The Baptism of the Lord

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, and the official end to the Church’s observance of the Christmas season. Three of the four Gospels recall the Baptism of the Lord, each in its own way. The version we heard today, from the Gospel of Matthew, is unique in recalling that when Jesus came to the Jordan River, John the Baptist at first tried to “prevent him” from receiving baptism, saying that he was the one who needed to be baptized by Jesus. But Jesus replies, “Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”

Some people question why Jesus approached John for baptism. If baptism was for the remission of sin, and Jesus was without sin, why would He need to be baptized? It is simply because through his baptism, Jesus reveals to us both his humanity and his divinity. Although sinless himself, Jesus is not afraid to be identified with sinners, whether it is in joining others in the baptism of John, or later in his ministry by dining with tax collectors and prostitutes, much to the dismay of the scribes and Pharisees.

The baptism of Jesus is not just about assuring us of the genuineness of his humanity, but also points to his divinity as well. Immediately upon Jesus’ coming up from the water, the Spirit descended upon him like a dove. The dove is a symbol of love in the Old Testament, and represents here the love between the Father and the Son, as well as their love for us. And then a voice came from the heavens saying: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” In this way, the Father is identifying Jesus as the servant spoken of in the First Reading from the prophet Isaiah - not only servant, but Son of God. Jesus would be the one who would bring redemption and justice to the entire world. It is an identification that would be repeated upon his death. When Jesus died upon the Cross, having surrendered his spirit to the Father, and the soldier pierced his side with a lance allowing blood and water to flow for the forgiveness of our sins. The earth trembled and the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, and the Roman centurion declared, “Truly, this man was the Son of God.” (Matthew 27:54)

What could have been a private pronouncement from the Father to Jesus becomes instead a public revelation for all those who have gathered to repent of their sins and receive the waters of baptism from John. We celebrate the Baptism of the Lord to remember how the Father publicly acknowledges Jesus before the world, and also to remind ourselves of how we, too, may be God’s “beloved” if we hear His word and respond faithfully to the responsibilities of our own baptism.