He Washed Away Our Miseries With His Baptism

Gospel of the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

I – The Feast of the Manifestation of His Divinity

In the early times of Christianity, until the fourth century, the Church contemplated three manifestations of Our Lord’s divinity on the Solemnity of the Epiphany – today, January 6: the adoration of the Magi, the Baptism in the Jordan and the conversion of water into wine at the Wedding at Cana, His first public miracle. This solemnity was considered the revelation of Jesus to gentility, while Christmas was taken as a feast pertaining more to the Jews. If the Jewish people were awaiting a human Messiah and thus received Him in a manger in Bethlehem, the Gentiles—just as the adoration of the Magi shows us—were expecting a Saviour God. This same divinity revealed to the Kings of the Orient becomes much more marked in the episode of the Baptism of Christ, although He had made Himself known before, by a request of Our Lady, in Cana.

The commemoration of the three events on one and the same occasion was very solemn, and even to this day, the Liturgy conserves some remnants of those grand celebrations. Such is the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, evoked today in the Gospel chosen to conclude the Christmas period. This episode is entirely linked to the Precursor, St. John the Baptist, for he was called to prepare souls for the coming of the Messiah, Who would begin His public life upon receiving Baptism.

II – A Baptism of Penance

Unfortunately, little is known of the childhood of St. John. Therefore, although many authors affirm that he was orphaned since his boyhood days, besides his mysterious departure for the desert (cf. Lk 1: 80), in which he would live during most of the thirty years of Our Lord’s hidden life in the house of Nazareth, this has not been categorically confirmed. The Precursor appeared abruptly on the scene, in an uncommon garb of camel’s hair and a leather belt. He ate locusts and wild honey, which indicated him as a man of penance. Hundreds of years had elapsed without a prophet having appeared in Israel to rally the people. “The prophetic charisma was, in effect, lacking among them”—affirms St. John Chrysostom—“and it returned only then, after centuries. Even his manner of preaching was new and astonishing. […] John spoke only of Heaven, the Kingdom of Heaven and of the chastisements of hell.” ¹ With this unique way of preaching he stirred consciences, standing out in bold relief against the backdrop of apathy and indifference of the Jews before his appearance and displeasing the Sanhedrin, who fomented this condition.

Taken with St. John’s moral authority, the people soon began asking if he might not be the Messiah himself, the awaited One of upright souls. This met with a negative and immediate reply from the Precursor who was a most conscientious restitutor in relation to Our Lord Jesus Christ. St. Augustine comments: “Something great is this John, immense excellence, imposing grace, great loftiness. […] So great was the grandeur of John, that men might have believed him to be the Christ; and thus he demonstrates his humility in saying that he was not, having been taken as such. […] John’s greatest merit is […] this act of humility.” ²

A rite linked to a mission

Desiring to orient souls toward the Saviour, John soon announced the true meaning of his baptism and the incomparably greater gift which the Sacrament to be instituted by Jesus some time after, would bring. In fact, he preached a baptism which, according to St. Thomas, was at the halfway point between that of the Jews and sacramental Baptism. ³ Despite there being no mandate in Sacred Scripture about the baptism of penance, as it would be of short duration, this rite came from God, Who ordered it of John in private revelation (cf. Jn 1:  33); however, as to its effect—the purification of the body, rather than the soul—nothing was effected that could not be done by man, for which it was denominated the baptism of John. ⁴ In fact, it only had one minister, the Precursor.

To administer it, he chose the waters of the Jordan. This selection was made, in the first place because, diplomatically speaking, it was the ideal site. The region of Perea belonged to the circumscription of Herod Antipas and, although the Sanhedrin were obliged to oversee religion throughout the entire country, its distance from Jerusalem hampered the Jewish leaders from taking effective action against him. Notwithstanding, as we shall see, the election of the locale had a much deeper reason, related to the Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Supernatural Baptism with a psychological effect

John preached penance in tandem with his baptism, stimulating virtue. Even so, this baptism, of itself, did not possess the capacity to purify, which is present in the Sacrament of Baptism; ⁵ it did not imprint character, it did not pardon sins nor did it confer grace, for, although inspired by God, it was symbolic and its effect proceeded from man. Consequently, all of those who were baptized by St. John had to be baptized again by the Apostles (cf. Acts 19: 3-6).

Nevertheless, a question arises: what was, then, the necessity of the institution of this baptism? With wisdom and magnificent candour St. Thomas responds with four reasons. In the first, he explains that it was necessary that Jesus be baptized by John in order to establish Baptism; in the second place, in order to make Himself known on the occasion of His Baptism; the third reason, he says, is that the baptism of penance prepared men to receive sacramental Baptism later on. Finally, to stir the people to penance, St. John created a climate that favoured the respectful reception of the Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁶ It was a baptism that acted in the manner of sacramentals, ⁷ for those who entered the river and were submerged in it, mystically felt an interior twofold effect: a supernatural action which prompted them to repentance for their sins, and a psychological preparation of mentality for the future acceptance of Baptism.

