The Bible and Baptism: The Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist

Summary

Podcast Summary

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Episode Overview

Podcast: Catholic Bible Study
Host: Augustine Institute
Episode: The Bible and Baptism: The Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist (March 3, 2026)

This episode features an in-depth discussion led by scholars from the Augustine Institute Graduate School of Theology on the significance of John the Baptist and the baptism of Jesus as depicted in the Gospels. Building on prior episodes about baptism in the Old Testament, hosts explore the connections between John’s ministry, Old Testament prophetic fulfillment, and the deeper theological meaning of Jesus’ baptism—culminating in its implications for Christian life and the Church’s sacramental practice.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

John the Baptist’s Unique Ministry

(03:30–04:35)

• John stands out from contemporaneous Jewish practices by baptizing others, not just engaging in ritual self-washings (see 04:38).
• His behavior and appearance—camel’s hair clothing, locusts and wild honey diet—echo Old Testament figures and are intentionally “strange but attractive.”
• John’s ministry resonates deeply with first-century Jews longing for spiritual renewal and return from perceived exile.

Notable Quote

“What made John unique was that he was washing other people… That’s why they nicknamed him John the Plunger, because he was plunging the people under the water, which is strange and it was new. But there’s deep symbolic significance behind this.”
—Father Isaac Morales (04:04)

Old Testament Roots and Symbolism

(06:07–08:11)

• John fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah 40: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord.”
• The act of crossing the Jordan River references the Israelites’ entrance to the Promised Land, symbolizing a “redo” or new beginning for God’s people.
• John’s attire mirrors Elijah, reinforcing messianic expectations about Elijah’s return before the Messiah (09:25–09:47).

Notable Moment

“John is dressing in the same way as the prophet Elijah... Jesus, of course, later in the gospel says that John is Elijah because there was this expectation among first century Jews that Elijah would come back before the great and terrible day of the Lord.”
—Father Isaac Morales (09:25)

Baptism as Return and Repentance

(08:46–11:21)

• The people’s journey to John in the wilderness is a corporate act of repentance, reflecting the Old Testament’s understanding of both personal and communal sin.
• Biblical imagery (Jeremiah, Hosea) links the desert as the place of God’s courtship of Israel, emphasizing reconciliation and redemption.

Notable Quote

“It’s not just, oh, me, myself and I need my sins forgiven, it’s we as a people need to return to the Lord.”
—Father Isaac Morales (11:08)

John’s Baptism vs. Christian Baptism

(11:46–12:23)

• While John’s baptism signals repentance and anticipates the Messiah, the Christian sacrament is distinct: it both forgives personal and original sin and marks entry into new divine life.
• John’s words present his baptism as preparatory, promising that Christ “will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

The Baptism of Jesus: Theological Significance

(12:57–15:23)

• Jesus' submission to John's baptism (Mark 1) raises theological questions: Why would the sinless Christ seek a baptism of repentance?

• Jesus’ act is interpreted as “merciful solidarity” with humanity—identifying with sinners though He himself is sinless.

• Evocative reflection from Pope Benedict noted:

  “By the banks of the Jordan, Jesus blended in with the gray mass of sinners.”
  —Cited by the host (15:09)

• Jesus’ humility is contrasted with human tendencies toward self-justification or desire for recognition.

Baptism as Messianic Anointing and New Creation

(16:34–19:58)

• The coming of the Spirit at Jesus’ baptism reveals His identity as Messiah and marks His “installation as king.”
• Old Testament parallels: David’s anointing, Isaiah’s messianic prophecies, the image of the Spirit hovering at creation, and the dove after the flood evoke new creation themes.
• The Father declares Jesus the “beloved Son,” a royal, messianic title (18:00).

Notable Moment

“The baptism, Jesus’ baptism, is like his Messianic anointing. It’s his installation as the king—which, of course, he was already. But it’s, in a sense, a ceremonial enthronement.”
—Father Isaac Morales (18:21)

Mark’s Gospel: Baptism Foreshadows Crucifixion

(20:39–24:54)

• Mark’s narrative presents Jesus’ baptism as a hidden revelation; only Jesus “sees the heavens opened.” The public acknowledgment of His divine Sonship comes at the crucifixion, underscoring the paradox of messiahship found in humble self-offering.
• The tearing open of the heavens at baptism mirrors the tearing of the temple curtain at Jesus' death (see 22:34), connecting baptismal symbolism with Jesus’ sacrifice.
• The Roman centurion alone confesses Jesus as the “Son of God” at the cross (22:16–22:18), revealing the full meaning of Jesus’ mission.

