Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (C)

January 13, 2019

Readings:

First Reading: Isaiah 42: 1-4, 6-7

Psalm: 104

Second Reading: Acts 10: 34-38

Gospel reading according to Luke 3: 15-16, 21-22

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Homily:

The crowds are expecting and believing that John is the Messiah, the Christ they are waiting for.  “The people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Christ” (Lk. 3: 15), because of what he was doing and saying to the crowds.  He attracted many people of different walks of life, and people became familiar with him and listened to him.  John was true to himself; he did not claim what he was not.  He needed to reveal and to tell the truth to the crowds so that they would not expect or presume much about him (cf. Homily, December 16, 2018, Third Sunday of Advent (C), Gaudete Sunday or Joyful Sunday).  “John answered them all, saying, ‘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 was baptizing water of cleansing and of repentance in preparation for the coming of the mighty One, for his imminent and immediate appearance.  He was so humble that he even said that he is not worthy to untie the strap/thongs of the sandal of the One wearing it.  He also revealed to the crowds that this Someone greater than he is coming and this Someone will baptize them, and us, with the Holy Spirit and fire.

So the crowds asked John to baptize them to cleanse them from their sins in preparation of the coming of the expected Messiah, the mighty one, and they are ready to welcome his arrival.  “After all the people had been baptized and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, heaven was opened …” (Lk. 3: 21). Jesus came and baptized by John, but the people did not recognize him.  He was so familiar that no one in the crowds identified him; that he is the long awaited Messiah they are expecting and waiting for but they did not notice him. After Jesus’ baptism and while he was praying, the heaven was opened now for so long a time, it was closed after the fall of man.  Once again the heaven is opened because of Jesus and is ready to welcome those who are willing to accept Jesus.  But even this opening of heaven was not seen and recognized by the crowds.  If they did not recognize Jesus who is visible and humble as the Lord and Savior, how much more the heaven they will be aware of which is invisible and above them.

There are two proofs that Jesus is the Messiah, the Anointed and Mighty One, first, is the appearance of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit, the Third Person in One God, descended from open heaven in a bodily form like a dove.  “. . . and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove” (Lk. 3: 22).  The Holy Spirit is a spirit; it has no body or material being with flesh and blood.  But because of Jesus, he showed himself bodily/materially in the form of a dove, which is also a symbol of peace that also Jesus brings to the world.  But again, the world and some worldly people hate peace. Secondly, another proof of the messiahship of Jesus is the witness of God the Father.  “And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased’.” (Lk. 3: 22). The Father said to Jesus, whom few were heard the voice, especially John, “You are my beloved Son,” God distinguished Jesus as his beloved Son, and “with you I am pleased.”  “Ipinagmamalaki ng Diyos Ama ang Kanyang Anak na si Hesus at ipinagmamalaki Niya ang kanyang sarili dahil sa Anak niyang si Hesus.”  Through Jesus God the Father is pleased.  There is nothing the father can brag of himself except to his son who does and follows his will and command, and he escalates in his son because the son does whatever he is told by his father.  That is why Jesus was pleased to the Father because He is ready to do the will of His God and Father.