Baptism has always been a hotly contested subject. Yet, there is one question about baptism that always leaves the field open for more thoughtful discussion. WHY was Jesus baptized, and did He actually need to be?
This definitely isn’t a “dumb question”. After all, why would God-in-the-flesh need to receive remission of sins? Would the Redeemer of mankind need to be cleansed from original sin? Or, indeed, why would the Creator of the universe need to make a profession of faith? Bible translations usually render Jesus’ response as “to fulfill all righteousness” or “because it is the right thing to do”. What could this mean for us?
I think the most significant part of this passage relates to Jesus actually being baptized. The word baptism comes from baptizo, which can mean to immerse or cleanse. While Jesus was very much like us, He was not a sinner and therefore His baptism was not one of cleansing.
I feel that, by accepting baptism, Jesus was fully immersing Himself as one of us to more effectively carry out his ministry and message. He did not become a sinner, but showed that He is not distant from His Creation.
Emmanuel-God is with us.
