Wednesday, January 14, 2009


"And Jesus being baptized, forthwith came out of the water, and lo, the heavens wereopened to Him: and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon Him. And behold a voice from heaven saying: This is My beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased."


Jesus stoops so low as to mingle with the multitude of sinners, and forthwith the heavens are opened to magnify Him - He acknowledges Himself worthy of the strokes of divine justice, and behold, the Father declares that He takes all His delight in Him.
It is at this moment that the mission of Jesus, as One sent by God, is declared authentic. The Father's testimony accredits, so to speak, His Son before the world, and hence this testimony relates to one of the characters of Christ's work as regards ourselves.
This mission of Jesus has a double aspect: it bears at the same time the character of redemption and of sanctification. It is to redeem souls, and this done, to infuse life into them. That is the whole work of the Saviour.