Learn by Topic: John the Baptism

Short answer:  To inaugurate His mission to take on the sins of the world by identifying with all sinners and their sins.

What is amazing about this?

  • There is a preconceived plan for the Incarnation; Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit have developed a plan to deal with our sins.
  • The Baptism was something planned for a very long time; Isaiah some 700 years earlier predicts that John the Baptist will be born (Mal 3;1-4) and that the Suffering Servant will bear Man’s sins (Isa 53).
  • Jesus, the Son of God, being totally righteous, would agree to be baptized like a common sinner.

Longer (and very comprehensive) answer by Jimmy Akins called “Why was Jesus Baptized?”, see below: