Jesus is the Chosen One of God

01-10-2021Weekly ReflectionFr. Tony Okolo CSSp

Today we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord that our Lord Jesus Christ humbled Himself to receive baptism from John theBaptist. This great act of humility demonstrates Jesus teaching that the way to reach God is through act of humility. What isthe significance of Jesus baptism since He has no sin? Jesus by His Baptism sanctifies the waters of Baptism, making everywater for baptism purified or wholesome. Secondly to identify with sinners whom he has come to save. Jesus puts Himself insolidarity with the crowd and sinful humanity whom He has come to redeem. According to Fulton Sheen “The object of HisBaptism was the same as the object of His birth, namely to identify Himself with the sinful humanity. If He was to be identifiedwith humanity, so much so as to call Himself the son of Man then He had to share the guilt of humanity.” He was expressingHis relationship to His people, on whose behalf He has been sent. The baptism of the Jordan was a prelude to the baptism ofwhich He would later speak, the baptism of His passion. In the waters of the Jordan He was identified with sinners, in thewaters of His death, He would bear the full burden of their guilt.

We were told in the Gospel that as He comes out of the water the heaven opens and a voice spoke “this is my beloved son inwhom I am well pleased”. The voice was a confirmation that Jesus is the anointed one who has come to reveal God tohumanity. Therefore, if humanity is to reconcile with God they must listen to Jesus who has been confirmed by that voicewhen the heaven was open. Heaven was opened for humanity to gain access and never to be shut when Jesus wasbaptized. It means that all who have been baptized in Christ now have access to enter heaven because of Jesus. At the timeof John the Baptist, Baptism was performed as a sign of ritual of cleansing and repentance while the Baptism of Jesus is morethan a ritual cleansing and repentance but goes deeper to make the individual a new creation in Christ. A regeneration of thesoul.

The appearance of the Spirit in a dove form is a sign of the humility and gentleness of Jesus which God has poured into theearth. In the dove we find a symbol of peace, recalling back to the dove who brought Noah an olive branch to signal the end ofthe great flood and a new covenant between God and human. Jesus receives an affirmation of His identity as God’s belovedson who is anointed to bring God’s spirit of peace and love to all people.

The Spirit that came upon Jesus in the form of a dove not only confirms Him as the beloved son but also empowers Him andprepares Him for the work He was to undergo. When the Spirit came upon Jesus at his baptism, the Spirit empowered Him toheal and teach, to give up His life on the cross, for humanity and finally to rise from the dead. The Holy Spirit is the presenceof God’s power. The Holy Spirit is a power that transforms us and make us truly the children and soldiers of God. It is powerat work in the world. When the Spirit came upon Elijah, fire came down from heaven when the Spirit came upon Joshua thewhole city of Jerusalem fell into His hands. When we open ourselves to the Holy Spirit and pray for the gift of the Holy SpiritHe will come upon us to lead us to God. We equally have received this power of the Holy Spirit at our baptism and when weput it to work in our lives, it would surely transform us.

May the celebration of today’s Baptism of the Lord fill you with the Grace and Power of God.

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