Who hasn’t finally succumbed to a child’s endless battery of “Why?” questions with a frustrated, “Because I said so!”

Sometimes the only “reason” that is reasonable to a kid is a direct parental order. It is not readily apparent to a child why they must wear their seat belt, or why they must get a flu shot, or why they must rise out of bed and to go to school on dreary, dark, cold winter morning. Every parent knows those are the “right” things to do. Every kid will get the “why” later in life.

All four gospels record Jesus’ baptism at the hands of John. The familial ties and the Baptist’s proclamations firmly establish the link between John and Jesus. But the reason for Jesus’ baptism is never fully explained. Why?

For early Christians the event was especially problematic. It called into…