Sunday’s feast still causes puzzlement for some people - if Jesus was the sinless Son of God then why did he undergo baptism from John? The problem lies not with Christ’s baptism, which is clearly recorded in the gospels, but in an impoverished understanding of what baptism means. If we restrict baptism to ideas such as ‘the washing away of original sin’ then we will find events such as those we celebrate on Sunday very perplexing. It’s our ideas of baptism that must be challenged and changed by this feast.

At his baptism Jesus is revealed as the Father’s beloved Son, anointed with his Spirit, to do his will on earth. The revelation and the mission are inextricably linked. Jesus is sent to proclaim the Good News because of who he is. In the same way we are given the same mission - to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom. Jesus is God’s Son by nature we are God’s children by grace. Through baptism we are reborn as God’s sons and daughters (it is this rebirth that takes away original sin) and our task is the same as that of his Son, Jesus. Sunday’s feast gives a wonderful opportunity to focus us our minds and hearts on the great gift that we have received in baptism. P.D.