The Baptism of Jesus (Matt. iii. 13-17)

St Matthew Chapter III : Verses 13-17

Contents

⮚Matt. iii. 13-17 Douay-Rheims text & Latin text (Vulgate)

⮚Notes on text

   

Matt. iii. 13-17

The Baptism of Jesus. J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum

13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan, unto John, to be baptized by him.

Tunc venit Jesus a Galilæa in Jordanem ad Joannem, ut baptizaretur ab eo.

14 But John stayed him, saying: I ought to be baptized by thee, and comest thou to me?
Joannes autem prohibebat eum, dicens : Ego a te debeo baptizari, et tu venis ad me?
15 And Jesus answering, said to him: Suffer it to be so now. For so it becometh us to fulfill all justice. Then he suffered him.
Respondens autem Jesus, dixit ei : Sine modo : sic enim decet nos implere omnem justitiam. Tunc dimisit eum.
16 And Jesus being baptized, forthwith came out of the water: and lo, the heavens were opened to him: and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him.
Baptizatus autem Jesus, confestim ascendit de aqua, et ecce aperti sunt ei cæli : et vidit Spiritum Dei descendentem sicut columbam, et venientem super se.
17 And behold a voice from heaven, saying: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Et ecce vox de caelis dicens : Hic est Filius meus dilectus, in quo mihi complacui.

Notes

    13. Then cometh Jesus from Galilee. Harmonizing the accounts given by the Synoptists, we have the following sequence of events : —

(1) Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee (St Mark i. 9).

(2) Jesus was baptized with all the people (St Luke iii. 21).

(3) St John hesitated about baptizing Jesus (St Matt. iii. 14).

(4) The baptism was by immersion (St Mark i. 10)

(5) After His baptism, Jesus prayed (St Luke iii. 21)

(6) Jesus saw the heavens opened (St Mark i. 10).

(7) The Holy Ghost descended in bodily shape (St Luke iii, 22).

    to the Jordan. One local tradition points out an ancient ford near Succoth as the spot where Jesus was baptized, another refers it to a ford near Jericho. The latter was easier of access.

    to be baptized by him. It may be asked why Jesus submitted to this rite. The following answers have been given to this question : —

(а) To sanctify water to the mystical washing away of sin (St Ignatius).

(b) To repair by His obedience the evils caused by disobedience to the Law (St John Chrys.).

(c) To teach us that, since Christ submitted to the baptism of His servant, we, who are Christ’s servants, should rejoice to receive the baptism of our Master (St. Aug.).

(d) To give us an example of humility by accepting the rites and ceremonies prescribed for sinful men : He “ was reputed with the wicked ” (St Jerome).

    14. John stayed him. Lit. “John tried to hinder him” ( ὁ δὲ ⸀Ἰωάννης διεκώλυεν αὐτὸν). St John knew that Christ was sinless, and also he was conscious of bis own unworthiness to baptize Him. The words in the original imply that the Baptist tried to prevent Christ from descending into the water.

    I ought to be baptized by thee. St John knew that the baptism of penance, which be conferred, was but a type of a bigger and holier rite to which be bad previously referred as the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire.

    It may be asked : How are we to reconcile these words with those found in St John i. 33 ? — “And I knew him not: but he, who sent me to baptize with water, said to me : He, upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining upon him, he it is that baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.” The explanation generally accepted is, that most certainly the Precursor, from the moment when he leaped in his mother’s womb, knew Christ to be the Messias and the Incarnate God, but he did not know Him personally, until He came to be baptized. For Christ had spent part of His childhood in Egypt, and afterwards He had lived in seclusion at Nazareth, whereas St John, from childhood, had lived in the desert of Judea. As soon, therefore, as Jesus came to be baptized, the Precursor recognized Him by divine inspiration as the Messias. The sign of the Holy Spirit descending as a dove was given, not to enlighten the Precursor, but to confirm the witness borne by him to Christ, and to prove to the bystanders that the Precursor was sent by God. It is thus that St John Chrysostom, Euthymius, Theophylact, St Hilary, and Maldonatus explain this passage.

    15. Suffer it to be so now. Jesus intimates that it behoves Him thus to humble Himself; hereafter the relative positions of the Precursor and the Messias will be inverted.

    Note. — It is not known whether St John ever received the baptism of Christ, but the Fathers hold that he received the baptism of the Holy Spirit when yet unborn (St Luke i. 16), and the baptism of blood when he was martyred by Herod.

    to fulfil all justice, — i.e. it befitted Christ to accept the rites imposed on sinful men, and to be made like unto His brethren, in all except sin.

    16. Jesus being baptized. St Luke adds, and praying.

    the heavens were opened. It was not an instantaneous clearing up of the sky, as when after rain the sun shines forth, but “ a sudden brilliant light, apparently proceeding from the uppermost clouds, indicating that the Holy Ghost and the voice came from the heavens themselves.”

    “Wherefore were the heavens opened? To inform thee that at thy baptism this also is done, God calling thee to thy country on high, and persuading thee to have nothing to do with earth. And if thou see it not, yet never doubt it” (St Jn. Chrys.).

    as a dove. It was not a real dove, but a miraculous appearance which signified the coming of the Holy Ghost. “ The Dove of God bore witness to the Lamb of God.”

    17. a voice from heaven. During our Saviour’s lifetime a miraculous voice was heard three times : —

(a) At His Baptism : Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleased.

(b) At the Transfiguration : This is my beloved Son, hear ye him.

(c) In the Temple during Holy Week : I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.

    Note the explicit mention of the three Persons of the Blessed Trinity. God the Father spoke from heaven. God the Son stood in the river. God the Holy Ghost descended in bodily shape as a dove.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.