Notable Quote

“The baptism anticipates and foreshadows the crucifixion. And it also shows what it means for Jesus to be the Son of God… He gives his life as a ransom…on the cross.”
—Father Isaac Morales (23:27)

Implications for Christian Baptism

(24:22–24:54)

• Jesus sets the pattern of humility and self-gift that all Christians are called to follow through baptism.
• Baptism incorporates believers into Christ’s life, death, and resurrection, summoning them to share His mission.

Notable Moment

“In our baptism, Paul says we’re sons of God…what that means is the cross. So Jesus’ life, death and resurrection is the pattern for our baptismal life.”
—Father Isaac Morales (24:22)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:30–04:35 – John the Baptist's unique ritual and name “John the Plunger”
• 06:07–08:11 – Old Testament symbolism and significance of the Jordan River
• 09:25–09:47 – John as the new Elijah
• 12:57–15:23 – The baptism of Jesus; humility, solidarity, and Pope Benedict’s insight
• 16:34–19:58 – The Spirit’s descent, messianic anointing, motif of new creation
• 20:39–24:54 – Markan secrecy, baptism-crucifixion parallels, meaning for Christian baptism

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Memorable Quotes

“By the banks of the Jordan, Jesus blended in with the gray mass of sinners.”
—Pope Benedict, as cited by the host (15:09)

“The baptism, Jesus’ baptism, is like his Messianic anointing…a ceremonial enthronement.”
—Father Isaac Morales (18:21)

“The baptism anticipates and foreshadows the crucifixion.”
—Father Isaac Morales (23:27)

“In our baptism…what that means is the cross. So Jesus’s life, death and resurrection is the pattern for our baptismal life.”
—Father Isaac Morales (24:22)

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Conclusion

This episode richly unpacks the biblical, historical, and theological depths of John’s and Jesus’ baptisms, highlighting their prophetic connections, symbolic fulfillment, and enduring significance for Christian identity and living. The hosts’ insightful dialogue—blending scholarship, humor, and pastoral application—makes a complex subject approachable, showing how the Gospel accounts both draw from and illuminate the larger story of God’s saving work for His people.

Next episode: A look at Christian baptism and how believers participate in these mysteries.

Transcript

[A]

Friends, welcome back to this formed book study on Father Isaac Morales new book, the Bible and the Fountain of Salvation. Father, thank you for being back here with us.

[B]

Thank you for having me.

[A]

It's great for a third episode in the previous one for those of you who may not have seen it. Well, actually hit pause and go back and watch. Was a lot of fun. We kind of got into the Old Testament and how much we can glean about the mystery of baptism from close reading of the Old Testament. And in this third episode, I want to forge ahead just in kind of the same path that your book takes and get into the New Testament. Now, when we think about the New Testament and baptism, maybe the first person we think of is John the Baptist. This is the first place that we have a kind of explicit reference to this sort of ritual baptism. Even though we have these ritual washings in the Old Testament, there seems to be something new going on with John the Baptist. I do feel like I should mention I've always had a special affinity for John the Baptist. Well, actually for all kinds of good and serious reasons, but also because I grew up Baptist and so I used to be John the Baptist myself.

[B]

I don't approve of that.

[A]

Forgive me, Father.

[B]

We can talk afterwards.

[A]

Well, all right, we'll do it afterwards. Not on the air. But of course, John the Baptist is very important in the Gospels. He appears as a herald of Christ, the forerunner or precursor we often call him in all four Gospels. So when Father and I were talking about maybe what we should look at, we decided to go with the Gospel of Mark. If you're familiar with the traditional way of aligning the four living creatures that show up in Ezekiel and Revelation with the Gospels, you know that Mark is the lion because he sort of comes out roaring and dives right into it instead of having a kind of wind up like, like Matthew, Luke and John do. So if you have a Bible, why don't you go ahead and turn with us to Mark chapter one and we'll jump over the prologue, not because it's unimportant, but because it's so rich that we bogged down. We'd never get out. We'd never. So we're going to go straight to verse four. And there we read John appeared, right? This is what I mean. Mark just gets to the point. John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the River Jordan, confessing their sins. Now, John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, after me comes one who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. So, Father, let's start unpacking this. What is going on here? Right. This guy shows up in the wilderness, baptizing. But it seems to mean something to people because people are responding to this, right? The whole. It says all the country of Judea and Jerusalem are going out to him, and we're being baptized. What's going on?

