Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’ (Luke 5: 21-22)

The act of baptism seems to have embarrassed the gospel writers. Compare Luke's description above to that of the angel's visit to Elizabeth or Zechariah. The first public act of Jesus' ministry is given rather paltry attention

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, 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 it is proper for us in this way to fulfil all righteousness.’ Then he consented. And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’ (Matthew 3: 13-17)

Matthew gives us enough to visualize the event and is the most explicit in dealing - if vaguely - with the problem. The notion that the Son of God, the Christ, would undergo a "baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins" struck these second-generation Christians as scandalous.

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’ (Mark 1:9-11)

Latter-day orthodoxy teaches that Jesus was "very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father" and that he "was made man." Wholly man and wholly God.

By the time Jesus came to John to be baptized he had lived as a man for at least thirty years. We know almost nothing of those years. But to live a human life is to be separate from God. To be separate from God is to experience sin.

Every human begins his or her journey of faith by acknowledging sin, seeking to narrow what separates us from God, and accepting - joyfully - the offer of forgiveness that will close any gap that persists.

I am not scandalized by Jesus needing to be baptized, rather it increases my hope.