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The Baptism of the Lord

Baptism of Jesus in the Hortus Deliciarum

The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord is observed by the Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches after Epiphany, while the Eastern Orthodox Commemorates Jesus’ baptism on Epiphany ^1..

It is not the day when Christ was born that should be called Epiphany”, says St. John Chrysostom, “but the day when He was baptized. Not through His birth did he become known to all, but through his Baptism. Before the day of Baptism he was not known to the people ^2..

Such Epiphanies in the N.T (including the transfiguration, and the resurrection appearances) primarily reveal a divine calling which correspond with the O.T commissioning of the Prophets, such as the divine commission of Ezekiel who witnessed the heavens opening, heard the voice of God and received the Spirit (Ezekiel 1:1, 28; 2:1-2) ^3.. In the case of Jesus’ baptism, the baptismal narrative found in Mark reveals Jesus calling to be reminiscent of Ezekiel. The heavens are dramatically “Torn Apart,” the Spirit descends in the form of a dove, and Jesus’ mission as both Messiah (Psalm 2:7) and Suffering Servant (Isaiah 42:1) is sanctioned by the divine voice “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:9-11) ^4.5.. Furthermore what appears in Mark to be a personal revelation to Jesus, becomes in Matthew a revelation to all who were present, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17) ^6..

Despite the likely embellishments in the Synoptic Gospels, the baptism of Jesus by John is accepted by Biblical Historians as a historical event. According to McDonnell, “What gives credence to the historicity of the event of Jesus’ baptism is the realization that the early Christian community would not fabricate an event that would cause so many difficulties and demands explanation.” ^7.. This thorny issue is already apparent in Matthew, where John (whose baptism was one of repentance and hardly applicable to one who was without sin), objects by saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” (Matthew 3:14). Here the Christological mythos supersedes the historical, by transforming the baptismal rite of John into the Baptism of the Christ for the Christian Church. According to the Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible, “Jesus requests baptism apparently not simply in order to identify himself with sinners but primarily ‘to fulfill all righteousness’” (Matthew 3:15):

“To fulfill” can be translated “To bring to completion or perfection.” Jesus’ own baptism is thus an identifying sign about Jesus himself. He is the one who completes the intention of God, who brings to perfection all that God has envisioned since creation. Christian baptism is thus less a negation (in token of renunciation) than an affirmation of being incorporated into Christ, who is the perfection of all God wills, and thus of being granted new life as a gift ^8..

Here baptism is taking on a new meaning. The baptism of Jesus is becoming a mythic image of death and re-creation. Jesus himself uses baptism as a “metaphor for his death,” ^9. when James and John ask to sit on his right and left in his glory (Mark 10:37), and he replies, “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” (Mark 10:38). In Mark there are ever stronger mythic parallels associating Jesus’ baptism with his death. Whereas Matthew and Luke use the Greek word anoigo meaning ‘opening’ describing the parting of the heavens, Mark dramatically uses the word schism, which he uses only once more when describing the tearing of the temple curtain at the moment of Jesus’ death. Burridge further tells us, “Significantly, the tearing of the heavens is followed by a voice from heaven saying that Jesus is ‘my beloved Son’ (1.11); the tearing of the Temple veil leads into the declaration by the centurion, ‘Truly, this man was the Son of God’ (15.39)” ^10..

In Isaiah the prophet calls out to God, “Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you! As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil, come down to make your name known to your enemies and cause the nations to quake before you!” (64:1-2). Roger Van Harn comments, concerning the violent heavenly rending at Jesus’ baptism, “Instead of revealing a thunderclap, a whirlwind, or a devastating lightening strike, the open heavens reveal a dove in descent, resting upon Jesus” ^11.. Here we are touching upon another mythological theme within the threshold of of cosmic destruction and re-creation, as well as other symbolic biblical themes that here find parallels in the Old Testament. Quoting again from Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible,

This motif of bringing to completion all that God intends makes sense of otherwise obscure allusions in the narratives of Jesus’ baptism. The Synoptics (Matt. 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22) mention water and a voice, together with the descent of the Spirit — all reminiscent of God’s spirit hovering over the waters and speaking creation into existence in Gen 1:1-5. Thus Jesus at his baptism is identified as the one who fulfills the old creation by instituting the new creation…. Similarly the figure of the dove further identifies him as the new Noah (Gen. 8:8-12), thus intensifying the motif of the new creation.^12.

Paul, in his letter to the Romans, also connects the mythic symbolism of Jesus’ baptism with the dynamic power of his death and resurrection when he says, “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” ( 6:4), and again in 2 Corinthians where he says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (5:17).

