The back story to Matthew’s account of Jesus’ baptism
Like many others over the Christmas catamenia, I went with my family to see the final episode of the nine main instalments of the Star Wars saga, the Rising of Skywalker. I wanted to enjoy it, but later on an hour defenseless myself wondering 'When is this going to end?' It didn't experience equally though there was an engaging plot; I wasn't that defenseless up with the characters; and every bit the film went on I realised I had a constant feeling of déjà vu. Only about every interesting scene appeared to be lifted from one of the previous films!
It appears that I am not the only i to have noticed it; this list offers 23 'Easter eggs' (a new pic term to me, meaning something hidden to exist plant), which fifty-fifty includes some punctuation on the opening scrolling text, whilst this site lists 31 references to earlier episodes and related figurer games based on the franchise. Information technology is interesting to note how this is a characteristic of the many film sequences that now dominate cinema. Washed well, it can create a sense of integration between films, and it serves to consolidate the 'insiders' of dedicated fans who will spot all the references and share the joke, equally it were.
This Sunday's lectionary reading in Twelvemonth A is the baptism of Jesus from Matt 3.12–17. Information technology is a short and meaty reading, and needs careful reading in its own correct. Just information technology only fully makes sense if we know something of the Sometime Testament backstory and tin can, as 'insiders', spot the central allusions to it.
Our reading begins by announcing that 'Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan…' Matthew has so far only indicated that John the Baptist has drawn followers from 'Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region nearly the Jordan' (Matt 3.5); we need to cross-reference with the Quaternary Gospel, and see John's disciples from Galilee in John i.35–51, to know that his ministry building reached further. Simply Matthew gives the impression that this is a determined decision past Jesus, crossing territories from Galilee through the Decapolis and Perea, to join John'southward eschatological renewal movement that is looking for the imminent coming of the kingdom of God.
Matthew is alone in recording the exchange between John and Jesus, in which John is reluctant to baptise Jesus. In the compressed narrative, nosotros are non told why or how John recognises who Jesus is, merely his objection is rooted in his earlier sayings about 'the ane who is to come afterwards me' in Matt 3.xi. John appears to be saying 'Information technology is I who needyour baptism in the Holy Spirit and burn, rather than you who needsmy baptism in mere water!'
John's earlier linguistic communication could be interpreted to mean that Jesus volition initially come up as one ofhis disciples. The language of 'coming after' (Gk ὀπίσω,opiso) is language of discipleship, and is used past Jesus in his rebuke to Peter in Matt 16.23 'Get behind me, satan!' meaning 'Get in line as a disciple'. Just Matthew appears to be using information technology merely in a temporal sense here, so we should probably not read also much into it.
Afterwards Christian reflection struggles with the idea of Jesus as the 'one who knew no sin' (2 Cor v.21) undergoing a 'baptism of repentance'; the lost 'Gospel of the Hebrews' (quoted by Jerome, Pelag 3.2) imagines Jesus really sinning by questioning whether he should in fact be baptised by John! Matthew's answer comes in Jesus' actual response that 'it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness'. There are several things to note here.
Get-go, Matthew uses 'righteousness' (Gk δικαιοσύνη) on seven occasions (Matt 3.16, 5.6, 5.10, 5.20, six.1, 6.33 and 21.32), and it consistently seems to betoken the concrete, human ethical response to the demands of God. This is a very dissimilar sense from the theological apply of the term in Paul.
Secondly, Jesus here talks nearly 'fulfilling' all righteousness. Equally we have seen earlier in Matthew, fulfilment language usually connects events to the previous salvation history of God's people, and the way that Jesus is bringing that to completion.
Thirdly, Jesus invites John to share in this action; it is the two of them together must do this, not simply Jesus on his own. This then brings to heed the succession narratives in the OT—Joshua taking up and completing the job that Moses began in leading the people of Israel, Elisha taking up the mantle of Elijah and asking for a double portion of his spirit. As nosotros noted previously, for Matthew John is non the end of the 'one-time', simply the first of the 'new', and Jesus will consummate the work of calling people to answer in repentance and religion to the coming of the kingdom that John began.
