Baptism of the Lord

The Baptism of the Lord is one of those historical nuggets NT scholars are always searching for, and it is also theological. It is historical because the early Church, was still in some tension with those who had followed John the Baptist, and those who followed Jesus  would not have made up a story where Jesus is baptized by John.  And it is clear in Scripture that John was the fore runner, who preached and baptized and was already at work in the Jordan valley when Jesus began his mission. 

 The baptism was certainly important to Jesus who surly shared his inner experience with the disciples.  They were so moved by its significance they passed it on through the varied oral traditions eventually finding the baptism event in all four Gospels and even the non-canonical Gospels of Hebrews and Thomas. The Baptism was remember for a reason.

 The Baptism of The Lord is theological because the earliest Church saw in it a Trinitarian event, where the mystery of God’s inner life of mutual self-giving, was made manifest and revealed as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in our time and history.

But let’s start at the beginning. At the Nativity we heard that the poorest of the poor, the shepherds in the fields, were visited by the angel of The Lord who said to the terrorized men

“Do not be afraid, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. A savior has been born for you who is the Christ”

And the world was light up by this revelation and by a multitude of the heavenly host praising God saying

“Glory to God in the highest”

After this outpouring of God’s Glory on earth, the world rested, dreaming its dreams, sleeping in its darkness. The moment God entered the world was forgotten, except in the hearts and the story, told and retold by the shepherds, who were there that day and the wise men who surely carried their experience back to their people in the East. The next thirty years were silent. These were the hidden years of the child born and glorified that night.

This were ordinary years learning what all boys learn from their fathers. In time Joseph taught Jesus the carpenter’s trade. Joseph taught Jesus the prayers of the synagogue and encouraged him to study the Torah.

Jesus learned what real strength was, what gentleness and patience were from Mary his mother.

It is clear that a good family was important to Jesus, as it is for all children. Jesus, growing up in Nazareth, learned the ways of a children's world from friends and extended family. They played children's games and perhaps were even a little naughty.

These were also years that Jesus grew in awareness of God, in his life and in the world around him. We know Jesus from an early age felt at home in the synagogue which he told his mother was his father's house.  We read that he amazed the rabbis by his understanding of Scripture. He was curious and astute.

 This growing awareness of a real shared life with God, would continue until his came to recognize his Sonship and God the Creator, became God the Father – Abba.

 

In time Jesus’ interior life blossomed into complete openness to His Father love and an absolute obedience to the Father's will, and an understanding of what the kingdom of his father would look like.

 We don't know any pre baptism details, but it makes sense Jesus knew John, both as cousin, and as a holy man. Jesus would of heard John preach.  Jesus would of talked to him about the coming the Messiah, about repentance and conversion. This stuff was in the air.  It is also likely that John came to "really" know Jesus. And it would be John himself who would say of Jesus

" Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world."

 So after some thirty good and ordinary years Jesus comes to understand who he is and what he must do.

For Jesus the time is now, and he comes to a decision that changes everything and the dreaming world stirs from its slumber. God is on the move and draws near.

Jesus comes to the Jordan. John tries to stop him because his baptism is only with water as a sign of repentance and Jesus is without sin. John is disturbed,

"I need to be baptized by you and yet you are coming to me" John says.

Jesus with a new power and authority simply looks John in the eyes and says quietly

"allow it . . . . for it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness. "

There is no argument. Jesus tells John to do this as a sign (not of repentance) but of righteousness, and as a sign that inaugurates Jesus’ mission, and brings the Kingdom of God into the world.

From the moment Jesus came up from the water (a first resurrection of sorts) the heavens were open to him. The line of communication between Father & Son, through the Spirit (descending that day like a Dove) was up and running. God self-gift was now made concrete and visible, not as a child, worshiped by shepherds and glorified by the angels, but as Jesus, Lord. If I can be fanciful, the Father smiled that day and in a love that could not be contained revealed to the world

"This is my beloved son with whom I am well pleased"

We know from the first reading what kind of Son Jesus was

"A servant upon whom God's own spirit dwells who brings forth Justice to the nations”

Jesus is salvation, an all-inclusiveness righteousness that saves all of humanity. And the Son came not to be served but to serve and Isaiah tells us how – He will be compassion and mercy, a love that will not "cry out" or "shout". He will heal the bruised reed, he will feed the smoldering wick, he will love, and he will, if we let him, transform us by that love.

The baptism of the Lord is a sign that breaks open the lock on humanity and offers up an invitation (in Jesus himself) to become new, and to know God's love and share his life. Through Jesus, the chosen and beloved Son God, the Father reaches out to us. Isaiah describes this in beautiful and simple words

“I grasped you by the hand and formed you"

God is active, he loves first, He grasps, He forms us as sons and daughters, co-heirs with Jesus, but he does not grasp and form to make us some special elect, some secret society. He grasps us to be like his son - a beloved servant,  doing the Father’s will the best we can doing whatever work that needs to be done to bring about His reign, here and now. To be in our own humble way

"A light for the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, to free prisoners, and to free all those who live in darkness"

To be good and faithful servants walking like Jesus walked.  Doing what he did. In the words of  Peter

“He went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him"

The Baptism of Jesus’ set all of this in motion and the world has never been the same.

We should never undervalue our own baptism. We too live with the Spirit (the gift of our own baptism).  We too grow in faith (the fruit of baptism). We too (in Christ) are beloved sons and daughters of God and can experience more and more what communion with the Father feels like in our lives.

We know the story of what came after Jesus' baptism. Our story is still being written.

But when it is finished let it echo the words of Isaiah

“Would that you might fine us doing right, that we were mindful of you, in all our ways”