Jesus, Baptized and Tempted

John keeps trying to dissuade Jesus from being baptized by him, but Jesus says it is a baptism he must receive in order to bear the sins of all humanity. After the baptism the heavens are torn open, the Holy Spirit comes down like a dove, and the voice of God is heard: “You are my beloved Son.”

By baptizing Jesus, John the Baptist took the place of the one who transferred all the sins of humanity onto him. Afterward the Holy Spirit sends Jesus into the wilderness, and Satan tempts him with the test of turning stones into bread, the test of throwing himself down from the top of the temple, and the test of being offered all the kingdoms of the world. Each time, Jesus drives Satan back with the word.

Satan knows that in the end he will have to yield to Jesus, yet he still tries to make believers stumble. Those who believe have no strength of their own to overcome the devil, but when they rely on the Holy Spirit, they can stand without giving in and give glory to God. They must not believe everything they see, but must rely on the truth alone.