27 And I looked and beheld the Redeemer of the world, of whom my father had spoken; and I also beheld the prophet who should prepare the way before him. And the Lamb of God went forth and was baptized of him; and after he was baptized, I beheld the heavens open, and the Holy Ghost come down out of heaven and abide upon him in the form of a dove.
The baptism of Christ begins His mortal ministry, which is itself a form of condescension. To think that God himself would come and live among men, suffering the same hardships, is amazing. On the one hand, this fallen earth life is well beneath Him. On the other hand it is a comfort to know that the rules for one are the rules for all. In other words, in order for Christ to attain all the glory of His potential, He still needed a body. He still needed to keep the commandments, including baptism. That tells me that this ordinance is more than simply washing away sins. Conditions of godhood are the same for everyone, and Christ didn’t exclude himself from meeting those conditions. In fact, He met them perfectly. His is the example we should strive to live up to.
- Matthew 3:13–17
- Matthew 11:10 (7–11)
- 1 Nephi 10:7 (7–10)
- 2 Nephi 31:4 (4–18)
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