Epiphany 1 (Baptism of the Lord)

Preparation

    Please begin by reading Matthew 3:13-17 in your Bible. If you do not have one at hand, we have provided that text for you at the end of this reflection.

Reflection--An Encounter at the River Jordan

   John came to prepare the way for the Messiah, and yet (apparently to John’s embarrassment) the Messiah came to John to be baptized.  John’s baptism was a symbol of “repentance,” a point at which the person baptized turns away from their old life toward a new life oriented toward God. Why then would Jesus seek this ritual at the beginning of his public ministry? What’s going on here?

Jesus action in submitting to John’s baptism had strong spiritual links to the past.  Ritual washing as a sign of inner renewal and being set apart for God did not begin with John.  Aaron and his sons were cleansed with water as part of being set aside for the priesthood (Exodus 40:12-15) and bathing was part of the priestly preparation for the day of atonement (Leviticus 16:3-4).  The prophet Isaiah alludes to washing as a symbol of turning away from evil and reorienting life toward the good.  (Isaiah 1:16-17)

Jesus had no need to reorient his life toward God, but he was at a major turning point; the beginning of his public ministry.  In my view, he performed this act as a way of linking his own ministry with a rich faith history as a sign to the people.  He was symbolically announcing that he was beginning a ministry fully prepared to act as our new high priest to intercede with God for us; a ministry totally obedient to God and totally oriented toward bringing in the reign of God. 

The connection with the passage in Isaiah 1 is particularly strong.  Isaiah instructed the people to “wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.”  When Jesus announced the purpose of this ministry in the synagogue at Nazareth (Luke 4:16-21), he quoted from another passage from Isaiah that reflects the same values of God’s reign: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

Jesus chose baptism to announce his call and ministry.  He also left his disciples with instructions that all new Christians were to be baptized as well.  (Matthew 28:19)  Can it be that through those instructions Jesus is telling us that all Christians are called to a ministry with the same goals as his ministry?  I believe that the answer is clearly "yes."  In word and action we are called to bring the good news of God’s favor and to work for the reign of God that brings release to captives, recovery of wholeness, and freedom to the oppressed.

revclay

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Matthew 3:13-17

   Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him.  John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"  But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness."  Then he consented. 

And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.  And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased."

 [NRSV]