[B]

Well, let's just say, first of all, John was a strange man, right. Clothed in camel hair, eating locusts and honey.

[A]

One of my professors in graduate school, whom you also studied with when you were doing your master's at Notre Dame, used to quip that what John the Baptist really needed was a career counselor. A haircut and a career counselor.

[B]

That's great. Yeah. John is doing something new. Strange, but attractive. Obviously, the people felt this need for repentance, and it was different from what was going on. We spoke this morning about how there were rituals at the temple that people could perform for atoning for sins. But for some reason, the people thought, no, we need this extra thing. And I think it's probably the same professor that you mentioned.

[A]

Is it?

[B]

Yes, probably. Okay, I'll go ahead and name him. Cause I'll give credit for this. Father John Meyer, who's this great New Testament scholar. He's now retired.

[A]

But, no, this was the career counselor guy's John Kevin.

[B]

Oh, John Kevin. That's great. Yeah.

[A]

That sounds more like him.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. But no, yeah. Monsignor Meyer said on. This is really good, too.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. So Monsignor Meyer had a great line. He said. So he pointed out that what is strange about John is that. Well, one of the things that's strange about John. So the Jews had plenty of ritual washings, Right. They would cleanse themselves before entering the temple for various reasons and all that. What made John unique was that he was washing other people. And so Monsignor Meyer said that's why they nicknamed him John the Plunger, because he was plunging the people under the water, which is strange and it was new. But there's deep symbolic significance behind this. So all of the Gospels associate John with this passage from Isaiah. Isaiah, chapter 40, which we skipped over, understandably. So the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. And this is from the second part of Isaiah, which like the book of Ezekiel, speaks of this promise that God is going to redeem and restore Israel. And in a sense, that happened about 70 years after the exile when Cyrus the king of the Persians, freed the Israelites and allowed them to go back to the land. But for at least some first century Jews, it hadn't been fully accomplished. There was still something wrong. They were under the Romans, they were oppressed, and a lot of the promises didn't seem to have been completely fulfilled. And so John seems to be tapping into this hope, or at least the Gospel writers are presenting him as tapping into this hope.

[A]

You know, as you say this, it occurs to me that that seems to be supported by the very beginning of Matthew, where we get that genealogy that actually is really rich and there's a ton to talk about in there. But, you know, he divides it into these. It's kind of stylized. He divides it in these three sets of 14, and it says that they go. And he actually summarizes it in Matthew 1:17. So all the generations from Abraham to David were 14 generations. So we have the great patriarch Abraham, our father in faith, and then we have the great king David, who becomes in many ways a model for all kingship after that in Israel. And from David to the deportation to Babylon, the exile 14 generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ, 14 generations. And it's interesting, he doesn't say anything about a return from exile. Right, right. It talks about the exile and then we're kind of left hanging. And then what's the kind of endpoint to that? He says the Christ. Right? Yeah, right, yeah.

[B]

So that's much more pronounced in Matthew, but it's implicit there in Mark's Gospel. Now, the other interesting thing about what John is doing is that he goes out to the River Jordan. And the River Jordan was charged with symbolic significance because. So first the Israelites came out of Egypt through the waters of the Red Sea. Then they had to wander in the wilderness because they were bad boys and girls. But eventually God led them into the land through Joshua. And how did they get into the land? They passed through the waters of the river Jordan and the waters parted. Just as the waters of the Red Sea parted.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And so John goes out into the wilderness and people have to go out to the other side of the River Jordan, and then they're immersed in water. Because of course, baptism originally was done by plunging John the plunger. Right. Plunging people underneath the water and then they re. Enter the promised land. So it's this symbolic enactment of returning to the land.

