January 9, 2022 (Year C)
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit
When one studies evidence for the historical factuality of stories about Jesus as found in the Gospels there are several criteria which are used. For example, one of these is known as the principle of embarrassment. This idea proposes that an author might include a story about Jesus that was actually embarrassing to indicate its truthfulness because the author was more interested in preserving the accuracy of the story than the reputation of Jesus. One such obvious example is the crucifixion of Jesus. Scholars suggest that it is obviously a factual event because having the messiah king die such a shameful death would not have been something which would be included in the Gospels if it were not in fact an historical event.
This criterion of embarrassment is rarely used by itself. Rather it is often enhanced by the criterion of multiple attestation where a particular event or story is not found in only one Gospel but is documented in multiple sources. These are the criteria used to propose that the baptism of Jesus is an historical event. First, it is somewhat embarrassing that the proposed messiah would seek to be baptized by a man beneath his status. And second, it is a story which is found in all four Gospels.
In addition to these criteria of historical attestation we also have the readings from the Old Testament, from the prophet Isaiah, which create a beautifully detailed prediction of the scene of the event. There are two options to choose from for today. The first is from one of the four servant poems found in the book of Isaiah (Is 42:1-4, 6-7). Although the identity of the servant in this and the other servant passages is not clearly defined, it is commonly believed to be a description of the mission of Christ.
Here it is the Lord God who is speaking, portraying Jesus as his chosen one with whom he is well pleased, upon whom he has placed his spirit. He describes the one who is being baptized as having a gentle manner, but yet able to fulfill a hearty mission. “He will not cry out, nor shout, nor make his voice heard in the street. A bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench. He will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow dim until he establishes justice on the earth.” (Isa 42:2-4).
The second Isaiah passage (40:1-5, 9-11) as an optional reading for today describes the promise of salvation that has come to the Israelites previously held in captivity in Babylon. It is synonymous to the salvation that is now being brought by Jesus to the people of Judah as the baptized Son of God. The verses described depict the witness of John the Baptizer to Jesus as a voice in the wilderness who proclaims, “Prepare the way of the Lord!” (Isa. 40:3).
John the Baptist, the herald of good news in this passage, is instructed by God to cry out without fear. He is to describe the good news wrought by God through the actions of the baptized Jesus in the commonly known metaphor of a shepherd leading his flock: “Here comes with power the Lord GOD, who rules by his strong arm; Here is his reward with him, his recompense before him. Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; In his arms he gathers the lambs, carrying them in his bosom, leading the ewes with care.” (Isa. 40:10-11).
Finally, in the Gospel passage from Luke (Lk. 3:15-16, 21-22) we hear the familiar tale of the baptism scene described by the third evangelist. As a fulfillment of a prophecy from the book of Isaiah about a messenger being sent ahead, and a voice crying out in the wilderness, John the Baptist has made himself busy baptizing crowds of people seeking him at the Jordon River to be baptized. The people who are flocking to John consider whether he might be the Christ, but he tells them, “I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Lk. 3:16). John recognizes the superiority of the baptism of Jesus with the reference to the Holy Spirit and fire. These are the components which will legitimize baptism by the Trinity for the disciples at Pentecost, and all subsequent members of the Church. They are the fire being the presence of God, the Holy Spirt which descends on Jesus in bodily form like a dove, and, of course, Jesus identified as the Son of God by the voice from heaven.
We see the proof for these components as the basis for baptism in the early and subsequent Church in the two remaining reading options for today. The first from the book of Acts where Peter enters the house of Cornelius and brings salvation to the Gentiles there through baptism: “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.” (Acts 10:38).
And second from the Letter to Titus: “When the kindness and generous love of God our savior appeared. He saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our savior, so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life.” (Ti. 3:4,5b-7).
As seen in these readings, herein lies the Trinitarian formula of Baptism: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It legitimizes the sacrament for every baptized Christian and remains as a permanent marker of our status as children of God. It begins at the Jordon River and emanates eternally from there.
