What does first luminous mystery mean--Christ's baptism?

[mspencer]

I always have some trouble when I come to this mystery when I pray the rosary. Since Christ didn’t need to be baptized, I have trouble appreciating what it means. I just thought I would put this out for my own illumination.

 

[Della]

When Jesus was baptized he did it for an example to us–of our joining with him in his death and resurrection. It is important because Jesus instituted baptism as the means of removing the stain of original sin and thus opening to all baptized the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, who works in our lives to bring us to perfection in Christ.

 

[puzzleannie]

Jesus was baptized in order to sanctify the water in which we are baptized. His baptism prefigured his death, by which we are sanctified, just as baptism is the sacrament of our death to sin and rising to new life in Christ.

 

[paramedicgirl]

mspencer:

I always have some trouble when I come to this mystery when I pray the rosary.** Since Christ didn’t need to be baptized,** I have trouble appreciating what it means. I just thought I would put this out for my own illumination.

When I asked this question in the AAA forum, I was given this link by Michelle Arnold newadvent.org/summa/403900.htm