JANUARY 26, 2023
Matthew 3:13-17
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw God’s Spirit descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from the heavens said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
One of the beautiful realities in Christianity is the diversity we find in various traditions. For example, lets take Epiphany for a moment, in many traditions it is a day or a Sunday, while other traditions mark Epiphany with several weeks of focus. In the Eastern Churches, the Orthodox church, Epiphany actually receives more attention in worship and practices then Christmas does. I do believe that the message of Epiphany, that of the revelation of God’s son, and of God’s intentions through him, deserves a little bit of lingering and reflection. That is what we have been doing.
Today, We look at this short but wonderful announcement of revelation from God concerning Jesus: "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased."
Now, it is interesting to note the conversation between John and Jesus before Jesus’ baptism occurred. It often happens this way. We have our expectations of how God should act, what he should do and how he should be. And so, John confronts Jesus with his idea of how things should go. John says in verse 14, "I need to be baptised by you, and do you come to me?".
But Jesus gently reminds him of who he is in relationship to John by effectively saying, ‘this is how it has to be’ … Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfil all righteousness". “To fulfill all righteousness” means to submit to the saving plan of God for the human race. Which, involves Jesus' identification with sinners, John's baptism was one of repentance, you may recall, Jesus enters the waters of baptism in solidarity with all of us. So “to fulfill all righteousness” is Jesus full obedience to the righteousness will of His Father and to His Father's mission.
And so, Jesus is baptised and then shown to all the world as the Son of God! God has great plans, and they are all being fulfilled in Jesus.
Pause for a few moments today and take some time to reflect on the ways that you have experienced God’s purposes in your life.
Let Us Pray
God, we thank you for revealing who Jesus is in all his fullness as your dearly loved Son. We know all he has done for us, showing the way, by standing in solidarity with us, and so we look forward with confidence, and like Jesus, we submit to what you have in the future for us, as your plan unfolds in our lives. Amen.
Jude 24–25
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