Written criticism – How did Christ come to John to be baptised by him, which indicates the confession of sins as mentioned in the book?
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explained why Christ came to be baptized by John the Baptist, emphasizing that this does not mean Christ had sin or needed repentance, for He was sinless.
Christ came to baptism not for Himself, but as a representative of humanity, which needed cleansing and repentance.
The Gospel says that people came to John “confessing their sins,” but Christ did not confess any, for He was without fault. John even said to Him, “I need to be baptized by You, and You come to me?”—a testimony to Christ’s perfect holiness.
Pope Shenouda noted that Christ often acted on behalf of humanity:
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In fasting, He fasted forty days to show mankind’s victory over the sin of gluttony that began with Adam, teaching that “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
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In baptism, He entered the waters to fulfill all righteousness, sanctifying baptism for all people and setting the example of the righteous Man.
Thus, Christ’s baptism was not for the forgiveness of sins, but a redemptive act, showing that He united Himself with humanity to make it holy and justified before God.
