BAPTISM OF THE LORD
Readings: Is 42:1-4,6-7
Acts 10:34-38
Lk
3:15-16,21-22
Theme: Baptism: Actualizing
the Promise
Baptism is called the gate of the sacraments or the entranceway to the church itself. All the promises of salvation converging from various biblical sources become real in baptism. The baptism of Jesus is found in three gospels, each with a different shade of meaning. But more than the baptism of Jesus is recounted; the baptismal theophany points to our own baptism as well. The Father acknowledges Jesus as Son and favored one, upon whom God’s Spirit rests. In this recognition, there are echoes of the first servant song, our first reading today. In the reading from Acts, there is emphasis on the access to salvation now open to all people.
This is the first of the four servants of the Lord songs in Second Isaiah (49:1-7; 50:4-11; 52:13-53:12). Here the servant is introduced by Yahweh as one defended, chosen, and favored. My spirit (Heb: ruah) (v1b): The word means wind, breath, or spirit. The image is that of a force or power from God enabling the person to act in a manner beyond capability (Jgs 3:10; 13:25). It was seen as an endowment of the messianic king (Is 11:1). The mission of the servant is to uphold effectively the will of Yahweh in legal decisions (“bring forth justice,” vv1, 4 and “law”, v4) not on a narrow juridical basis but as the champion of moral uprightness. This instruction in Yahweh’s Torah extends to the nations. Both the audience (the nations) and the teacher (a prophet) offer a new dimension to Israelite thought.
The servant’s manner is one of calm and reserve (v2) as well as a gentleness of spirit (v3). What is damaged he will not destroy but rebuild. The final verses (vv5ff) envision Israel as the servant. It is a people taken as God’s own (Deut 32; 10f), fashioned according to the Lord’s design (Jer 18:1-10), with a universal mission. Just as Yahweh covenanted himself with Israel, so Israel, in its enlightening teaching, becomes a symbolic pact of Yahweh’s intent to save the nations (v6). The light, which Israel sheds, is to offset the darkness of Gentile ignorance, symbolized by the blind and the imprisoned (v7).
Much debate still centers around the identity of the servant. That he is at times identified with Israel is certain; in fact at one point he is called “Israel” (49:3). At the same time the strongly individualized characteristics of the servant are hard to reconcile with a generic identification. The servant is best seen as an individual who represents the collective Israel, the saved remnant. This collective individual remains unnamed in the Hebrew Scriptures. The New Testament authors see in Jesus the fulfillment of the servant prophecies.
In this hymn a heavy thunderstorm takes on cosmic dimensions in suggesting Yahweh’s triumph over the powers of chaos (Gen 1:1). Mythological overtones connected with a Canaanite deity’s similar victory may point to the original source of the psalm.
Heavenly beings (sons of El) (v1): originally deities in a pagan pantheon; in Israelite thought, they are reduced to angelic assistants at the heavenly throne. They are here exhorted to praise and acknowledge Yahweh’s name. The voice of the Lord (v3): The expression appears seven times in the psalm as seven peals of thunder. In mythology thunder was seen as an expression of God’s might or anger. Yahweh presides above the water, which rests on the firmament (sky). The water is subject to his direction. The hymn goes between the earthly and heavenly liturgy in calling for acclamation within the temple (v9) as well as in the heavens (v1; Is 6:1ff).
As of Peter’s discourse in Cornelius’ home, this Lukan passage is primarily directed to the Christian community as a whole (“you know,” v16). The main point being made is the access of all people to salvation in Christ (“no partiality,” v34). The right of admission of gentile Christians is emphatically asserted (v35).
The content of the word (v36) is summarized in what follows. The man Jesus, who announced the era of peace and reconciliation to the Israelites (Lk 2:14; 10:5; 19:38; 24:36), is the one now constituted Lord at his resurrection (2:36) and given a universal sovereignty (“Lord of all”).
