Feast of the Baptism of the Lord Reflection by Father Augustina Foka Kifon

Stained-glass depiction of St. John the Baptist baptizing Jesus.

Dear friends in Christ, Beloved people of God. We continue to journey in the Christmas season as people who celebrated the birth of their King and Messiah and who are called upon to share joy of this saving birth to the ends of the world. Today we celebrate the third Sunday after Christmas, and this Sunday marks the baptism of the Lord in the River Jordan by John the Baptist. John’s mission, as we can recall, consisted of preparing the Israelites to receive the Savior in their midst. John did this preparation by calling the people to repentance and conversion. As they were being baptized, they confessed their sins. John preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. His was a baptism designated for sinners, simply put.

As a matter of fact, sinners flocked to receive the baptism of John. John is surprised that he finds someone who is not a sinner in the line, coming to receive baptism from him. John was never surprised to see the Scribes and the Pharisees as well as the tax collectors; whom he called ‘brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the impending danger?’ But to see Jesus in the line whom he had known and spoken of as the Messiah of the world was surprising enough. As a logical consequence, John hesitated and argued against doing such a thing. John did not see Jesus as qualifying for baptism; he did not fulfill the requirements. The baptism was meant for sinners who were repenting. How could the righteous one, the sinless one desire to have such a baptism?

When Jesus has been baptized and as he came out of the water, behold, the heavens opened, the Spirit of the Lord descended on him and a voice was heard saying, “this is my beloved, my favor rests on him.” These or similar words will be repeated at the Transfiguration. If the voice that was heard was referring to Jesus as the son, then obviously it was the voice of the Father. The three persons of the Holy Trinity are present at the scene of Jesus’s baptism: hence the Trinitarian formula of baptism henceforth.

Of what significance was John's baptism of Jesus?

  • Jesus was baptized so that righteousness should be fulfilled, that the Scriptures may be fulfilled.
     
  • The Baptism of Jesus brought about the visible signs of the Messiah. The Hebrew Scripture taught that the person on whom they will see the Holy Spirit descend will be the Savior of the world.
     
  • In a way, the baptism of Jesus could be said to mark the completion of John’s mission as far as the Savior was concerned.
     
  • John’s baptism prepared the people to another form of future baptism, the baptism of Jesus or baptism in the Spirit.

Do you have a child or a grandchild who has not yet been baptized? And what are you waiting for? Contact the parish office and ask for your child to be baptized. Even though baptism does not guarantee immediate and direct entry into heaven, the Scripture says, “unless you are born again of water and the Holy Spirit, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven” (Jn 3:5).

End of the Christmas Season

The celebration of the baptism of the Lord also marks the end of the Christmas season. From Monday, January 12, we will begin Ordinary Time during which no event in the life and ministry of Jesus is celebrated. We continue to honor his glorious resurrection every Sunday of Ordinary Time, until Ash Wednesday. The color of the liturgical vestments will change from white to green. All the Christmas decorations in our churches, Rectories and Homes will be taken down on Monday, January 12.

Father Augustine Foka Kifon is administrator of Our Lady of the Eucharist Parish in Lincoln