[A]

Yeah. Omi. It's almost like they're saying like, all right, we need a redo reboot. We gotta go back to the beginning.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

That's actually really touching when I think about it. In the last episode when we were Talking about Ezekiel 36, you talked about how the relationship between God and Israel is presented in the Old Testament at times as a kind of marriage.

[B]

Right.

[A]

As like this. This deeply intimate relationship. And I think many of us might be able to relate to that. Right. That sometimes you got to be able to go.

[B]

I mean, me not so much, but

[A]

in a different way. In a different way, yes. But you know, even. Even in non romantic relationships, just, you know.

[B]

Yeah. Just regular friendships, things kind of go south.

[A]

Yeah. That need for reconciliat. And isn't it in Jeremiah and Hosea talking about the desert as where God courted his bride? Right.

[B]

And Jeremiah also has this beautiful prophecy about the forgiveness of sins in Jeremiah 31. So when John is preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, that also would have tapped into that. So there's all sorts of.

[A]

So this is something people would understand. Right. If they're formed by these scriptures, they should. Yeah. Then they at least have a fighting chance of understanding what John's doing out there. What about his clothing? Is it just like a strange fashion sense?

[B]

No, what's going on with that is John is dressing in the same way as the prophet Elijah did in the first and second book of Kings. He was known to wear camel skin and a leather girdle.

[A]

Oh, interesting.

[B]

Yeah. And Jesus, of course, later in the gospel says that John is Elijah because there was this expectation among first century Jews that Elijah would come back before the great and terrible day of the Lord.

[A]

Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but in gosh, I guess it's at the beginning of two Kings when Elijah doesn't die, but he's taken into heaven. Doesn't that happen at the River Jordan?

[B]

Yeah, well, yeah. He crosses the river Jordan out of the land and then he's taken.

[A]

Oh my gosh. That's really cool. That's really cool. Okay, wow. All right. Maybe one more question about this. If I can remember what that question was, was going to be. I think there. I think there was one. Oh, you know, I know I was thinking about this, that like, okay, people responded to this even though it was something new. He was drawing all these things from the Old Testament that Jewish people would have been familiar with and they would recognize their need for it. Like, is that something that we can learn from today? Right, with respect to the waters of baptism and, like, this need for reconciliation?

[B]

Yeah, I think so. And if I see where you're going, I think, are you asking about maybe the corporate dimension, or would that be one thing that we could talk about? I mean, of course, all of us have personal sins, but then the ancient Israelites had a much better sense of the corporate nature of sin. Right. You had both. You have, for example, David's repentance in 2 Samuel 12. You have Psalm 51, which is associated with that event. But then you also have these prayers, of course, corporate repentance. And so that's, I think, part of what's going on here as well. It's not just, oh, me, myself, and I need my sins forgiven, it's we as a people need to return to the Lord.

[A]

No, that's beautiful. No, I think that's right. And I think it works maybe at both levels, but it's beautiful to see in this particular historical context how God provides that path to reconciliation when we realize things are broken, things are not the way they should be. Yeah. I just think it's interesting to ponder, what does John the Baptist look like today? Right.

[B]

Well, and the other thing is that baptism is for the forgiveness of sins. Right. The Christian baptism, which I should clarify, John's baptism is not the same thing as Christian baptism. It's a precursor to it. It probably helped shape early Christian understanding of baptism. But there's two different rites. But the Christian sacrament of baptism is also for the forgiveness of sins, for the healing of original sin. And, okay, babies don't have personal sins to be forgiven, but when an adult comes to faith who has never been baptized, all of the sins that they've committed beforehand are destroyed in the waters of baptism.

[A]

Wow. Yeah. And then, you know what he says here? It's interesting in some ways, what he's doing seems to link to that promise that we read about in the last episode in Ezekiel 36. But then he contrasts what he's doing with what Jesus is going to do.

[B]

Right.

[A]

He says he's a baptized holy Spirit. And if I'm not mistaken, in Ezekiel 36, it says, I'm putting my spirit within you. So it's almost like, well, he's the forerunner. He's pointing to this deeper fulfillment in Jesus. So speaking of Jesus, why don't we go on and see what Happens next.

[B]

Okay, so Mark gives us a nice short little account. He says, in those days, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, you are my beloved son. With you I am well pleased. Three little verses that are packed. There's so much in there.

