In order to be accepted into the Christian faith, one must first be baptised. Baptism is seen as the gateway to the Christian life, as it is the first of the seven sacraments for Catholics, and is the one that makes you a Christian in the eyes of God. It is normally the tradition to be baptised as an infant, but the church allows baptism at any age. The sacrament of baptism involves receiving the gift of God's grace, and is a sign of God's saving love for us. Towards the beginning of Mark's gospel, John the Baptist, Jesus' cousin, says to "repent and turn away from your sins and be baptised". Many people before Jesus had been baptised by John in the river Jordan, in preparation for the coming of God's kingdom and the promised Messiah. Jesus did not need to be baptised, as he was free from sin and was pure, so Jesus' baptism was his way of showing his approval of John's work, and setting an example for others. After his baptism in the river, Jesus looked up to the heavens and saw the skies being torn open, and a white dove flew from heaven. Jesus heard a voice proclaim "You are my s...... Word Count: 2137 Page Count: 8.5 (250 words a page / double spaced)