Luke then traces the historical period on which the apostolic testimony is based. It begins with the Galilean ministry of Jesus, following upon the baptism of John (v37; 1:21ff). It is important to note that the witness begins where mark’s gospel begins, with Jesus’ baptism, not with his infancy or early years. God anointed Jesus (v38): This refers to the baptism of Jesus in an application of the Isaian text, which speaks jointly of the Spirit’s descent and an anointing (Is 61:1), a theme taken up by the Lukan Jesus in referring to the theophany of his baptism (Luke 4:18). Jesus’ ministry was then Spirit-empowered, with the work of healing receiving special mention (v38; Lk 4:14).
Here only the Lukan differences will be noted; for common features, the reader is referred to the Matthean account (Year A). Luke also redimensions the narrative and reduces in importance the baptism itself. He places his main emphasis on the theophany.
The people (v15a), all (v15b), and all the people (v31) are expressions of Luke’s universalism, a central feature of his gospel. As in Mark, in answer to inquiries about his role the Lukan John subordinates himself and his baptism to the person and ministry of Jesus. Holy Spirit and fire (v16): The Spirit conferred upon Jesus (v22) becomes the transforming agent for the apostles (Acts 2:4) and the regenerating force for the baptism, which they administer (Acts 2:38). Fire as a symbol of divine power accompanies the Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2:3).
It should be noted that John is totally removed from the scene prior to Jesus’ baptism in the third gospel (3:19f). This not only separates John from the new era of fulfillment in Jesus but also eliminates any indication of his presence at Jesus baptism. Again as mentioned in the other synoptic accounts, this is evidently due to the early church’s difficulty with the baptismal scene as well as any competitive claims from John’s advocates. The baptism is treated in a dependent clause (Greek genitive absolute) and attention is drawn to the vision. Jesus is at prayer, a distinctive Lukan note, which characterizes Jesus’ posture at every important moment of his ministry (v21; 6:12; 9:18; 9:28f; 23:46).
The eschatology of the scene is seen in the heavens opened (Is 63:19). In Luke, as in Mark, the disclosure is made to Jesus only. There is no doubt, however, that Luke sees an important baptismal catechesis in this account of Jesus, the Messiah-servant, missioned for the world’s salvation by the Father.
There
are good reasons, of course, why infant baptism has become a part of Catholic
life. That is the way that most of us were introduced to Christianity. Yet
there is no denying that adult baptism has much to commend it. Anyone who has
worked with adults entering the church is aware of that.
The New Testament catechesis on baptism is addressed to
people who understand or understood the step to be taken. Baptism brings
together the promises of God from the distant past and the redemption brought
about by Christ and actualizes them in the life of the person accepting the
faith. It is the key and central sacrament, the door to the future, the
transition from death to life. Unfortunately, it is all too often little more
than a cultural reality, something that every child is born into, a “must” in
one’s life regardless of what the future holds. In other words, it is simply a
given.
Even with the difficulties it presented, the primitive
church placed in sharp relief the account of Christ’s baptism-and not solely
because it linked Jesus and John. It also taught Christians what baptism should
mean for them. They were bought at a great price by the messiah-servant who
identified with them in their sinful state. Each evangelist paints the picture
with his particular hues. Matthew presents a Jesus who is eager to conform to
God’s saving will. In his brevity, Mark mainly contrasts the two baptisms,
pointing to the Spirit as the great vivifier. Luke has Jesus at prayer before
his great epiphany of God’s love. In all three the triune God is at work.
How fitting it is to finish the Christmas season with the
feast that makes the whole season actual in our life. What would the life of
Christ mean if it were simply a drama, inaccessible to all of us. Baptism is
the most graced moment of our lives. The Easter vigil each year brings new
Christians to the living waters. Joy is so evident in their faces. We all
rejoice. The same is true when a baptism is celebrated within the Sunday
liturgy. It preaches a homily by itself. We need these moments to stop and
reflect. Yes, baptism us where the whole of faith comes together.
Homiletic and Catechetical
Helps