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The Grace Unleashed In Christ’s Baptism

The Grace Unleashed In Christ’s Baptism

Last updated on: January 6, 2026 at 3:41 am by Henry Karlson

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The Grace Unleashed In Christ’s Baptism 2026-01-06T03:41:33-05:00 Henry Karlson

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David Bjorgen: Mural of the Baptism of Jesus / Wikimedia Commons

When we talk about baptism, we can be talking about many different things. There is the pre-Christian ritual which culminated with John the Baptist, a ritual to which he gave a somewhat new meaning. He promoted its universalization, knowing it could be and would be taken up by Christ, giving it the grace which it needed. There is the sacrament of baptism, the ritual which is used to provide grace to those who are baptized while rendering them a member of the body of Christ. It is important that we distinguish the ritual, the performance of the sacrament, with the grace which comes from it, because either of them, or both of them together, can be what is meant when we talk about Christian baptism. While we are assured that the sacramental ritual brings us grace, it is the grace, and not the ritual itself, which is necessary when we talk about the necessity of baptism. This is why we can talk about other forms of baptism than sacramental baptism such as “baptism of blood” and “baptism of desire.” God is not bound by the sacraments: God can give the grace of baptism outside of the sacramental ritual. It was at Jesus’s own baptism, named the Theophany, we find Christ connecting baptism with grace. He fulfilled what John expected him to do, but in a way John didn’t expect, and he did so in a way that all creation was welcome to share in the grace which Christ established. This is why Jesus said the event was necessary:

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for thus it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and alighting on him; and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:13-17 RSV).

Thus, at his baptism, Jesus shares grace with the whole world. We can see the effects of this in the way the church has established various sacramentals, such as holy water. Holy water is blessed so that the water receives its share of the graces brought to the world in Jesus’s baptism, tying it, therefore, to Jordan’s waters.

Moreover, at his baptism, we find all three persons of the Trinity are involved, giving us, therefore, an important revelation of the Trinity. We see them has they engage us in the economy of salvation. We see how they act with us, which is why what is revealed is said to be the “economic Trinity,” because the inner nature of the Trinity remains obscure. We are called to share in the sonship of Christ by following his example and allow ourselves to be baptized. This is what incorporates us into his body. This allows us to partake of the Holy Spirit, for as the Holy Spirit descended upon him at his baptism, so we find the Holy Spirit comes into us when we join ourselves to him. And now, sharing in Christ’s divine sonship, we become, as it were, adopted children of God, giving us a new relationship with God the Father.

In this way, in the way the Trinity is revealed to us at Christ’s baptism, we should be able to discern how Christ is the focal point of everything, that he connects everything and everyone together. This is why, at the heart of God’s revelation to humanity, we find him, that he can be said to be God’s ultimate and greatest revelation to humanity. We come to know the Trinity through him, not just by being told about the Trinity, but by our participation in the divine life which Christ has made possible. Thus, being so central to it all, he is the primary actor in the drama of salvation:

but when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of deeds done by us in righteousness, but in virtue of his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit, which he poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life (Tit. 3:4-7 RSV).

We cannot save ourselves. Without grace, our sins, our evil deeds, will continue to devastate our being, slowly deconstructing and annihilating it until there is nothing left. The grace brought to the world in Christ’s baptism not only puts an end to the damage done by sin, it reverses it, allowing us (and all that is hurt by sin) to become what God intended us to be, to the natural purity God wants us to have. Thus, with grace, we can discover our true face, the one which God knew even before we were born:

For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men, training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world, awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deed (Tit. 2:11-14 RSV).

Let us remember what Christ has done for us and everyone else. He offers grace to everyone, and indeed, to everything in creation. What Christ touches can be filled with grace. It’s not just us. It is the world around us. It is the very water in which he was baptized in. Everything has its place in the kingdom of God, and Christ, in his baptism, shows us he is the bridge that makes this possible.

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N.B.: While I read comments to moderate them, I rarely respond to them. If I don’t respond to your comment directly, don’t assume I am unthankful for it. I appreciate it. But I want readers to feel free to ask questions, and hopefully, dialogue with each other. I have shared what I wanted to say, though some responses will get a brief reply by me, or, if I find it interesting and something I can engage fully, as the foundation for another post. I have had many posts inspired or improved upon thanks to my readers.

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