Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist

Jesus goes to the banks of the Jordon River where He is baptized by John the Baptist the Precursor 

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While proceeding on His way to the Jordan, our Savior dispensed his ancient mercies by relieving the necessities of body and soul in many of those whom He encountered at different places. Yet this was always done in secret; for before His Baptism He gave no public token of His Divine power and His exalted office. 

Before appearing at the Jordan, He filled the heart of saint John with new light and joy, which changed and elevated his soul. Perceiving these new workings of grace within himself, he reflected upon them full of wonder, saying: "What mystery is this? What presentiments of happiness? From the moment when I recognized the presence of my Lord in the womb of my mother, I have not felt such stirring of my soul as now! Is it possible that He is now happily come, or that the Savior of the world is now near me?" 

Upon this enlightenment of the Baptist followed an intellectual vision, wherein he perceived with greater clearness the mystery of the hypostatic union of the person of the Word with the humanity and other mysteries of the Redemption. 

Although the Baptist had been instructed in great mysteries, when he was commanded to go forth to preach and baptize; yet all of them were manifested to him anew and with greater clearness and abundance on this occasion, and he was then notified that the Savior of the world was coming to be baptized. 

The Lord then joined the multitude and asked Baptism of saint John as one of the rest. The Baptist knew Him and, falling at his feet, hesitated, saying: "I have need of being baptized, and Thou, Lord, asks Baptism of me?" as is recorded by saint Matthew. 

But the Savior answered: "Suffer it to be so now. For so it becometh us to fulfill all justice" (Matth. 3, 14). By thus hesitating to baptize Christ his Lord and asking Him for Baptism instead, he gave evidence that he recognized Him as the true Redeemer. By the answer of the Savior: "Suffer it to be so now, that all justice be fulfilled," He did not refuse, but He deferred saint John's Baptism until He himself should have been baptized and have fulfilled the requirements of God's justice. 

When saint John had finished baptizing our Lord, the heavens opened and the Holy Ghost descended visibly in the form of a dove upon His head and the voice of his Father was heard: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matth. 3, 17). 

Many of the bystanders heard this voice, namely, those who were not unworthy of such a wonderful favor; they also saw the Holy Ghost descending upon the Savior. This was the most convincing proof which could ever be given of the Divinity of the Savior, as well on the part of the Father, who acknowledged Him his Son, as also in regard to the nature of the testimony given; for without any reserve was Christ manifested as the true God, equal to His eternal Father in substance and in perfection. 

The Father Himself wished to be the first to testify to the Divinity of Christ in order that by virtue of His testimony all the other witnesses might be ratified. There was also another mystery in this voice of the eternal Father: it was as it were a restoration of the honor of His Son before the world and a recompense for His having thus humiliated Himself by receiving the Baptism of the remission of sins, though He was entirely free from fault and never could have upon Him the guilt of sin (Heb. 7, 26). 

This act of humiliation in receiving Baptism in the company of those who were sinners, Christ our Redeemer offered up to the eternal Father as an act of acknowledgment of the inferiority of His human nature, which, in common with all the rest of the children of men, He had derived from Adam. 

By it He also instituted the sacrament of Baptism, which was to wash away the sins of the world through His merits. By thus humiliating Himself in this baptism of sins, He sought and obtained from the eternal Father a general pardon for all those who were to receive it; He freed them from the power of the demon and of sin, and regenerated them to a new existence, spiritual and supernatural as adopted sons of the Most High, brethren of their Redeemer and Lord. 

The past, present and future sins of men always remaining in the sight of the eternal Father, had prevented the effects of this Baptism; but Christ our Lord merited the application of this so easy and delightful remedy, so that the eternal Father was obliged to accept it in justice as a complete satisfaction according to all the requirements of His equity. 

Christ was also not deterred from thus securing this remedy by His foreknowledge of the abuse of holy Baptism by so many mortals in all ages and of its neglect by innumerable others. All these impediments and hindrances Christ our Lord removed by satisfying for their offenses, humiliating Himself and assuming the form of a sinner in His Baptism (Rom. 8, 3). 

This is the also the meaning of the words: “Suffer it to be so now for so it becometh us to fulfill all justice.” Then in order to honor the incarnate Word and in recompense for His humiliation, and in order to approve of Baptism and establish its wonderful efficacy, the eternal Father gave forth His voice and the Holy Ghost descended. 

Thus was Christ proclaimed as the true Son of God, and all three Persons of the Holy Trinity ratified the sacramental rite of Baptism. 

The great Baptist was the one who reaped the greatest fruit from these wonders of holy Baptism; for he not only baptized his Redeemer and Master, saw the Holy Ghost and the celestial light descending upon the Lord together with innumerable angels, heard the voice of the Father and saw many other mysteries by Divine revelation: but besides all this, he himself was baptized by the Redeemer. 

Immediately after His own Baptism He baptized saint John, gave him His blessing, and betook Himself to the desert. 

INSTRUCTION WHICH THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN, MOST HOLY MARY, GAVE ME - Sr. Mary of Agreda

“My daughter, since in recounting to thee the works of my most holy Son, I so often remind thee how thankfully I appreciated them, thou can understand how pleasing to the Most High is the faithful correspondence on thy part, and the great mysteries of his blessings connected with it. 

Thou art poor in the house of the Lord, a sinner, insignificant and useless as dust; yet I ask thee to assume the duty of rendering ceaseless thanks for all that the incarnate Word has done for the sons of Adam and for establishing the holy and immaculate, the powerful and perfect law for their salvation. 

Especially should thou be thankful for the institution of Baptism by which He frees men from the tyranny of the devil, fills them with grace, clothes them with justice and assists them to sin no more. 

And if the Author of grace, my most holy Son, as a prudent and wise Artificer, in order to found his evangelical Church and lay its first foundations in the sacrament of Baptism, humiliated Himself, prayed and fulfilled all justice, acknowledging the inferiority of his human nature; and if, though at the same time God and man, He hesitated not to lower Himself to the nothingness of which his purest soul was created and his human being formed: how much must thou humiliate thyself, who has committed sins and are less than the dust and despicable ashes? 

Confess that in justice thou merits only punishment, the persecution and wrath of all the creatures; that none of the mortals who have offended his Creator and Redeemer can say in truth that any injustice or offense is done to them if all the tribulations and afflictions of the world from its beginning to its end were to fall upon them.

Since all sinned in Adam (I Cor. 15, 22), how deeply should they humiliate themselves when the hand of the Lord visits them? (Job 19, 21).” 

Read/ Listen: Volume III Book I Chapter XXIV