My Baptism Saved the World - Jesus.

Jesus Christ went willingly to the cross. He went of His own accord. He laid down His own life. Yet, the Christ, being fully God and fully man certainly didn't look forward to His vicarious atonement on the cross as something He was excited about. As a man, who looks forward to turture, punishment, and death? I doubt the Son of God looked to the cross and thought it would be fun.

Jesus states in the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke:

St. Luke 12:50:  I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished!

He says this in the context of creating division and not peace. Interesting thing that He says that, considering Jesus was all about peace most of the time. But it's within the context of the passage that we must discern what He means.

The baptism that He will take on at Calvary will divide even families. There will be families that have some people baptised into Christ's death and some who are not, and indeed, as St. Paul tells us in the Epistle to the Romans:

Romans 8:7-8: For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. ⁸ Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

People who are not in Christ are actually hostile to God. How much more is this true within a divided family? It's difficult having family members who are not Christians, to be sure.

Jesus was baptised in the Jordan by John. In Jesus' baptism, one reason He did it was to fulfill all righteousness. Jesus was baptised into sin and death at Calvary and His baptism shows us that He is taking that on Himself. All three persons of the Triune God are there. The Father speaks and the Spirit descends as a dove in the baptism of Christ. Christ then goes to the cross a few years later and dies for the sins of the world.

Jesus Christ took upon Himself sin and death. He identified Himself with us in His baptism and through his work on the cross. We are sinners, but Christ is not. Yet, He became sin for us.

In short, Jesus Christ was baptised by John and later was crucified on the cross to take sin and death upon Himself; three days later conquering it through the resurrection.

Jesus Christ was baptised into sin and death so He can baptise us into life. Every time you witness a baptism at the font, you are witnessing Christ at work through His means of grace. He was baptised into sin and death, which He conquered. Now He baptises us into life. Baptism buries us with Chirst, says St. Paul (Romans 6:3-4). St. Peter tells us it saves us (1 Peter 3:21).



This is all because Christ was baptised into sin and death. He took it upon Himself. The Spirit descended upon Him at His baptism and now descends upon us at ours.

Thanks be to God for this glorious baptism which Christ now gives us.