BAPTISM OF OUR LORD - A

And a voice came from the heavens, saying, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."

Mt 3:13-17

We celebrated the feast of the Epiphany last Sunday. The feast recalls the visit of the Magi in which Jesus manifested himself as Savior also of the gentiles, represented by the Magi. Jesus had two other epiphanies or manifestations: his Baptism at the Jordan and the miracle at Cana. At his baptism, the Father presented Jesus to the Jews as his beloved Son. At Cana Jesus manifested his glory, “the glory as of the Father's only Son, full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14). Today we celebrate the manifestation of Jesus at the Jordan.

Matthew seeks to show Jesus as fulfilling the OT. In particular he seeks to present the life of Jesus as a parallel to that of Moses. For example, Pharaoh sought to kill the children of the Hebrews, including Moses, so also King Herod sought to kill Jesus and in doing so killed the Holy Innocents. Now Matthew wishes to show that as Moses led the Hebrews through the Red Sea and in the words of St. Paul were “all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea” (1Cor 10:2), so also now Jesus goes to the John to be baptized by him in the Jordan.

Matthew takes Mark as his basis in his narration of the baptism of Jesus. However, there are important differences:

• Mark has “he saw the heavens opened”. Matthew has “And behold the heavens were opened”.
• Mark has “You are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased”. Matthew has “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

The changes in Matthew make the baptism of Jesus a public event, a manifestation, an epiphany to those who are present.

The conversation between John and Jesus may have served to solve the problem surrounding the baptism of Jesus:

• Did his baptism imply that Jesus was also a sinner and needed repentance?
• Was John superior in rank to Jesus?

This is the first and only time that John and Jesus meet (excluding the visitation of Mary to her cousin, Elizabeth). The Voice crying out in the desert meets his Lord. The one who baptizes with water for repentance meets the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit and fire.

v.14. John tried to prevent him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?"

John objects to Jesus coming to him for baptism for he had asserted previously that “but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals” (Mt 3:11).

v. 15. Jesus said to him in reply, "Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness."

Being a righteous man is often understood as a person who fulfills the Law. It is in this sense that Joseph was called a righteous man. Fulfilling all righteousness may mean fulfilling the Scriptures, that is, the baptism of the Hebrews in Red Sea (crossing of the Red Sea) is repeated in the baptism of Jesus by John in the Jordan.

v. 16. After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the hea-vens were opened (for him), and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove (and) coming upon him.

Matthew may have in mind Gen 1:2 “The Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters”. The meaning then is that as the Spirit of God was there at the creation of the world so also now the Spirit is present in Jesus and then upon his disciples at the beginning of the new creation.

v. 17. And a voice came from the heavens, saying, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."

This has reference to several OT passages:

• Gen 22:2 – Take your son, your only son, Isaac.
• Ps 2:7 – I will tell the decree of the Lord: He said to me, You are my son.
• Is 42:1 – Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him, he will bring forth justice to the nations.

As Abraham brought Isaac to Mt. Moriah to sacrifice him there, so also Jesus will be brought to Mt. Calvary to be sacrificed for the salvation of men.

In this verse, the Father proclaims to the people that Jesus is his Son. It is be-cause of this that the Baptism in the Jordan is truly an epiphany, a manifestation of who Jesus is.