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On the Day of Christ's Baptism - St John Chrysostom

Read in Festal Works of the Fathers (page 92-101)

  • There is not one Theophany, but two
    • The one actual, which already occurred
    • The second in the future, which will happen with glory at the end of the world
    • These are mentioned in the Pauline Epistle (this epistle is still read today on Theophany)
      • The first one (past): "11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,"
      • The second one (future): "13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,"
    • On this day, all obtain waters, carry it home, keep it all year (sometimes two or three years) and it does not spoil, but remains fresh. On this day, Christ was baptized and sanctified the nature of water
    • Why is it the day of His baptism, not the day of His Nativity, that is called Theophany?
      • Because Christ made Himself known to all
      • "John answered them, saying, 'I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know."' (John 1:26)
      • Even St John the Baptist did not know Him:
        • "I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’" (John 1:33)
      • Thus, if we want to understand the Nativity, we must understand His baptism

  • There are three kinds of baptism:
    1. There is a Jewish baptism which cleansed from bodily impurities, but not to remove sins.
      • Whoever committed adultery, stole, etc. it did NOT free him from guilt.
      • But whoever touched a dead body, ate unclean food, etc. was cleansed from ritual impurity.
      • "And whoever touches his bed shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening." (Leviticus 15:5)
    2. The Christian Baptism which manifests great grace, sets free from sin and cleanses the spirit and bestows the gifts of the Spirit
    3. The Baptism of John which is more sublime than the Jewish, but less than the Christian
      • A bridge between the two baptisms
      • John did not give guidance for bodily [ritual] purification but exhorted repentance; converting from vice to good deeds
      • "Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance," (Matthew 3:8)

  • John's Baptism was incomplete
    • It did not impart the Holy Spirit
    • It did not grant forgiveness by grace
    • It was powerless to absolve sins 
    • "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." (Matthew 3:11)
    • Acts 19
      • St Paul asked at Ephesus if the disciples had received the Holy Spirit when they believed
      • “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”
      • “Into what then were you baptized?”
      • “Into John’s baptism.”
      • "John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance," - repentance, not remission of sins - "saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.”
      • When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them
    • If it were not incomplete, would Paul have baptized them again and placed his hands on them?

  • For whom was Christ baptized? And by which baptism?
    • He had no sin
      • “Who committed no sin,
        Nor was deceit found in His mouth” (1 Peter 2:22)

      • "Which of you convicts Me of sin?" (John 8:46)

    • His flesh was already privy to the Holy Spirit
      • Since He was incarnate "of the Holy Spirit and of the Virgin Mary"
    • He did not need repentance
      • John spoke to people who came for his baptism: "Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance" (Matthew 3:8)
      • But to Christ: "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?" (Matthew 3:14)
    • Neither the Jewish, nor the Christian, nor John's Baptism

  • For two reasons - one spoken of by John, and the other by the Lord Christ
    1. That Christ should become known to the people: "that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water." (John 1:31)
      • St Paul says: "John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus." (Acts 19:4)
      • If John had gone door to door telling people "He is the Son of God" - it would have been suspicious
      • If John had gone to the Synagogues and witnessed to Him, it might be suspiciously fabricated
      • But when all the people came out from the cities to the Jordan and Christ came and the testimony came from the Father directly by a voice from heaven - and the coming of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, then John's testimony would be beyond questioning
      • And on top of that, John said "I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water." (John 1:31)
        • They were relatives (St Elizabeth and St Mary are relatives)
        • So the Holy Spirit organized it that St John spent all his early years in the wilderness so that it should not seem that John had declared his testimony out of friendship or kindred
        • How did he find out?
        • "And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.” (John 1:32-34)
      • The Holy Spirit did not descend on Christ to come upon Him or abide in Him or change Him, but in order to point Him out to all, like a finger

    2. “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” (Matthew 3:15)
      • What is righteousness?
        • "And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless." (Luke 1:6) - about Zacharias and Elizabeth
      • Since fulfilling this righteousness was necessary for all people, but no one kept it or fulfilled it, Christ came and fulfilled this righteousness
      • What righteousness is there in being baptized?
        • Obedience for a prophet was righteous
        • Christ was circumcised, offered sacrifices, kept the Sabbath, observed Jewish Feasts, so also He added this remaining thing: He was obedient to having been baptized by a prophet
        • St John was sent (by God) to baptize with water: "He who sent me to baptize with water" (John 1:33)
        • "And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him." (Luke 7:29-30)
        • If obedience to God constitutes righteousness, and God sent John to baptize the nation, then Christ also fulfilled this along with the other commandments

  • The Spirit Descended as a Dove
    • Where there is reconciliation with God, there is also a dove
    • Ark of Noah, the dove brought an olive branch - a sign of God's love of making and the end of the flood
    • And now, in the form of a dove (not in a body), the Spirit descended, announcing the universal mercy of God and showing with it, that the spiritual man needs to be gentle, simple, and innocent
    • But that ark, after the flood ended, remained on the earth. This ark, after the wrath ends, is taken to heaven and now this Immaculate and Imperishable Body sits at the right hand of the Father

St John Chrysostom ends the homily by giving instructions for receiving the Eucharist on this Feast

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