Chapter
Jesus' Baptism
Various events in Jesus' life
which he participated in act as a part of Jesus' testimony of the Doctrine
of the Father as taught by the life of Jesus. One such event is that of our
Lord's baptism at the hand of John the Baptist, Jesus' cousin by a maternal
marriage relationship. The event was recorded by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and
John in all four of the four gospels. The first three of the gospels,
Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11 and Luke 3:21-22 are a narrative of the event
which testifies of the three members of the Godhead. Jesus has just been
baptized by John in the water of Jordon coming 'straightway out of the water'
as baptism or baptized in the Greek means by immersion in water. And while
Jesus is standing in the water below the the Holy Ghost descends down from
heaven 'like a dove', whose light not only rested upon Jesus but by the
personal testimony of John the Baptist as recorded by John 1:32-34, from
thence on that Spirit did abode upon him, meaning that it did literally
become his constant companion thoughout the duration of Jesus' ministry. And
then the record states that a voice spoke from heaven, even the voice of God
the Father, which stated, "This/Thou is/art my beloved Son, in whom/thee I am
well pleased."
This would not be the only such witness of the voice of God the Father baring verbal witness of His Son, the Son of God. At the time of the 'Transfiguration', which will be spoken of in another chapter, the Father also bore such a witness of the Son, that he was the Son of God. Also at the time that Jesus did visit the Nephites at the temple in Bountiful of the Americas, God the Father also then declred his Son unto the people that he was the Son of God (3 Nephi 11:7). And the was was true with the First Vision of God the Father and Jesus Christ to Joseph Smith, the Father did introduce and declare that standing at his right hand in the vision was none other than His Son, His Beloved Son (Joseph Smith History 1:17).
John the Baptist's own personal testimony is worth placing in this text for it does clearly state the Jesus was the Son of God. And John having witnessed all that they other three gospels state, is that forerunner prophet who could, would and did so state the relationship betwen the Father and the Son so clearly. "And John bare record, saying,