It's Epiphany and Christ has been made manifest to the world. He's been revealed to the Jewish chappies out in the fields and we have celebrated his revelation to three wise geezers what have arrived from afar with their oh so telling gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Now the liturgical calendar moves on to His baptism.
In the lite version of Matthew 3:13-17 as found in the NLT, we find:
"Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. But John tried to talk him out of it. “I am the one who needs to be baptized by you,” he said, “so why are you coming to me?” But Jesus said, “It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires.” So John agreed to baptize him.
After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened* and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”
In the baptism story we find an unusually consistent account between the four Gospels (usually we have an eye-witnesses perspective which results in slightly different views of the same thing).
Now we know that John the Baptist has recognised jesus, he would do though wouldn't he, after all he's family! But he recognises jesus as more than family, i's the same recognition that John had when he 'jumped for joy' in the womb of Elizabeth his mother (Luke 1:44). It's the recognition that the salvation of the world has come into the world, it's the recognition that He's about to begin his salvific mission. The touch-paper was lit when the prophecy was fulfilled in bethlehem . . at last the fireworks are about to be seen!
Jesus has no sin, that's part of the role and all of who He is! Yet here Jesus is, coming to John to be baptised and John recognises that in fact it is he, a man and therefore sinful, who needs to be washed clean by the God incarnate before him!
And yet Jesus tells John that this is the way it has to be, for this is what the Father wants. Here's a first lesson for us in that no matter how we view ourselves or our theology, status or whatever, if Jesus obeys the Father, even when it appears (to our little minds) that there's a better plan, then perhaps this is a model for us too?
And so the Son goes out and does as the Father commands and the heavens open and the Holy Spirit appears - a theophany (literally, an appearance of God) - and the Father commends and launches His new revised model of humanity to the world, Jesus!
We are baptised because Jesus was baptised. This is our signing the paperwork that says we will be obedient to the command of God the Father. We do so in association with Jesus, the Son and have the transaction blessed, affirmed and continuously from that day forward enabled.
In the baptism of Jesus the salvation of the world is made public - more than three foreign chaps, a few shepherds and the innkeepr (I assume he looked outside to see what the attraction was!) - in our baptism we look for the same in us. A proclamation, a beginning and the start of a journey with, for, and through (by the enabling of His Holy Spirit) God!
Alleluia!
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