Maybe the oldest testimony to the baptism of
Jesus is that of Peter, which we have heard in the second reading. Speaking in
the house of Cornelius, Peter said: “You know … what has happened all over
Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached, how God
anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power (unxit eum Deus Spiritu Sancto et virtute).” This is the point
of the event we celebrate today: more than the baptism in itself—Jesus did not
need to be baptized—his anointing with the Holy Spirit and power. Jesus is
consecrated by God as the Messiah, thus starting his public ministry.
The anointing is signified by the Holy Spirit
descending like a dove and coming upon Jesus. It is the fulfillment of the
prophecy of Isaiah we have heard in the first reading: “Upon [him] I have put
my spirit.” In the Old Testament, kings and priests were anointed with oil to
perform their respective roles.
That Jesus is the Messiah is expressed by the voice
coming from the heavens: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
In these words we find an echo of two texts of Scripture. The first one is
Psalm 2, the messianic psalm par excellence; it portrays the
installation of the king in Zion; to him God says: “You are my son; today I
have begotten you” (Ps 2:7 RSV). The king of Israel was considered the earthly
representative of God, as if he were his adopted son. In this case, it is not
just an adoption, but the revelation of the eternal divine sonship of Jesus.
At the same time, in the words of the Father we
find a reference to the first oracle of the servant of the Lord, which we have
heard in the first reading: “Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one
with whom I am pleased.” Never had the Jews given a messianic interpretation to
the four oracles of the servant; they rather referred those prophecies to
themselves as a people. Now these two figures, the Messiah and the Servant of
the Lord, are identified in the person of Jesus Christ: Jesus is the Messiah;
but his messiahship has to be interpreted in the light of the oracles of the
suffering Servant of the Lord.
It is interesting to notice that Jesus receives
this heavenly testimony about his messiahship and divinity at the very moment
when he mingles with the crowd of sinners. Jesus goes to John to be baptized as
any other sinner. Matthew is the only evangelist to report John’s reaction to
Jesus’ request. Maybe John did not know yet that Jesus was the Son of God; but
he was certainly aware of his superiority. He said in his preaching: “I am
baptizing you with water … but the one who is coming after me is mightier than
I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy
Spirit and fire” (Mt 3:11). That is why he says to Jesus: “I need to be
baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?” There follows the mysterious
answer of Jesus: “Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all
righteousness.” What did Jesus mean? It is as if he said: “We have—you and me—to
submit ourselves to the plan of God for the salvation of humankind; we have to
fulfill the will of God, who wants all men to be saved.” This plan involves the
identification of Jesus with sinners: he, who is without sin, behaves as if he
were a sinner, to save sinners. He has himself baptized not because he needs to
be cleansed of any sin, but to cleanse us from our sins. When he enters the
Jordan’s waters, he carries the whole humanity with himself. It is not the
waters of the Jordan to sanctify him, but it is he to sanctify them, so that,
through the sacrament of Baptism, they may sanctify us.
What we have said about Jesus goes all the more
so for each of us. If Jesus, who was sinless, was proclaimed Son of God when he
mingled with sinners, even more we, who are sinners, have to acknowledge our
sins, if we want to be recognized as children of God.
Q
