BAPTISED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD - Luke 3:15-16,21-22

In his baptism, Jesus assumed the role of the Servant of the Lord (the Servant of Yahweh) and he would exercise his ministry in that role. The figure of the Servant of the Lord comes from the prophet Isaiah, where is presented as “the chosen one”, the “one in whom my soul delights”. Being God’s delight, we immediately guess that he is much more than a servant. Since “I have put my Spirit upon him, he will bring forth justice to the nations” (Is 42:1). And “I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations”. He was chosen to be the liberator and the Redeemer, in order “to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness”(Is 42:6-7).

When John appeared in the desert calling people to repentance, many thought that he was the promised one, the one coming to fulfil Isaiah’s words. However, John himself refused such a role, telling people that he was only baptising them with water and was not even worthy to untie the strap of the Messiah’s sandals. John came to prepare people and his baptism in water is no more than a sign of repentance and conversion. And  John announces the coming of someone mightier than him, who will baptise with the Holy Spirit (Lk 3:16).

And so it happened that, in solidarity with the sinful humanity, Jesus went to John and was baptised by him. As the Servant of the Lord, Jesus, the sinless one, carried our sins (Is 53:12). Just as his baptism was ending, while at prayer, the divine mystery of Jesus came to the front and became manifest: “the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (Lk 3:22).

In the baptism, being anointed with the Holy Spirit and being proclaimed the “beloved Son”, in whom the Father finds his delight, the words of Isaiah came to fulfilment in Jesus. And being the “beloved Son”, Jesus baptises us with the Holy Spirit, so that in him we become children of God.

The feast of the baptism of the Lord must be an occasion to celebrate our own baptism and to reflect upon it. We were baptised with the baptism of Jesus, that is we were baptised with the Holy Spirit, who has marked us with his seal for eternal life