Gospel of Matthew 3:13-17
John the Baptist Baptizes Jesus
Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan, to John, to be baptized by him. But John was reluctant, saying, "I need to be baptized by you. Why do you come to me?"
But Jesus answered, "Allow it now: for in this manner we will fulfil all righteousness." And so John baptized him.
And Jesus, when he had been baptized, got out of the water right away. And the heavens were opened above him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending in the form of a dove, which landed on him; and then, a voice sounded out of the heavens, saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased".
Isaiah 42:1-4
The Servant of the Lord
"Here is my servant, whom I uphold,my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him
and he will bring justice to the nations.
He will not shout or cry out,
or raise his voice in the streets.
A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;
He will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice on earth.
In his law the islands will put their hope."
Notes on the Scripture
Here, Jesus begins his adult ministry. He asks John the Baptist to baptize him, which puzzles and amazes John. John asks him "why?" and Christ answers only that it will fulfill "all righteousness", which isn't much in the way of an explanation. Perhaps the simplest answer is that Christ, having humbled himself to be born human, wanted to show that he was one of us.
Equally important, this event brings the Holy Spirit to dwell with a living human, beginning the time of God's second covenant with humanity. The savior is anointed not with a bolt of lightning and a sword in his hand, but with a spirit in the form of a peaceful dove. This recalls the great prophecy of Isaiah: a servant will come to establish justice to the entire earth, and he will do it in peace, without so much as breaking a twig or raising his voice in the street.
