not to accept our individual paths, callings, or mission. Had Jim Phelps or any of the other agents in Mission Impossible turned down their proposed mission, it would have made for a pretty crummy episode. Christ accepted his mission. Will you?
My sermon for this week was based on Luke 3:15-22. To download the podcast click here.
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