THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD (FEAST)

John tried to prevent him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you.” 

Why would the perfect Son of God have to be baptized? Like John before us, we hesitate as Jesus approaches the waters of the Jordan. After all, Jesus was without sin, so he didn’t need to repent.

The answer is that he did it for us. By receiving John’s baptism of repentance, Jesus was identifying with us in a complete and intimate way. On that day, he embraced God’s perfect plan “to fulfill all righteousness” by taking upon himself all of our sins (Matthew 3:15). It’s as if his first steps out of the Jordan River were steps on the way of the cross—all for us!

As amazing as this is, there is more. Matthew tells us that at Jesus’ baptism, “the heavens were opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove” (Matthew 3:16). Now, with the descent of the Holy Spirit at his baptism, a whole new era was being ushered in. Jesus would fight and defeat the temptations of the evil one in the desert and then launch his mission in the power of the Spirit. He would proclaim the kingdom of God, and signs and wonders would follow. From that moment on, nothing was ever the same.

But it gets even better than this! Through our baptism, a whole era has been ushered in for us as well. Not only have our sins been forgiven, but through the gift of the Holy Spirit, we have been empowered to accomplish the unique mission that God has given to each one of us. This is the same Spirit who works deeply in our hearts to transform us so that we become more and more like our Lord.

On this feast of the Baptism of the Lord, remember how Jesus took on your sinfulness so that you could live. Remember how his baptism launched a mission that culminated in the gift of his Holy Spirit. And take some time to savor the divine life that is now yours through Christ. The kingdom of God is within you, and you will never be the same!

“Lord Jesus, the heavens are open. Pour out your Spirit on me today.”

Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7
Psalm 29:1-4, 9-10
Matthew 3:13-17