Readings For January 8

The readings for celebrating the Baptism of our Lord are Gen. 1:1-5, Rom. 6:1-11, and Mark 1:4-11. Why was the perfect, sole-begotten Son of God baptized? He didn’t need to repent of anything, at least on His own account. Yet, Jesus was baptized to repent perfectly of our sin. For He was taking it upon Himself. He was giving us His perfection and setting our sorry, corrupted state of affairs in order. WE by nature, deserve hell because we are sinful to the core and cannot ourselves repent perfectly. Yet, Jesus obeyed the Law and now gives us heaven with life eternal. He buried our sin and, and by Baptism, raises us each day to new, forgiven life.