Xviii. Of The Baptism Of Jesus Christ
XVIII. OF THE BAPTISM OF JESUS CHRIST
Why was our Lord baptized with the baptism of St. John?
In order to begin His mission which was the work of our salvation; now this consists in the remission of sins which was to be effected by the baptism that He Himself was going to inaugurate. This new kind of baptism was to be given with water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; and all men had to receive this baptism, since all are sinners. For this reason, wishing to point out to all this necessity, He asked to receive the baptism of John, which was only a figure of the new baptism. He received this baptism in water in order to sanctify the water and so prepare it for the matter of the Sacrament. During His baptism the whole Trinity deigned to make Itself manifested -- He Himself in His human nature, the Holy Ghost under the form of a dove, and the Father in the voice that was heard -- in order to make known what would be the form of the Sacrament. He also made known the effect of this new baptism by the fact that the heavens opened above His head; this was to show that by His baptism the gates of heaven were opened for men (XXXIX. 1-8).