When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:21–22, NKJV)

The Baptism of Jesus was significant for several reasons.

Jesus was identifying with sinful man and stooping to our level to connect to us. Jesus told John in Matthew that He was “fulfilling all righteousness” by being baptized. This was one of many humbling steps Jesus took to identify with us. The first was His humble birth, the incarnation. God became man and dwelt among us. Next, He actually went through the process of growing up; from being a baby to a toddler to an awkward adolescent. Jesus went through each stage of life and dealt with the same challenges and temptations we all went through. Finally, at the end of His ministry, He will also experience death, but not merely death, a horrible torturous death on the cross. He took our punishment for sin that we might receive His righteousness forever.

 
All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:18–21, NIV)

Have you been reconciled to God through Jesus the Savior?

Won’t you call upon Him today?

 
… “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:8–13, NIV)                                                                  

Pastor Mike