But for Matthew, Jesus' ministry building of healing and deliverance is about his identification with them. Nosotros will read in Matt 8.17 that his ministry fulfils words from Is 53.v: 'He took upward our infirmities and diameter our diseases'. Later, we will read that he will 'offer his life as a ransom for many' (Matt 20.28) and volition shed his blood for their forgiveness (Matt 26.28). Jesus cannot represent the people unless he identifies with them, and this identification begins with John's baptism as Jesus demonstrates his solidarity with this movement who are preparing for God's kingship over his people.
Contrary to all artistic depiction (including the mosaic higher up from Ravenna), what happens next occursafterward Jesus has 'gone up out of the water', in other words, once he has left the river and is on the bank once more.
In Marking one.9–10 the focus is on Jesus' experience:he saw heaven opened and the Spirit descending, and the divine vocalism addresseshim. In Luke, the divine voice is still addressed to him, simply the opening of heaven and descent of the Spirit 'bodily' appears to exist a public event. Matthew'southward account leans more to Luke than Marker; nosotros are to 'behold' the sudden opening of the heavens, and the divine voice affirms Jesus to the crowd.
The language of 'my son, my beloved, in whom I delight' take usa back to at least two significant OT passages. The first is Gen 22.2, where God calls Abraham to offer his 'son, whom you dearest' equally a sacrifice; the cease of that narrative is the fulfilment of Abraham'southward claim that 'God will provide the sacrifice'. The 2nd is the Servant Song in Is 42.one, where God'due south servant 'in whom I please' will be anointed with God's Spirit, will bring justice to the nations, and has been called 'in righteousness' (Is 42.6). Matthew will get on to quote this passage explicitly in Matt 12.18.
Simply the whole episode suggests a range of other OT passages every bit well, some more strongly signalled than others. The combination of a dove and the Spirit over the water reminds usa of the starting time of creation, when the Spirit of God broods over the chaotic deep. Do we take here a proposition that Jesus is the one who brings the new creation (ii Cor 5.17?)
A dove as well comes across the water in the account of Noah and the flood in Genesis half-dozen–ix. Noah's father believed that Noah would bring people 'rest' and relief from the curse of sin (Gen 5.29), and he leads a faithful remnant, rescuing them from the judgement of God on the sin of the world after the 'heavens were opened' (Gen 7.xi). Could Jesus be the one to rescue u.s. from judgement, and give us true residual (Heb iv.ane–eleven)?
Ezekiel (Ezek one.1, 2.ii) stands past a river, sees heaven opened, and receives a vision of God in which he is commissioned for is prophetic ministry promising God'south people a render from exile. Is Jesus the one who will finally bring his people abode?
Passing through the waters of the Hashemite kingdom of jordan was a key moment in the saga of God'due south deliverance from slavery in Egypt, when they finally completed their journey and entered the promised state (Joshua 3–4). Is Jesus (his proper noun being the Greek version of Joshua) the ane who will finally deliver God'south people from all their slavery to sin, and complete the promise of God's deliverance?
Information technology might exist challenging to spot all these 'Easter eggs', and there is a large question as to whether Matthew is pointing united states of america in these directions, or whether nosotros find them by standing back and seeing connections between the different elements of the biblical narrative. And these connections are certainly not designed to create 'insiders' who are the only ones to become the 'joke'. But when we are reminded of these other episodes in the life of God'due south people, we can come across how they are brought to completion in the ministry of Jesus—so and now.
God is non quoting the Erstwhile Attestation, nor setting a puzzle for the scripturally erudite hearers to unravel. He is declaring in richly allusive words that this human who has just been baptised past John is his own son in whom he delights. From this point on, Matthew's readers have no excuse for failing to sympathise the significance of Jesus' ministry building, nonetheless long it may take the actors in the story to reach the same Christological decision. (R T France, NICOT, p 124)
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