The baptism of the Lord
This Sunday we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan by John the Baptist. Many of us have been to a baptism but none of us remember the time we were baptised unless we were an adult who was baptized at the Easter Vigil or at another time. The beginning of the messianic work of Jesus is marked by the moment of his baptism in the Jordan. We remember that John the Baptist foretold Jesus coming and he is acclaimed on earth by John and Jesus links himself to John by being baptized by him. Jesus is acclaimed from heaven by the voice of the Father and the presence of the Spirit. Most of us rarely, if ever, think about our baptism. Through our baptism we died with Christ and have been reborn into a whole new life (Romans 6). We, the baptized, are made a part of the body of Christ. We are called to imitate Jesus, whom Paul says, “went about doing good.” We don’t need a detailed rule book in order to know how we should act in each situation of our lives, for in baptism, we have the companionship of the Spirit of Jesus who is our wisdom, and help to do good, That same Spirit will enable us to do what is right in every situation we may find ourselves in.
The baptism of Jesus is a moment of special grace in our story of salvation. Not only did the Son of God join us in our human condition but the Father and the Spirit were seen and heard to be present with him by the banks of the Jordan, at the start of the renewal of our human race. The gospel for this Sunday uses the simple phrase that “the heavens were opened,” but it is a powerful statement. Later on, when Jesus completed his life-journey on Calvary, we read how “the veil of the Temple was rent in two.” Now at last we were free to enter the Holy of Holies. This gospel is the beginning of a journey, which, through our own baptism, each of us is asked to travel. It is a journey full of purpose and the purpose is to try and live our lives as people of God enlivened by the Holy Spirit. Sons and daughters of the living god who bring his love into the world and to the people who are ar5oound us where we are.
Fullerton T 