In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, one God, Amen.
“Behold!” says the Forerunner, “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) For both the Offering and the Offerer, both the Sacrifice and the High Priest, comes forward to be baptised by the Greatest of all the Prophets. “John would have prevented Him,” recounts the Evangelist, “saying, ‘I need to be baptised by You, and do You come to me?’” For Christ does not need cleansing, does not need baptism, does not need purification—our Paschal Lamb is spotless.
But Christ comes for a different purpose. He had said to His namesake, Joshua which is also Jesus, the son of Nun, centuries earlier,
Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel.
Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.
From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory.
No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.
Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.
Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.
— Joshua 1:2–7
Yet the children of Israel did not keep to the Law given through Moses so the Lord Himself has come to retake the land, to drive out His enemies, to institute the Kingdom of Peace. Let us join with Him, let us purify ourselves that we may be inheritors with Him. But this will require of us much, for the Lord will cross over so that He will teach and preach but also so that He will be mocked and ridiculed, so that He will suffer and die. This is no victory parade nor triumphant march. He crosses over that He may bear His Cross, the ultimate symbol of suffering, pain and humiliation which has become for us the symbol of Life.
Yes, let us join with Him. Join with Him in the healings, the teachings, the raising of the dead, but let us, too, join with Him both on the Mount of Transfiguration and the Mount of Crucifixion that we may join with Him in His Way, His Truth and His Life.
To our crucified and risen God and Saviour Jesus Christ, Who deigned to be baptised by John in the Jordan for my sake, be all glory, honour and worship, together with His unoriginate Father and the All-holy, Good and Life-giving Spirit. Amen.
Titus, my son, the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men, training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world, awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of the great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us, not because of deeds done by us in righteousness, but in virtue of his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit, which he poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life.
— Titus 2:11–14, 3:4–7
At that time, Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptised by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptised by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus was baptised, he went up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and alighting on him; and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
— Matthew 3:13–17