The Baptism of Christ - not so different than ours; but with the Exclamation from his Father

 The Baptism of Christ - not so different than ours; but with the Exclamation from his Father

“You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”  (Lk 3: 22b).  There is a certain connection between this baptism and the encounter with Satan that quickly followed to make our own adherence of faith that each one must absorb through life; making our acceptance of Christ a life-long journey of temptations and our reliance on grace that Baptism has planted within each one.    

His Baptism and Crucifixion were connected through God’s plan to forgive us and lead us to our own resurrection because of Christ’s Love for his Creation of man.

Remember that through his Baptism Jesus opened the gate to heaven with just one requirement; Belief in the cross that awaited him and turned aside our earned rejection of our own doing to find the blood on the Cross is our sign of what evil can do. This pleased the Father immensely when his Son did not refrain from the evil of man.  (Lk 3: 21 - 22).

As we enter the end of the Christmas season it is essential to understand the temptations that Satan will use to nullify the very meaning of immersion into the waters of life-giving sanctification that is the first step of finding faith in a world that has all but erased the grace of accepting the Holy Spirit’s role in standing with us at each tempting from an evil that will not go away when goodness seems to be our mantra.  

Reading the temptations the devil used with Jesus it is an attempt to make him reject his Father’s grace and ridicule the effort to complete his plan for redemption.  

The same corrupt approach to all of us is also at work daily in spite of our baptism.  However, through Baptism we have the strength and direction of the Holy Spirit to guide our decisions.

Making bread from stones is to deny the sacrifice of fasting in order to satisfy the needs of a human species and therefore making this man a weakened spectacle in the desire for pleasure in satisfying a lack of human need before trusting in God’s presence. “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.”  (Mt 4: 4).

Failing to hold fast to an effort of being satisfied with what he had at his disposal would make him like mortals that can only find success in gaining world approval in ways that are taboo with someone who is supposed to be holy and a student of eternal essence.   “Again it is written “You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.”  (Mt 4: 7). 

A final attempt of power above all others is surely the one attraction that those of poor persuasion techniques will seek the desire that the thoughts of God are diminished.  “Come and worship me and I will give you all that your humanity desires.”  “The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.”  (Mt 4: 10).

Can all of these incidents or temptations occur to one who is baptized?  The Sacrament of Baptism is to be nurtured within a family that is of themselves a way of seeking the presence of divine intervention.  Too many families have joined the Apostasy way of Church declining and therefore are breaking down the very aspect of what Baptism is all about.

Yes, even those who are baptized will find temptations daily and must rely on the Holy Spirit’s presence to guide his children in their walk of spiritual entities that will be one with Christ.

However, today the evil intent of apostasy is on the move and even families and individuals are turning away from God, Church affiliation, and the sanctity of their souls which is leading many to the gates of hell.

Then what should our attitude be towards these apostates?  Love them the same way you love others who appear to be sinless.  Jesus ate with tax-collectors and prostitutes.  St. Paul was on his way to Damascus to arrest Christians for their belief.  Peter even said to Jesus leave me when he realized what type of person Jesus was.  (Lk 5: 8).  No, we must love sinners as we too are not perfect.    

Ralph B. Hathaway