'Herod the tetrarch, who had been censured by him because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the evil deeds Herod had committed, added still another to these by [also] putting John in prison. The Baptism of Jesus. After all the people had been baptized and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, heaven was opened and the holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased (Lk. 3:19-22).”'
Salvation history unfolded in three distinct periods – the period of Israel and the promise, the fulfillment of the promise in Jesus, and after Jesus’ ascension, the period of the Church.
John the Baptist told Herod the tetrarch that he should not sleep with his brother’s wife which was against the Law (Lv. 18:16, 20:21) and Herod had him put in prison (Mt.14:3-4). Before he was imprisoned, John baptized many as he preached repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus also allowed himself to be baptized to show his agreement with John’s preaching about God’s plan of salvation. Luke removed John from the scene which indicated that the period of the promise of a Messiah was over. Jesus prayed after he was baptized and the Holy Spirit anointed him the Messiah of Israel. The heavens opening was Luke’s way of communicating that this was a divine event. God himself declared Jesus to be His Son. The Spirit descending on Jesus indicated that the period of fulfillment of the promise had arrived. Luke ends this passage with the manifestation of the Trinity – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Almighty God, may our commitment to spreading the good news of the Gospel be strong, and may we be filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit as we go about our daily lives so that others may be inspired by our words and deeds. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
References:
Raymond E. Brown, Joseph A. Fitzmyer, & Roland E. Murphy, (Eds.). (1990, 1968). The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentis Hall, Inc.
Jose M. Casciaro, Santiago Ausin, Gonzalo Aranda, Claudio Basevi, Vincente Balaguer, Francisco Varo, James Gavigan, Brian McCarthy & Thomas McGovern (Eds.). (2017). The Navarre Bible - New Testament. Dublin 8, Ireland: Four Courts Press.
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