Today as we begin Ordinary Time in the liturgical year of the Church, we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. This is a story which is found in all four gospels and thus believed by biblical scholars to be an event which can be traced to the historical life of Jesus.
In this passage (Matthew 3:13-17) we encounter John the Baptist preaching a baptism of repentance near the Jordon River and Jesus approaching John to be baptized. One might ask: “Why would Jesus, Son of God and free from sin, seek to be baptized by John the Baptist? The author of Matthew uniquely ponders this question by having John voice his hesitation to baptize Jesus.
John says: “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?”
Jesus says in reply: “Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”
But what is the meaning of this elusive response, to fulfill all righteousness? We might get a hint if we look back to the First Reading from Isaiah (42:1-4,6-7). These verses are taken from one of the four passages of Isaiah which have come to be known as the Servant Songs (Isaiah 42:1–4; Isaiah 49:1–6; Isaiah 50:4–7; and Isaiah 52:13–53:12).
The identity of the “servant” in these passages is one which has been debated among the experts for years. At times the servant seems to be the nation of Israel as a whole, while some references describe the servant as an individual, leading to various theories as to his identity. Some of these include the prophets Isaiah or Jeremiah or another unknown person.
The servant is said to bring reconciliation and healing to the world through the nation of Israel and, in the process, to undergo a great deal of personal sacrifice and suffering. For this reason, the evangelists have used various references to these passages to describe the ministry and life of Jesus who thus becomes for Christians the “Suffering Servant of Isaiah.”
Matthew, in particular, borrows the servant language of Isaiah to describe Jesus. He is chosen by God and gifted with the Spirit to bring justice to the nations as the dove descends upon him at his baptism. Later in the gospel, Matthew will directly quote Isaiah to designate Jesus as the servant: “He will not contend or cry out, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory” (Matthew 12:19-20).
In another instance when the disciples of John the Baptist are sent to inquire about the identity of Jesus as the messiah, Matthew again references the servant of Isaiah with the response of Jesus as the one who opens the eyes of the blind and frees the sick from the imprisonment of their infirmities (Matthew 11:4-6).
According to Matthew, then, the reason for Jesus to be baptized is to fulfill the righteousness of this servant of Isaiah promised to the nation of Israel and, through the Jewish race, the rest of the world. In his righteousness, Jesus falls directly in line with the will of the Father and his repentance is a reorientation of his very self to the good of others.
His life is one of selflessness, self-sacrifice and compassion for those who come to believe in him. He is the “Beloved, Son of God” who initiates his mission at his baptism and completes the plan of salvation by being a light for the nations and all who live in darkness through his crucifixion and resurrection.
