It’s time to make a big liturgical leap — from adoring Baby Jesus in the manger to contemplating Jesus, now an adult, being baptized by his cousin John in the Jordan River.
Since Christmas, the Church has led us rapidly through the Nativity, the visit of the Magi at Epiphany, and now the Baptism of the Lord. This quick progression can feel like a spiritual whirlwind, even a little confusing, especially for children who tend to associate baptism with babies. But the Church places these feasts together deliberately, inviting us to see them as part of a single revelation.
Taken together, these three feasts of Nativity, Epiphany and Baptism are all about telling us who Jesus is. It makes sense, actually, to show the world that this little baby, whose birth was foretold by the Old Testament prophets, is who the shepherds, the Magi and St. John the Baptist say he is. He is the long-awaited Messiah.
Can you imagine what it must have been like to have been present at Jesus’ baptism? St. Matthew tells us, “After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, saying, ‘This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased’” (Mt 3:15-17).
Wow. What a scene. The only one who knew for sure that Jesus was the Messiah at this point was St. John the Baptist, so this would have been an earth-shattering moment for those who were present. It’s not every day you hear the voice of God coming from the heavens. And you can bet that word spread pretty quickly, even without Instagram or Facebook. The Jewish people had been waiting for the Messiah for centuries and were keenly aware of the prophecies that were being fulfilled.
This moment of Jesus’ baptism is a culmination of all the prophecies from Advent and the infancy narrative heard at Christmas. First, we are told in Advent to look for the Messiah, to be ready, to repent and stay awake because he is near at hand. Then, with Christmas, he arrives, though, rather shockingly, as a helpless, poor baby born in a dingy manger, but welcomed by choirs of angels and recognized by shepherds and wise men from the East.
When we get to the Baptism, which marks the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, St. John the Baptist is even reluctant to baptize his man-God cousin because he knows who Jesus is. Matthew says John “tried to prevent him,” saying to Jesus, “I need to be baptized by you and yet you are coming to me?” (Mt 3:14). Matthew is really trying to hammer home the point that Jesus is the long-awaited Saviour.
And now, by virtue of Christ’s baptism, we have access to real, life-giving baptism. St. John the Baptist maintained that his baptism was just by water, but now Jesus would offer baptism through water and the Spirit. Jesus wasn’t baptized because he needed to be (obviously he did not) but because we need to be. He showed us that we need baptism in order to access a life of grace through him.
A timely voice on the teaching surrounding Christ’s baptism is that of St. Hilary of Poitiers, whose feast day is Jan. 13, two days after the celebration of the Lord’s Baptism. A fourth-century doctor of the Church who defended Church teaching on Jesus being both completely divine and human, he often referred to baptism as a crucial part of understanding the Trinity, the incarnation of Christ and his mission on this earth — namely the journey from Christmas to Baptism.
“On the one hand, He had no need for washing according to the prophetic testimony; though, on the other hand, He perfected the Mysteries of human salvation by the precedent of His example, sanctifying humanity by His assumption and washing of it,” said St. Hilary. “Moreover, the plan of heavenly mystery is portrayed in Him. After He was baptized, the entrance of Heaven was opened, the Holy Spirit came forth and is visibly recognized in the form of a dove … He is revealed as the Son of God by both sound and sight, as the testimony of his Lord by means of both an image and a voice.” (“Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew”).
So, while Mary and Joseph didn’t bring an infant Jesus dressed in white to the local Catholic Church to be baptized in the way we are used to today, Jesus’ baptism was the baptism that made possible every baptism. That day in the Jordan River solidified everything we’ve been told about the Messiah from Old Testament times. He is, indeed, the Beloved Son of God.
Lazzuri writes from her home in Nova Scotia, where she lives with her husband, three of her six children, and her mom. She can be reached at [email protected].
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