Epiphany #5 of 14 : baptism #1 of 5.

Jesus came to the Jordan River to be baptized

(Matthew 3:13)

“Epiphany” means “manifestation” or “appearance”. During Epiphany the church celebrates the appearance of God the Son among us—his earthy life. The Epiphany season begins with the long story of the Magi and the Holy Family’s flight into Egypt—a majestic yet humble appearance. That’s the way with Jesus—glorious yet humble, divine yet human. There’s no showing off or strutting around. Just making his way down the hills from his home town of Nazareth to the Jordan Valley to be baptized by his cousin John who was baptizing folks “for the forgiveness of sins” (Mk 1:4).

John the Baptizer knows enough of Jesus to question the whole idea: “You come to me? I should be baptized by you.” Jesus insist and John consents. One of those wonderful early church fathers explained it thus: “Christ is baptized, not to be made holy by the water, but to make the water holy, and by his cleansing to consecrate the waters of baptism” (Bishop Maximus of Turin, 5^th cent.). When we enter the waters of baptism, we follow Jesus whose epiphany has made the water sacred and precious for us.