Posted on 01/12/2013 2:03:54 PM PST by NYer
In this icon of the Baptism, Christ receives baptism at the hands of John the Baptist, the last of the prophets of the old Covenant. Here, the Old and New Covenants meet in the water of the Jordan- the old baptism for repentance of sins, and the lasting baptismal rebirth of water and the spirit, as brought by Jesus in the New Covenant (Lk 3:16). For this reason, the bottom of this icon depicts symbols of the initiation Sacraments of the Christian Church- Baptism, Chrismation and the Eucharist. On either side are representations of confirmation of the Holy Spirit in purifying water: the Spirit of God hovering over the waters in creation (Ge 1:2), and the traditional "Blessing of the Waters" with the Cross in the Epiphany liturgy. In this icon of the Baptism, Christ is stripped of His eternal robe of glory and naked, is robed in the waters of the Jordan which itself shines forth with the beams of His glory and light. Here, He is clothed in our humanity, that we, in our baptism, might be clothed in His eternity. The symbol of the sun and the moon represent the cosmic light that Christ brings on his Feast of Epiphany.
From this amatuer theology-dabbler’s point of view, the depiction of the baptism was not primarily intended as literal history but instead as a depiction of the defining moment in a person’s turn toward God.
Jesus and His family were traditional practicing Jews. The babtism was one of many new traditions given to us by Jesus, it is an adaptation of the Jewish Micvah. Catholics and Jews have a lot of beautiful traditions and ceremonies, that some just don’t seem to understand. Despite the fact that Jesus clearly respected Jewish traditions, without really “having to”, some people feel entitled to disrespect ancient customs and traditions or simply discard them as unnessecary. I think they are beautiful.
Don’t discount that it was also a cultural norm of the time. Ritual baths (the mikveh), washing of the feet, etc, were traditions. The Temple had fountains where you would wash your hands and feet and the priests walked through a pool of water before entering the temple.
There were jars of water for purification of the guests at the wedding at Cana, also. Jesus had these jars filled with water and then turned them into wine.
That's a given. The deeper question remains ... since Jesus is the Son of God, what purpose was served by practicing these rituals.
Glad you defined yourself as amateur. Theologians have thought this through for 2000 years; that makes you a newbie on the scene. You realize, of course, that by stepping into the Jordan River, Jesus consecrated all the waters.
“Thou didst walk through the sea with thine horses, [through] the heap of great waters.”
Awesome images in this Sunday’s Gospel reading. Our glorious Lord showing us the way in yet another area.
Christ's baptism was an act of humility and submission not only to God but to man. As was his crucifixion. His earthly baptism and subsequent reception of the Holy Spirit gave him total power over Satan on earth, and his crucifixion and resurrection gave him total power over Satan period. Without these two acts of humility and denial of his earthly flesh, Christ could not have been the sacrificial lamb for mankind's sins. It was by submitting to God and to man (in baptism and crucifixion) that all power was taken away from Satan to condemn those who put their faith in Christ.
“14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.”
Through baptism, it’s clear who His Father is. It’s a proclamation to the world on Who His being is one with. It gives us a ritual to perform to proclaim the same for the lives and souls of ourselves and our children.
It’s beautiful. Like our Lord and Savior, we are dedicated to be the children of God. Amen!
Baptism is simply an identification of one thing with another coincident with a change in that identification.
When we are baptized, we are identified as being one with God the Holy Spirit, having a new man reborn in us.
When our Lord Christ Jesus was baptized, He was manifest as being identified as one with God’s Plan fulfilling the Hypostatic Union and upon his rise from the river, a foreshadowing of His Resurrection.
When I’m praying the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary, and am saying the first Decade, I contemplate Jesus’s Baptism. I’ve thought that Jesus was presenting a model of what He wanted of us. He wanted us to be cleansed of sin, and be ready to follow Him.
Insurance of their continuation?
He's a whole heckuva lot better to us than we deserve.
I really like the Luminous Mysteries, they are humbling and heartening at the same time!
Yah'shua performed a Mikveh Look at the "baptism" in it's first century Jewish context.
shalom b'SHEM Yah'shua HaMashiach
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