Commemoration of the Baptism of Our Lord–W (II)
Monday, January 13, 2020
In spite of the small scandal that Jesus’ baptism must have created what was the sinless one doing having Himself baptized? It belonged to the earliest tradition, is recorded in all four gospels (Mt. 3:13; Mk. 1:9; Lk. 3:21-22, Jn. 1:29-34), and belongs undoubtedly to the events of the historical Jesus. In Mark it is the beginning of the gospel, and Luke has Jesus in the synagogue at Nazareth at the start of His ministry recalling His anointing with the Spirit at the Jordan. In the very short summary of the good news, Peter includes Jesus’ baptism (Acts 1:22). In identifying who Jesus is, the biblical witness moves back from the resurrection (Rom. 1:3-4), to the baptism of Jesus, to the annunciation (Lk. 1:26-38), to pre-existence (Jn. 1:1). The Jordan event, therefore, is an important stage in this backward development in identifying Jesus.