87. Jesus is the "Servant", wholly consecrated to the redemptive work.

Jesus is the "Servant", wholly consecrated to the redemptive work.

YOUCAT Catechism + Catechism of the Catholic Church Lesson 87

Ave Maria series

87  Why did Jesus allow John to baptize him, although he was without sin?

To baptize means to immerse.  In his baptism, Jesus descended into the sinful history of all mankind.  By doing so he established a sign.  In order to redeem us from our sins, he would one day be submerged in death but, through his Father’s power, reawakened to life.  [535-537, 565]

The Baptism of Jesus. Stained glass art by Tiffany. ......87

Sinners—soldiers, prostitutes, tax collectors—went out to the prophet John the Baptist because they were looking for the “baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Luke 3:3).  Strictly speaking, Jesus did not need this baptism, because he was sinless.  The fact that he submitted to this baptism shows us two things: Jesus takes our sins upon himself.  Jesus understands his baptism as an anticipation of his Passion and Resurrection.  At this sign of his willingness to die for us, the heavens opened: “You are my beloved Son” (Luke 3:22b).

“Between sinners and the righteous there is an association, for there are no righteous ones at all.”  Gertrud von le Fort (1876-1971, German writer)

[535-537, 565]

THE MYSTERIES OF JESUS' PUBLIC LIFE

The baptism of Jesus

535 Jesus' public life begins with his baptism by John in the Jordan (compre Luke 3:23; Acts of the Apostles 1:22).²²⁸  John preaches "a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Luke 3:3)".²²⁹  A crowd of sinners (compare Luke 3:10-14; Matthew 3:7; Mat 21:32)²³⁰ - tax collectors and soldiers, Pharisees and Sadducees, and prostitutes- come to be baptized by him. "Then Jesus appears." The Baptist hesitates, but Jesus insists and receives baptism. Then the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, comes upon Jesus and a voice from heaven proclaims, "This is my beloved Son (Matthew 3:13-17)."²³¹  This is the manifestation ("Epiphany") of Jesus as Messiah of Israel and Son of God. --Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition

536 The baptism of Jesus is on his part the acceptance and inauguration of his mission as God's suffering Servant. He allows himself to be numbered among sinners; he is already "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29; compare Isaiah 53:12)".²³² Already he is anticipating the "baptism" of his bloody death (compare Mark 10:38; Luke 12:50).²³³  Already he is coming to "fulfill all righteousness", that is, he is submitting himself entirely to his Father's will: out of love he consents to this baptism of death for the remission of our sins (Matthew 3:15; compare Mat 26:39).²³⁴  The Father's voice responds to the Son's acceptance, proclaiming his entire delight in his Son (compare Luke 3:22; Isaiah 42:1).²³⁵  The Spirit whom Jesus possessed in fullness from his conception comes to "rest on him (John 1:32-33; compare Isaiah 11:2)".²³⁶  Jesus will be the source of the Spirit for all mankind. At his baptism "the heavens were opened (Matthew 3:16)"²³⁷ - the heavens that Adam's sin had closed - and the waters were sanctified by the descent of Jesus and the Spirit, a prelude to the new creation.--CCC

537 Through Baptism the Christian is sacramentally assimilated to Jesus, who in his own baptism anticipates his death and resurrection. The Christian must enter into this mystery of humble self-abasement and repentance, go down into the water with Jesus in order to rise with him, be reborn of water and the Spirit so as to become the Father's beloved son in the Son and "walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4)":²³⁸ --CCC

Let us be buried with Christ by Baptism to rise with him; let us go down with him to be raised with him; and let us rise with him to be glorified with him (St. Gregory of Nazianzus, Oratio 40, 9: PG 36, 369).²³⁹  --CCC

Everything that happened to Christ lets us know that, after the bath of water, the Holy Spirit swoops down upon us from high heaven and that, adopted by the Father's voice, we become sons of God (St. Hilary of Poitiers, In Matth. 2, 5: Patrologia Latina 9, 927).²⁴⁰ —CCC

IN BRIEF

565 From the beginning of his public life, at his baptism, Jesus is the "Servant", wholly consecrated to the redemptive work that he will accomplish by the "baptism" of his Passion. --CCC