Saint Athanasius Lutheran Church

Why did Jesus have to be baptized? That's the question I am asked whenever people hear this story. And the answer, very simply, is this: He did not have to be. Jesus had no sin to repent of. He needed no washing of forgiveness. Jesus is the Lord and Creator of all, and the perfect, sinless Son of God -- what could John possibly give Him that wasn't from Him and of Him? Nothing. So why was Jesus baptized? Well, for the same reason He was born and lived and died: because you needed Him to be. Because when Jesus stepped into that water, the water didn't change Jesus -- Jesus changed the water.