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Today in my parish, as well as churches around the world, we celebrate the Baptism of our Lord. The readings in my parish for today are Isaiah 43:1-7; Romans 6:1-11; and Luke 3:15-22. The Gospel pericope for this week in the historic lectionary is Matthew 3:13-17. The liturgy this week makes use of Psalms 72, 85, 89 & 143.
I'd like to first point to some of the significance surrounding John and his ministry baptizing in the Jordan. We sometimes forget, perhaps, that John baptizing people in the Jordan has specific significance in regards to Israel's history, and not just as a precursor to Christian baptism. First, how many times does someone miraculously part a body of water in the Old Testament? You immediately think of Moses, good. But remember also that the Jordan was parted by Elijah as he crossed over to be taken out of this world entirely, and again it was parted by his successor Elisha as he crossed back over into Israel (2 Kings 2:8-14). And the Jordan River was miraculously held back before the presence of God as Joshua crossed over with the Ark of Covenant (Joshua 3-4) This crossing of the Jordan was the point of entry into the Promised Land, bringing to a fulfillment God's covenant with Abraham long ago. So now we see John standing at the Jordan in Elijah's garb leading people through the Jordan into the Promised Land once again, with a baptism, a washing of repentance. It is repentance that leads to salvation in Zion.
In John's preaching of repentance I'm reminded of Jeremiah 2:
Return, faithless Israel, declares the Lord. I will not look on you in anger, for I am merciful, declares the Lord; I will not be angry forever. Only acknowledge your guilt, that you rebelled against the Lord your God and scattered your favors among foreigners under every green tree, and that you have not obeyed my voice, declares the Lord. Return, O faithless children, declares the Lord; for I am your master; I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.
At this point, we might take note that the waters which God puts to use bring both judgement and salvation. The waters of the flood wipe out sinful mankind, yet carry faithful Noah and his family to safety. The same waters of the Red Sea which part to bring Moses and the Israelites to safety also drown the Egyptian army. There are many very old baptisteries in Europe and elsewhere with dragon mosaics or other art on the floor of a large baptismal font. They would even anoint with oil before the baptism and perform an exorcism, to signify that the catechumen was walking down into the water where the Satan is to be drowned and walking up out of the waters of baptism into new life (Romans 6).
The washing in the Jordan is also remarkable in relation to Naaman the leper (2 Kings 5:14), who at the direction of the prophet Elisha washed in the Jordan and was miraculously cleansed of leprosy. John's baptism wasn't simply a baptism of repentance for repentance's sake, but, as Luke 3 records: "a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins." And yet the forgiveness of sins is a far greater healing than the physical cleansing of Naaman's leprosy.
So why does Jesus Christ, sinless Son of God, seek "a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins" from his cousin John? John recognizes that by all rights he should be seeking baptism from Jesus, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" (Matthew 3) What place does a sinner have baptizing God incarnate? Jesus provides the powerful answer Himself: "to fulfill all righteousness." What righteousness needs fulfiling here? Righteousness for whom? God, and therefore Jesus, has no lack of righteousness, and no need of John's baptism to supplement it. Jesus takes on the baptism of repentance and forgivness not for Himself, but for us men and for our salvation!
St. John Chrysostom writes:
I am come to do away the curse that is appointed for the transgression of the law. I must therefore first fulfill it all, and having delivered you from its condemnation, in this way bring it to an end. It becometh me therefore to fulfill the whole law, by the same rule that it becometh me to do away the curse that is written against you in the law: this being the very purpose of my assuming flesh and coming hither.
St. Hippolytus of Rome writes:
I am the Fulfiller of the law; I seek to leave nothing wanting to its whole fulfillment... Baptize Me, John, in order that no one may despise baptism.
And St. Martin Luther writes:
Christ accepted it from John for the reason that He was entering into our stead, indeed, our person, that is, becoming a sinner for us, taking upon Himself the sins which He had not committed, and wiping them out and drowning them in His holy baptism.
And it is useful to bear in mind St. Pauls words in 2 Corinthians 5:21: "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." In accepting John's baptism, Jesus takes upon himself the Law, though he has no need of it. He takes upon Himself repentance and forgiveness of sins for our sake, in our stead, where He Himself needs none. The righteousness fulfilled in Christ's baptism is the righteousness made manifest for us apart from the Law (Romans 3). It is righteousness from God for those baptized into Christ Jesus, who has prepared the waters of baptism for us, and crossed through the waters of death into life on our behalf.
And immediately following Christ's baptism, He rises from the waters and is anointed. (This is no small part in why the ancient baptismal rites include anointing with oil immediately following the baptism.) The heavens part for the One who came down from heaven, and the Holy Spirit in bodily form of a dove anoints Him, and the Father audibly testifies to His Sonship and favor: "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." Let us not forget too soon that Christ stands in our place in wading through the Jordan. And here Christ stands in our place in the favor of God (Romans 5:1-2) and in the Sonship of God (Galatians 4:4-7; Romans 8:14-17). Here the mystery stands for a moment revealed, and the entire Godhead manifest as working for mankind's salvation - the favor of the Father, union in the incarnation of Christ, and the anointing of the Spirit.
Submitted January 10, 2016 at 02:58AM by Unknown
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