We may infer with certainty that, although some Pharisees accepted John’s preaching (cf. Mt 3: 7), the majority were overly confidant in their own justice; that is, they judged themselves sinless and gave little credit to the voice of the prophet, entering the rolls of those who did not let themselves be baptized. Contrary to these, soldiers, publicans and sinners of all kinds believed in St. John (cf. Mt 21: 32). Thus the camps were being divided within Jewish public opinion, as subsequent events would attest.

The mystical knowledge of Jesus reveals John’s vocation

Commentators are almost unanimous in opining that St. John had not yet met up with Our Lord, and conversely, that Our Lord had not yet seen the Precursor with His human eyes. According to St. John Chrysostom, before going to the Jordan the Precursor “met Him just as he was about to baptize Him, and this is because the Father Himself revealed it.” ⁸ Even without having beheld the countenance of the Messiah, John possessed a mystical knowledge regarding Jesus which conferred on him the capacity, for example, of holding his own in discussions with the Pharisees about the Saviour, announcing Him with undeniable authority (cf. Jn 1: 19-27) and revealing his own vocation. Finally, the anticipated encounter between the Messiah and the Precursor would occur at the crowning moment in which Jesus would be baptized and would begin His public mission.

The Jordan, a most appropriate place for the Baptism of Our Lord

Now, as we have seen, St. John had prudently chosen the region of the Jordan to administer his baptism, because of the opposition of the Pharisees to everything that might shake the solid ‘Establishment’ of Jewish society of the time. However, the highly symbolic aspect of the location calls our attention. The Jordan was the river that the Jews had crossed to enter the Promised Land, whose waters, opened by Joshua with the Ark of the Covenant (cf. Jos 3: 14-17), separated the servitude of Egypt from the liberty obtained following the forty years of penance in the desert. Also, the prophet Elijah, before being taken up in a fiery chariot to an unknown locale, had thrown his mantle over the waters of the Jordan to divide them, crossing over dry-shod to the other side, in the company of Elisha (cf. 2 Kgs 2: 8). Upon returning, Elisha crossed the river—Elijah having disappeared and having left him his mantle—once more striking the waters with the prophetic mantle, in the name of the “God of Elijah” (cf. 2 Kgs 2: 13-14). Analogously, according to St. Thomas, “Christ’s Baptism […] is the entrance to the Kingdom of God, which is signified by the land of promise. […] To this also is to be referred the dividing of the water of the Jordan by Elijah who was to be snatched up to Heaven in a fiery chariot […], because, to wit, the approach to Heaven is laid open by the fire of the Holy Ghost, to those who pass through the waters of Baptism.” ⁹ These were the symbolic motives which made John choose these waters for baptizing.

A sanctioning of the mission of John the Baptist

At the same time, Our Lord was baptized with the intention of approving and confirming the baptism of St. John, ratifying all the baptisms he had done up to that moment. In this sense, Jesus’ Baptism has great importance, for it does not denote a merely symbolic act, but rather a liturgical one undertaken by Christ Himself. Since the Precursor’s mission consisted in preparing the paths for the coming of the Messiah, the apex of the prophet’s ministry was attained with the arrival of the Saviour, and soon he would begin to decrease while Christ increased (cf. Jn 3: 30). Poetically, Tertullian says that “in the same way that dawn marks the end of night and the beginning of day, so also John the Baptist is the end of night and the dawn of the evangelic day.” ¹⁰

Why did Our Lord want to be baptized?

Notwithstanding, before such an imposing fact as the Baptism of a God, some questions arise: why did Jesus want to be baptized by John? Did He need to repent of some sin? Such a thought would be blasphemous! In effect, the sublime episode of the Baptism of Christ led St. Bernard to proclaim: “Do the healthy need medicine, or do those that are clean require purification? What has sin to do with Thee, that baptism should be necessary for Thee? Is it for the sin of Thy Father? But Thy Father is God, and who does not know that God cannot have sin? And Thou art equal to Him, God of God and Light of Light. Is it for Thy Mother’s sin? But she is a Virgin conceived without sin, and in Thy birth she preserved her virginal integrity. What blemish, then, can be found in the Lamb without spot?” ¹¹

Jesus undoubtedly wanted to receive Baptism out of humility, lowering Himself to be baptized by John, who, witnessing this attitude proclaimed (Mt 3: 14): “I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me!” This affirmation helps us to understand what an immense privilege it was for the Precursor to have baptized Our Lord. The Angelic Doctor goes on to enumerate the various reasons that indicate the utter suitability of this mysterious Baptism. ¹²

Our Lord’s presence sanctified the entire universe

One of the most beautiful reasons was our Saviour’s desire to confer on waters, with the contact with His adorable flesh—which is divine, albeit human—the capacity of purifying, which is the quality of Baptism. Upon bestowing the waters of the Jordan with “the fragrance of His divinity” ¹³ the Redeemer sanctified all the waters of the universe, with sights on those who would thereafter receive the regenerating bath. In fact, everything Our Lord Jesus Christ touched was touched by God Himself.

