አጥመቆ ዮሓንስ

፱ / ጥሪ · 2027-01-17

At the Jordan River, John points away from himself and identifies Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He testifies that the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus and remained with Him. Christ is revealed as the Son of God and the One who baptises with the Holy Spirit. Jesus does not enter the water because He needs cleansing from sin. The sinless One enters the waters in solidarity with fallen humanity. His baptism reveals His mission: He is the Lamb who will carry the sins of the world and offer Himself for our salvation. Saint Paul explains the grace Christians receive through baptism. We are saved not because of righteous deeds that we accomplished independently, but because of God’s mercy. Through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, believers are justified by grace and made heirs of eternal life. Saint John speaks of the testimony of the Spirit, the water, and the blood. Eternal life is not found merely in religious customs or human effort; eternal life is in God’s Son. Whoever possesses the Son possesses life. Baptism therefore begins a living communion with Christ that must continue through faith, obedience, repentance, and participation in the sacramental life of the Church. In Acts, Saint Peter declares that God shows no partiality. Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit and power, went about doing good, and healed those oppressed by evil. The grace revealed at the Jordan is intended for every nation and every person who welcomes God with faith. The celebration of Christ’s baptism invites Christians to remember their own baptismal dignity. We have been washed, renewed, and incorporated into Christ. We must therefore reject sin, preserve the grace we have received, recognise every person’s dignity, and become witnesses of the Lamb of God in the world.