Baptism of the Lord: Christ's Radical Solidarity with Sinners

It's very strange to imagine this strange event that inaugurates the public ministry of Christ: The holy and sinless Lord standing in line with sinners to be baptized. It makes sense that sinners like you and me would present themselves to John to confess their sins and be baptized, drowning the sins of their old life in the waters and emerging, resolved to live a new life. Why does Christ present himself to be baptized? Not to receive forgiveness for his own sins but for ours. Not so that he can live a new life but so that we can. Christ takes our own sins to the waters baptism, on our behalf, as if they were his own sins. Now that is radical solidarity!

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