Now, if Jesus sanctified the waters of the entire universe by entering the Jordan River, we have foundation to affirm that in treading the soil with His sacred feet and dampening it with His Most Precious Blood on Calvary, He sanctified the whole earth; in the same way, in breathing and being elevated on the sacred wood, He sanctified the air. ¹⁴ Finally, descending to Purgatory, ¹⁵ He also sanctified fire. We may ascertain, then, that the four elements of the created universe were sanctified by their simple contact with Him. We should, then, always maintain the clear notion that the presence of the true God and true Man, in this world, changed the face of the earth.

Jesus washed our sins in those waters

Christ did not need to be baptized, for it was He Who, inspiring St. John, had instituted this rite, but rather that “Baptism needed the power of Jesus.” ¹⁶ From all eternity the Word knew perfectly, in His own divine Essence, each one of us, with our sins, miseries and insufficiencies. Being God, He could have cleansed the earth by a simple act of His will; nonetheless, He, the Innocent, free from all blemish, chose to assume a flesh “similar to that of sin” (Rom 8: 3). He willed to be baptized, then, not “to be purified, but to purify,” ¹⁷ completely submerging the old Adam with Himself, in the baptismal water. ¹⁸ We should consider that if an infinite humanity existed, with infinite sins, He would have taken them upon Himself, washing them at that moment in the waters of the Jordan.

The divine attitude of the Saviour should inspire profound confidence in us, for, although we are guilty of blame, “much more have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many” (Rom 5: 15). Indeed, as the Head of the Mystical Body, from Him proceed and are distributed the graces for all members.

Finally, with His Baptism, He willed to open a path for us and encourage us to understand the importance of this Sacrament. ¹⁹

The capital importance of the prayer in the Jordan

In view of such marvels, we could make conjectures on the beautiful prayer that Jesus undoubtedly made at the grand moment of His submersion into the waters of the Jordan. But this we will only know on the day of our entrance into eternity, in the vision of God face to face. For now, we may only savour the immediate effects produced by it.

A superficial analysis of this brief Gospel phrase might lead us to assume that, in the magnificent episode of this Baptism, Heaven opened for the Holy Spirit to descend; however this was unnecessary. ²⁰ In fact, the most important meaning of these words refers to a superior reality. Through the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the doors of Heaven, which had been closed since the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Earthly Paradise because of sin, were opened to humanity. But since this applies to each person individually in the sacramental Baptism instituted by Our Lord, this reference to the opening of Heaven at the moment in which Christ was submerged by St. John in the waters of the Jordan was more fitting. ²¹

In this way are shown the elements that are included in the efficacy of this Sacrament. Just as the heavens opened at that moment, it would be celestial virtue, explains St. Thomas, that would sanctify Baptism, make us capable, by faith, to see heavenly things and even more, as was said above, to open to us the gates of Heaven. Finally, for us to understand that it is only possible to cross these thresholds by the power and strength of prayer, everything happened while He prayed, according to what is indicated in the verse. ²²

The first manifestation of the Blessed Trinity

From all eternity God conceived the dove, intending it, at a certain moment, to serve as a representation of the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity. St. Cyprian states that it is a peculiar bird for it is always serene; it never uses its beak to hurt anyone; it is domestic, to such a point that, when it hatches its chicks it stays with its brood, in the same place. ²³ Moreover, it is not excitable, but meekly allows itself to be dominated by man. St. Thomas declares that the Holy Spirit chose to appear in the form of a dove after the Baptism of Our Lord, among other reasons, to signify that we should approach Baptism with simplicity and without guile. ²⁴

The figure of the dove was seemly, therefore, in having us understand that, having been baptized and transformed into temples of the Holy Spirit, we have the utter necessity of conserving the temple of our soul with the simplicity and candour of the dove, that is, in innocence.

