BIBLE STUDY #120


THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD

January 13, 2013





READING 1

ISAIAH 42:1-4, 6-7



Thus says the LORD:

Here is my servant whom I uphold,

my chosen one with whom I am pleased,

upon whom I have put my spirit;

he shall bring forth justice to the nations,

not crying out, not shouting,

not making his voice heard in the street.

a bruised reed he shall not break,

and a smoldering wick he shall not quench,

until he establishes justice on the earth;

the coastlands will wait for his teaching.



I, the LORD, have called you for the victory of justice,

I have grasped you by the hand;

I formed you, and set you

as a covenant of the people,

a light for the nations,

to open the eyes of the blind,

to bring out prisoners from confinement,

and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.



The Word of the Lord



READING 2

ACTS 10:34-38



Peter proceeded to speak to those gathered

in the house of Cornelius, saying:

“In truth, I see that God shows no partiality.

Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly

is acceptable to him.

You know the word that he sent to the Israelites

as he proclaimed peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all,

what has happened all over Judea,

beginning in Galilee after the baptism

that John preached,

how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth

with the Holy Spirit and power.

He went about doing good

and healing all those oppressed by the devil,

for God was with him.”



The Word of the Lord



GOSPEL

LUKE 3:15-16, 21-22



The people were filled with expectation,

and all were asking in their hearts

whether John might be the Christ.

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.”



After all the people had been baptized

and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying,

heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him

in bodily form like a dove.

And a voice came from heaven,

“You are my beloved Son;

with you I am well pleased.”



The Gospel of the Lord



Reflection



There were high expectations for a messiah in those days. It had been prophesied in the Old Testament and people began to think that John the Baptist was the messiah due to his fiery, tell it like it is demeanor. John continually denies that he is the messiah. He has a temporary and lesser (although a very important) role compared to Jesus. Luke makes this point because some people in the early church clung to the belief that John was the messiah.



John steadfastly insists that Jesus is mightier, that he is the messiah. His role is to baptize with water, signifying a purifying baptism, symbolizing a turning of one’s life around to God and away from sin. Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit and fire, which is reminiscent of what happened at Pentecost. In the Old Testament, water, spirit, and fire appear together as agents of purification (Is 4:4-5; Ezek36:25-26; Mal3:2-3). These elements signify a new era of holiness and grace, inaugurated by Jesus, God’s Son and Servant.



Notice how Jesus baptism was downplayed, almost an afterthought; the events immediately after His baptism are what’s important. Jesus is praying, relying on Gods strength and grace to fulfill his mission. In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus prays before or during important moments in his ministry, such as at his baptism, before choosing the Twelve (6:12), before announcing his passion (8:18), at the Transfiguration (9:28), before teaching his followers how to pray (11:2), at the Last Supper (22:32), during his agony (22:41), and on the cross (23:48). Jesus gives us the example on praying that we are to follow in our lives.



The Spirit comes upon Jesus; it is like an anointing, or a commissioning for a mission. We hear God speaking from heaven, informing us of Jesus identity: he is God’s Son. We will hear God’s voice again in a similar way at the Transfiguration (9:35-36).



God is well pleased with Jesus. He is the One who will follow His Father to the cross, who will not let anyone or anything deflect him from his mission. He gives up all earthly authority for a heavenly throne. Jesus is seen as the one Isaiah spoke about 6 centuries before; Jesus is the suffering Servant who suffers for the salvation of sinners. Today’s first reading is applied to Jesus; it describes the mission of a servant and the early church saw it as applying to Jesus.



In the second reading, Luke settles 2 issues that threatened the existence of the early church: Gentiles could become Christians without first becoming Jews, and contact with Gentiles does not cause defilement.





Fr. Phil