In the Christian religion, there are many mysteries associated with some religious traditions that have become commonplace for modern man. Such riddles have existed for centuries, but no one pays attention to them because of their low significance. Nevertheless, many theologians and specialists in the field of Christian history today pay attention to all the facts that in one way or another make it possible for us to resurrect the events of antiquity. The most pressing issue today is the life of Jesus Christ.
This person is truly legendary, although there are many arguments in favor of his historical reality. Many of the deeds of this man largely determined the traditions and rituals that later took root in Christianity. Simply put, what Jesus did, we do today, thereby repeating his holy deeds. The most striking event in the life of this historical figure can be called the Baptism of the Lord, which will be discussed in the article.
Baptism as a modern Christian rite
Christianity is filled with a lot of traditions that play a fairly democratic role inthe lives of believers. The baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ is a symbol, a great deed, turned into a tradition, a dogma. Today, baptism is perceived as a rite that helps to give a person God's grace. Thus, baptism is the moment of receiving divine care. Many scientists do not agree with this interpretation, insisting that the baptism of Jesus, like the baptism of any other person, is an act of renunciation of everything negative and acceptance of God in one’s soul as the only ruler, patron. Thus, with the help of this rite, we make a choice: to accept God or not. This theory has largely been confirmed in history.
The story of the baptism of Jesus Christ
The Great Baptism is the name of the action that took place on the Jordan River. It is described in detail in the gospel stories and has a more common name - the Baptism of the Lord. The mention of this event in the gospels makes it possible to consider it historical, since, in addition to religious literature, these writings are a historical source.
According to the gospel story, Jesus came to the Jordan River at the age of 30. John the Baptist baptized him, which caused great bewilderment on the part of the latter, because Jesus was the Messiah, and therefore he must baptize. However, the Son of God accepted the gift of baptism from John, for which the Holy Spirit descended upon him in the form of a white dove.
It follows that Jesus Christ, whose baptism took place on the Jordan River, received cleansing from a sinful existence on earth. In other words, what is important in this story is not that the Holy Spirit descended from heaven, but the subtext. Baptism is the act of accepting God as true sovereign, as mentioned earlier. The importance of baptism as a rite is emphasized by the fact that it was held by Jesus Christ. The baptism of this man marked the appearance of a similar rite in the Christian world. An important role in understanding the essence of baptism is played by further actions of Christ.
Christ wandering in the desert
The baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan is of paramount importance in the process of studying the importance of this event. We figured out that baptism is a symbol of faith and purity. But few people know that the story of baptism does not end there. Moreover, this event directly influenced the further actions of Jesus in the process of wandering in the wilderness.
After the events on the Jordan River, the prophet immediately went to the desert and stayed there for 40 days. In the same way he prepared himself for the fulfillment of the mission which had been prepared for him. We know from the Bible that the Son of God took upon himself the sins of people so that God would forgive us. This could only be done through an act of self-sacrifice, for which it was necessary to prepare spiritually and physically. The gospel scriptures tell us about the events that took place in the desert itself.
The Three Temptations of Satan
When the Devil saw Jesus' attempts to renounce all sins and cleanse himself, he decided to test the will of the Messiah. To do this, Satan tries to tempt Jesus three times:
- through hunger;
- usingpride;
- through faith.
Each new "lever" through which pressure was exerted on Jesus was more sophisticated than the previous one.
Hunger is the smallest thing that could win Jesus over to the side of the Devil. When this fleshly sin fails to work on the Son of God, Satan tests his pride and faith. But even here Jesus does not give up. Satan tried with all his might to show that everyone, even Jesus Christ, can break before his sweet fruits. Baptism helped him to remain indestructible before the temptations of Satan. It follows that baptism not only helps us receive God's grace, it can give us strength to fight against all the sinful acts of the Devil.
Hypotheses about where the place of baptism of Jesus Christ is located
Today, scientists are trying with all their might to understand and resurrect the events described in the biblical texts. Everyone knows that the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan is a real historical event, but did it really take place in the Jordan River? The fact is that modern pilgrims criticize the information about the place, which, perhaps, is the place of baptism. First, Palestine is not the evangelical "land of abundance." Heat and desert plains reign here. Secondly, everyone who has seen the current Jordan River will understand that this is clearly not the right place. It is dirty and narrow.
According to scientists, in the 1st century AD, hardly anything would have been different. Thus, it is not yet possible to say exactly where the place of the baptism of Jesus is located. Christ. Even taking into account how quickly historiographical science is evolving today.
It should be noted that many scientists put forward the most incredible stories about where Jesus Christ was baptized. Baptism could take place in a variety of places, given the modern archaeological finds. It is most likely that this great Christian event took place on the territory of Jordan, but this is a topic for a separate article.
Conclusion
So, Jesus Christ, whose baptism has become a Christian tradition over time, by his actions showed the importance of this act of acceptance of faith. The historical facts presented in the article show us the importance of this event not only for the history of Christianity, but also for all those people who accept this religion as the true faith.