This is a magnificent scene, which makes the mystery of the Most Blessed Trinity public and manifest for the first time in history. The Father, making His voice heard, and the Holy Spirit, becoming visible in the form of a dove, give testimony to the divinity of Christ. In effect, “the Father is invisible, but the Son is equally invisible in His divinity, since ‘no one has seen God’ (Jn 1: 18); for the Son also being God, as God, one cannot see the Son in Him. However, He willed to show Himself in a body; and as the Father has no body, He wished to prove that He is present in the Son, by saying: ‘Thou art My beloved Son; with Thee I am well pleased.’ […] The power of a divinity without difference causes no diversity between the Father and the Son, but indicates that the Father and the Son participate in one and the same power. We believe in the Father, Whose voice the elements allowed to be heard; we believe in the Father, at Whose voice the elements loaned their ministry.” ²⁵

III – Let us be Grateful to God!

“Baptism is the radiance of souls, transformation of life, […] it is aid to our weakness. […] Baptism is the carriage to God, journeying with Christ, the bulwark of the Faith, perfection of the mind, key to the Kingdom of Heaven, change of life, destruction of slavery and freedom from shackles,” ²⁶ teaches St. Gregory of Nazianzus. The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord should inundate us with hope and holy joy by making known to us the regenerating strength of pardon and divine mercy, in which we should trust in all of life’s circumstances. Whatever our situation may be, if we have faith and conscientiously fulfil the holy Commandments, a solution will never be lacking, since “for God nothing is impossible! (Lk 1:  37)” How grateful we should be to Our Lord for all that He has done for us.

Jesus initiated His public life with Baptism and with this celebration, the Liturgy marks the beginning of Ordinary Time, which encompasses the whole mission of the Divine Master, tracing out His preaching and manifestations throughout the varied liturgical readings of the year. Having contemplated the marvels contained in this Gospel passage, let us ask Our Lord for abundant graces, so that at the end of our earthly pilgrimage we may enter the gates of Heaven that He opened to us on this magnificent day. ◊

 

Notes

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¹ ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM. Homilia X, n.5. In: Obras, vol. I: Homilías sobre el Evangelio de San Mateo (1-45). (Ed.2). Madrid: BAC, 2007, p.191.

² ST. AUGUSTINE. In Ioannis Evangelium, Tractatus II, n.5; Tractatus IV, n.3; n.6. In: Obras, vol. XIII. (Ed.2). Madrid: BAC, 1968, p.94; 128; 132.

³ Cf. ST. THOMAS AQUINAS. Summa Theologiae, III, q.38, a.1, ad 1.

⁴ Idem, a.2.

⁵ Idem, a.3.

⁶ Cf. Idem, a.1.

⁷ Cf. Idem, ad 1.

⁸ ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM. Homilia XVII, n.3. In: Homilías sobre el Evangelio de San Juan, vol. I: 1-29. (Ed.2). Madrid: Ciudad Nueva, 1991, p.220.

⁹ ST. THOMAS AQUINAS, op. cit., q.39, a.4.

¹⁰ TERTULIAN. Adversus Marcionem, L.IV, c.33, apud BARBIER, SJ, Jean-André (Org.). I Tesori di Cornelio a Lapide, vol. II. (Ed.4). Torino: Società Internazionale, 1948, p.160.

¹¹ ST. BERNARD. Sermones de Tempore: In Epiphania Domini, Sermo I, n.6. In: Obras Completas, vol. I. Madrid: BAC, 1953, p.314.

¹² Cf. ST. THOMAS AQUINAS, op. cit., q.39, a.1.

¹³ ST. CYRIL OF JERUSALEM. Catechesis Mystagogica III, n.1: MG 33, 1087.

¹⁴ Cf. ST. THOMAS AQUINAS, op. cit., q.46, a.4.

¹⁵ Cf. Idem, q.52, a.2.

¹⁶ ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM. Homilia XVII, n.2. In: Homilías sobre el Evangelio de San Juan (1-29), op. cit., p.218.

¹⁷ ST. THOMAS AQUINAS, op. cit., q.39, a.1, ad 1.

¹⁸ Cf. ST. GREGORY OF NAZIANZUS, Homilia XXXIX, n.17. In: Homilías sobre la Natividad. (Ed.2). Madrid: Ciudad Nueva, 1992, p.86.

¹⁹ Cf. ST. THOMAS AQUINAS, op. cit., q.39, a.1.

²⁰ Cf. Idem, a.5, ad 2.

²¹ Cf. Idem, a.5.

²² Cf. Idem, ibidem.

²³ Cf. ST. CYPRIAN. De unitate Ecclesiae, n.9. In: Obras. Madrid: BAC, 1964, p.151.

²⁴ Cf. ST. THOMAS AQUINAS, op. cit., q.39, a.6, ad 4.

²⁵ ST. AMBROSE. Expositio Evangelii secundum Lucam, L.II, n.94-95. In: Obras, vol. I. Madrid: BAC, 1966, p.144-145.

²⁶ ST. GREGORY OF NAZIANZUS, Homily XL, n.3. In: Homilías sobre la Natividad, op. cit., p.96-97.