On Monday, Fr. Jaimie and whoever else was able to attend celebrated the Baptism of Jesus. Being a workday, I was unable, as I suspect many of you were also unable. But the Baptism of Jesus is a time to reflect on everything we do in Church because of Jesus. At Jesus’ baptism we heard God’s voice from heaven say, “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.” Jesus was revealed, and thus began his public ministry.
Today’s Gospel allows us to continue to reflect on the sacrament of Baptism. As Christians, we are baptized because Jesus was baptized, and he commanded that all be baptized. All the sacraments come from Jesus. In the Gospel today, John said he came baptizing with water, but Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit. So, there is a huge difference between the baptism offered by John and the baptism offered by Jesus. John’s baptism was a sign of repentance, turning from sin back to God again. John’s baptism did not bring about a change in the person by itself, although it was a sign of the persons’ desire to leave sin. On the other hand, the baptism of Jesus gives the Holy Spirit. When Jesus was baptized, he received an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove coming down and resting on him, a sign of the difference between the baptism of John and the baptism of Jesus.
In Old Testament times, in the Jewish temple in Jerusalem, the presence of God was called the Shekinah, or the Glory of God, which was the Holy Spirit. A Jewish tradition says that before the temple was destroyed in 587 B.C. the Shekinah was seen departing the temple in the form of a dove. Although the temple was later rebuilt, the Shekinah, or Glory of God did not return to the temple. The next time we see a dove is at Jesus’ baptism when the Holy Spirit descended upon him. Therefore, Jesus is the new temple and the New Covenant. Jesus reaffirms this in the Gospel of John after he drives the money changers out of the temple and says, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”
When we are baptized the Holy Spirit descends on us sealing us forever. We are profoundly changed. The change is so great that the quality of our soul is transformed. Baptism is not just something external, not just a certificate we receive on paper, but we are profoundly changed in our soul. That is why baptism is a sacrament we only receive once because it leaves a mark forever on our soul claiming us for Jesus. This is why baptism is the first sacrament we receive. Baptism, confirmation, and Holy Orders are the three sacraments that put a seal on our souls forever, changing them forever; and we can only receive these three sacraments once.
To show the change that takes place in us when we are baptized there are signs, we use. Immediately after we’re baptized, we are anointed with the oil of Chrism, sealing us so that we may always live as a member of Christ’s body. We are clothed with a white garment as a sign of our rebirth unstained by sin. Our parents, or godparents receive a lighted candle; the light of Christ and the prayer that we will always walk in the light of Christ, and to be that light of Christ for those we meet. Our ears and mouth are blessed so that we may hear God’s word and proclaim his faith. These signs remind us that all through life we are different, sealed by God and claimed as his own.
While I’ve been dwelling on Jesus’ baptism and our own baptism, in today’s Gospel, John makes another astounding revelation. Shortly after Jesus’ Baptism, John proclaims; “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.” This designation would have had immediate recognition for the Jews who heard it. In his designation of Jesus as the “Lamb of God” John was first recalling the great Exodus and the Passover Lamb, which the Jews commemorated annually. On the Hebrews’ last night in Egypt, they killed a lamb and put its’ blood on the doorframes of their houses as protection from the angel who would pass through Egypt taking the firstborn. And as directed, not a bone of the slaughtered lamb was to be broken. Secondly, the words of John are seen as a tremendous prophecy of what Christ was to achieve; looking forward to the Salvation that Christ would win for us on the cross. Jesus was the new sacrificial lamb who would be sacrificed for our sins. All the ceremonies and sacrifices of the Old Testament have come to an end. Now Jesus is the way to the Father. He is the new Passover Lamb. Just as the lamb’s blood spared the Hebrews before they left Egypt, so now it is the blood of Jesus that saves us from our sins. During every Mass, Jesus speaks to us through the priest in saying; “This is my Body which will be given up for you.” and also; “This is the chalice of my blood. The blood of the new and everlasting covenant which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.” As we near the time for Holy Communion we call upon the Lamb of God three times, twice to take away our sins and a third time to grant us peace. These words, in themselves, are an important profession of our faith. And in response, the priest raises the Host and says, “Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.”
In the 22 chapters of the Book of Revelations, the author uses the term Lamb 29 times. We see the liturgy of heaven, and in heaven Jesus is called the Lamb; so, when we call Jesus “The Lamb of God” during Mass it reminds us that heaven is opening up for us on earth during the liturgy of the Mass; and happy are we who are called to his table.
In that one short phrase from John the Baptist comes the hope of all of us who believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Our faith is summarized in that one statement. At his baptism, Jesus publicly committed himself to the will of the Father, even though it meant he would have to die a horrible death to establish the Kingdom of God. In the Garden of Olives, Jesus sweat blood over what he would have to do. But he abandoned himself to the truth knowing that somehow the Father would conquer all, through him. All the saints have done this too; choosing the truth of God; abandoning their lives to whatever God was calling them to do; many of them losing their physical lives as well.
The Lamb is probably the second most recognizable symbol of Christianity. Second only to the cross. Today let us give thanks to God for the gift of the Lamb who takes away our sins, and the sins of the whole world. And let us thank God also for the Holy Spirit which descended upon each of us at our baptism, calling us to holiness, calling us to trust in God, calling us to be light for the world.