Baptism of the Lord among Western Christians

One of the most important church holidays is Baptism of the Lord — Western Christians celebrate on the first Sunday after Epiphany, which is celebrated annually on January 6. This great event was celebrated even in apostolic times. It marks the Baptism of Jesus Christ in the waters of the Jordan River and is the final in the Christmas cycle of religious holidays.

At the age of 30, Jesus Christ received the sacrament of baptism from his predecessor John the Baptist. When he came ashore, the voice of the Most High Father came from heaven, announcing that Jesus was His Son. The Holy Spirit descended on his shoulder as a white bird.

This very sacrament became a testimony of the incarnation of the triune God and the mission of Jesus Christ on earth. Taking the rite Baptism, the believer becomes involved in the life of the Savior, who accepted a martyr’s death on the cross for the sins of all mankind. Therefore, the Jordan holiday symbolizes the sacrament of cleansing the soul of a Christian from all sins, which gives it eternal life in Heaven.