Hugo Rahner also sees the connection in Christian tradition of the death of Jesus with his baptism, saying, “In order to give effect to this mental juxtaposition of cross and baptism in a visual image, it… [was] …customary in art to place the cross in the middle of the Jordan and the same notion is expressed in literary form. One of the ideas here is certainly that which we examined earlier—the idea of the tree of life standing by the source of the rivers of Paradise…..” This can be seen in the depiction of Jesus’ Baptism in the Hortus Deliciarum (see image above), where a cross is seen above Jesus’ head. Rahner also quotes the following Greek hymn read at Epiphany:

Come and see how the shining sun
Is baptized in the waters of a humble river.
A mighty cross appeared over the water of baptism.
The servants of sin descend
And the children of everlasting life ascend.
Come ye, therefore, and receive the light. ^13.

According to Joseph Campbell “The bird is the universal symbol of the spirit and spiritual flight” ^14.. It is interesting that in the case of Jesus’ baptism the flight of the Spirit is descending rather than ascending. In John’s Gospel, John the Baptist not only sees the Spirit in the form of a dove descending upon Jesus, but also “remain on him” (1:32) ^15.. This would seem to fulfull OT prophecy regarding “The Spirit God promises to give […] to the branch of David (Isa. 11:2) to the chosen servant (Isa. 42:1); the prophetic figure of Isa. 61:1 testifies that the Spirit is upon him because Yahweh has anointed him to preach, etc” ^16.. And as Gerald O’Collins remarks, “His baptism with the Holy Spirit signifies the coming of the final age and the fulfillment of God’s promise to pour out the divine spirit” (Isaiah 44:3; Ezekiel 39:29; Joel 2: 28-29) ^17..

On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him
John 7:37-38 NIV

Bibliography

1. 1: 1991, ‘Days of the Lord: The Liturgical Year’, p.294 (Liturgical Press); Fernandez, Francis, 1992, ‘In Conversation with God: Meditations for Each Day of the Year’, p.17 (Scepter Publishers); Adam, Adolf, 1998, ‘The Key to Faith: Meditations on the Liturgical Year’, p.36 (Liturgical Press); & Baggley, John, 2000, ‘Festival Icons for the Christian Year’, p.48 (St Vladimir’s Seminary Press)
2. 2: Lossky, Vladimir & Ouspensky, Léonide, 1982, ‘The Meaning of Icons’, p.164 (St Vladimir’s Seminary Press)
3. 3: Blackburn, Barry, 1991, ‘Theios Aner and the Markan Miracle Traditions’, p.184 (Mohr Siebeck) & Koester, Helmut, 1995, ‘Introduction to the New Testament’, p.64 (Walter de Gruyter)
4. 4: Drane, John William, 2001, ‘Introducing the New Testament’, p.55 (Fortress Press); Wright, N. T, 1992, ‘The New Testament and the People of God’, p.537 (Fortress Press); McDonnell, Kilian, 1996, ‘ Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan: The Trinitarian and Cosmic Order of Salvation ‘, p.18, 19 (Liturgical Press);
5. 5: O’Collins, Gerald, 1999, ‘The Tripersonal God: Understanding and Interpreting the Trinity’, p.39 (Paulist Press)
6. 6: Koester, Helmut, 1995, ‘Introduction to the New Testament’, p.64 (Walter de Gruyter)
7. 7: McDonnell, Kilian, 1996, ‘ Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan: The Trinitarian and Cosmic Order of Salvation ‘, p.18, 19 (Liturgical Press); Wright, N. T, 1992, ‘The New Testament and the People of God’, p.537 (Fortress Press); & Bromiley, Geoffrey William & Pannenberg, Wolfhart, 1991, ‘Systematic Theology’, p.279 (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing)
8. 8: Freedman, David Noel (ed), 2000, ‘Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible’, p.147 (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing)
9. 9: Burridge, Richard A, 2005, ‘Four Gospels, One Jesus?: A Symbolic Reading’, p.39 (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing)
10. 10: O’Collins, Gerald, 1999, ‘The Tripersonal God: Understanding and Interpreting the Trinity’, p.39 (Paulist Press) & Burridge, Richard A, 2005, ‘Four Gospels, One Jesus?: A Symbolic Reading’, p.39 (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing)
11. 11: Harn, Roger Van, 2001, ‘The Lectionary Commentary: Theological Exegesis for Sunday’s Texts’, p.18 (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing)
12. 12: Freedman, David Noel (ed), 2000, ‘Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible’, p.147 (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing)
13. 13: Rahner, Hugo, 1971, ‘Greek Myths and Christian Mystery’, p.80-81 (Biblo & Tannen Publishers)
14. 14: Campbell, Joseph, 2002, ‘The Inner Reaches of Outer Space: Metaphor as Myth and as Religion’, p.75 (New World Library)
15. 15: O’Collins, Gerald, 1999, ‘The Tripersonal God: Understanding and Interpreting the Trinity’, p.39 (Paulist Press)
16. 16: Blackburn, Barry, 1991, ‘Theios Aner and the Markan Miracle Traditions’, p.184 (Mohr Siebeck)
17. 17: O’Collins, Gerald, 1999, ‘The Tripersonal God: Understanding and Interpreting the Trinity’, p.40 (Paulist Press)

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