Miraculous Moments: Day #8 Baptism

       Miraculous Moments

Lent 2025: Day #8

"'But what about you?' he [Jesus] asked. 'Who do you say I am?'" 
~Matthew 16:15

While we fast forwarded to Jesus' adult life, we also back up in Scripture to dig into the background of another individual who is part of the story. 

Luke 1:11-19

"Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him [Zechariah], standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: 'Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.'

Zechariah asked the angel, 'How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.'

The angel said to him, 'I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.'"

Another angel...another flabbergasted response. Miraculous moments surround the stories of Jesus; this one tells of his cousin, John the Baptizer.

Jesus' Baptism

Matthew 3:13-17

"Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, 'I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?'
Jesus replied, 'Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.' Then John consented. 
As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.'"

Mark 1:9-11

"At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: 'You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.'"

Luke 3:21-22

"When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: 'You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.'"

John 1:29-34

"The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 'Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.'

Then John gave this testimony: 'I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' I have seen and I testify that this is God's Chosen One.'"

Miraculous Moments of Jesus' baptism as recorded in each of the gospels. 

*Heaven "torn" open
*the Holy Spirit descending as a dove
*a voice came from heaven
*the voice proclaimed the legitimacy of Jesus as God's Son
*the voice affirmed God is pleased with Jesus

The three figures of the Trinity family are each present in the beautiful scene! What a mighty God! Three in One: Jesus the Son, the Holy Spirit in the form of the dove, and the voice of God the Father.

Given all of this, we may want to answer Jesus' question with the words John the Baptist used: "I testify that this is God's Chosen One."

Almighty God, Thank You for the magnificent scene You give us in Scripture. Thank You, Jesus, for the example of Your obedience as God's Chosen One. Lord God, we love You. Continue to build in us a knowledge and an understanding of You, which will lead to stronger relationship with You, Great Mystery.  In Jesus' Name. Amen. 

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." 

~Hebrews 13:8