Redeemed
One of the interesting questions of our faith is why Jesus was baptized. We hold that Jesus “knew no sin” as Paul put it in his second letter to the Corinthians. He was the Lamb of God, without spot or blemish. He had no need for ritual washing. He wasn’t dirty and needed no bath!
Further, as co-eternal with the Father and the Holy Spirit, he did not need a jolt of power. He did not become the Messiah when the Holy Spirit landed on him. He was with God and was God from the beginning.
So, then, what was happening at his baptism?
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Adopted to Life
While I was in seminary, Meg and I came to know a little boy named Liam. Liam was born in California. Sadly, he had been severely abused and shaken as an infant. His adoptive parents were told he would never walk or speak. He would always require constant care his whole life. They brought this tiny, helpless, little fellow into their family because he needed so much love.
Mom, Dad and big sister all welcomed him as one of their own. That’s how adoption works. When we adopt a child, they become fully part of the family in every way. It is as if that child was your biological child. There is legally and morally no difference. An adopted child has the same rights as a biological child. Adoptive parents have the same responsibilities to care and nurture the child. This is your kid, period. In Florida, they even change the birth certificate.
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The Word Made Flesh
The Gospels address Jesus’s birth in three ways: Matthew and Luke give accounts of his birth and genealogy which are distinct but together form the picture we have of Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the angels, the shepherds and the wise men. Mark doesn’t touch on it at all. John puts it in context with everything.
When I say everything, I mean everything. We have a rather unfortunate false narrative in our culture that tries to cast an impassable divide with faith on one side and reason on the other, or faith and spirituality on one side and science on the other. Some religious people deny science. Many scientists deny the existence of God.
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