Matthew 3:13-17 

Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptised by John. John tried to dissuade him. ‘It is I who need baptism from you,’ he said ‘and yet you come to me!’ But Jesus replied, ‘Leave it like this for the time being; it is fitting that we should, in this way, do all that righteousness demands.’ At this, John gave in to him.

As soon as Jesus was baptised he came up from the water, and suddenly the heavens opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on him. And a voice spoke from heaven, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on him.’

 Reflection

John was astounded that Jesus asked for baptism from him. John was preaching repentance to the crowd and he did not see Jesus as needing baptism to mark a turning from sin. He was reassured by Jesus telling him that it needed to be done for a deeper and more mysterious reason, so that “all that righteousness demands” would be done.  

In being baptised by John at the beginning of his public ministry Jesus chose to stand with sinners, those in the crowd and those of all time, including us. In this action he submitted to God’s plan for the salvation of humankind.  The significance of Jesus’ baptism is indicated by the Trinitarian response it invoked. A voice from heaven proclaimed him to be the Son of God and the Spirit of God could be seen descending on him like a dove.   

There are many deep lessons and theological points in the choice Jesus made to be baptised by John in the Jordan. One of the simplest lessons lies in Jesus choosing to be treated in the same way as the people John was preaching to, to be among them as one of them. It was in direct contrast to the attitude he would have encountered in the Pharisees, whose elitism and self-righteousness made them keep away from those whom they regarded as sinners or inferior.  

If we follow Jesus then we will be among others too, without making distinctions or judgments; present to others, Christ to others, because we have hearts large enough to identify with our fellow human beings, whatever their situation.  It is always tempting to stay within our comfort zone, among people we perceive to be like us.  Jesus saw the person, not the status or label imposed on the person by others (or even by us in our own minds).    

If our eyes see the person rather than the label then we will both find Christ in our fellow human beings and be Christ among them.