[A]

All right, Father, take it apart.

[B]

Where do you want me to begin? Well, here's where I'll begin, because this is a question that people frequently raised. So John preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

[A]

Oh, wait, I think I see why. Is Jesus.

[B]

Yeah, what's Jesus doing? Going to be baptized.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And this is why I mentioned a little earlier this notion of corporate as opposed to individual sin. So there are a number of passages in the Old Testament. For example, Daniel, In Daniel, Chapter 9, Daniel expresses this prayer of repentance. He says, we have sinned. You know, please turn back to us. You know, restore us. Did Daniel sin? I mean, yes, he had sins, but he's not the one who did.

[A]

That part of the Book of Daniel, like, really emphasizes his righteousness.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. He wasn't, you know, worshiping. He was willing to give his life rather than worshiping God. Exactly. So it's not his own personal sin, but he identifies in solidarity with his people and confesses their corporate sin. See, a similar thing in the Book of Nehemiah. There's another prayer of repentance, but it's not for his personal sins. Yeah. There are all sorts of people in the Old Testament. So Jesus isn't going because, oh, darn, I screwed up. Our Lord doesn't sin, but he does mercifully identify with us and with his people.

[A]

Wow. Yeah. Well, and I mean, I guess, you know, Mark doesn't record it, but Matthew does like John's resistance to baptizing him. And I gotta say, I feel that. Oh, yeah, like, that humility is really tremendous.

[B]

It's part of the scandal of the incarnation. He's not ashamed to identify with sinners.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

There was that beautiful line that you mentioned this morning from Pope Benedict.

[A]

Yeah. So in Pope Benedict's volume, We'll come

[B]

back to this maybe later.

[A]

Yeah. On just the book, Jesus of Nazareth, the first main chapter, I think, is on the baptism. And he says this, that by the banks of the Jordan, Jesus blended in with the gray mass of sinners.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And I just remember, I don't think it really hit Me, the first time I read that book, I think it was the second or third time that really struck me because I realized how unlike Jesus I am. And I've even made this joke with students when I taught about the baptism, that if I were the sinless son of God and my prophet was out there baptizing people for repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, maybe I'd go down there to show that I'm merciful. I can be, you know, hang around the regular folks. But I'd wear, like, a sandwich board with, like, flashing Christmas lights on it that they invented those when I was born, apparently. And there'd be like, a big neon sign that says, like, sinless son of God, not a sinner. Don't get confused. You know, and just the humility of our Lord and going down and just. And there is, you know, Matthew gives us that resistance. But there's something powerful, too, about just the simplicity of Mark just saying that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. But presumably what happened next didn't happen every time a regular sinner got baptized.

[B]

It didn't happen at my baptism.

[A]

Well, that you saw.

[B]

Yeah, I didn't see a dove, but no. Yeah, there's rich imagery here where he says he came up out of the water and immediately saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove and the descent of the Spirit. There's so much we could say about that. I would like to just focus on two things. One is the Spirit is typically associated with the Messiah. Messiah simply means anointed one in Hebrew. And David, of course, is one of the first. There are actually lots of messiahs in the Old Testament. Oh, right. Anybody who's anointed. Anybody who's anointed. And when Samuel anoints David in 1 Samuel 16, the Spirit rushes upon him. And then this was taken up by the prophets as a hope for the future Messianic deliverer. So, beginning of Isaiah, chapter 11. Isaiah says, There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And Jesse, in case you don't remember, is David's father. So, of course, this is. Is a Davidic thing. And he says, and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. So when the Spirit comes down upon Jesus at his baptism, the Gospel writers, well, the Lord himself, the Father is indicating, this is my beloved.

[A]

This is the one that I was talking about, this is the Messiah. Yeah.

[B]

And that's an important part of the significance of the phrase my beloved son, because in the Old Testament, it was the king, it was David's descendant, who is referred to as the Son. You see this in the covenant that God establishes with David in 2nd Samuel 7, Psalm 2, Psalm 89. There are all sorts of places where.

[A]

Psalm 132.

[B]

Yeah, it's all over the place, everywhere. The beloved Son is the messianic king. So the baptism, Jesus. Baptism is like his Messianic anointing. It's his installation as the king, which of course, he was already. But it's, in a sense, a ceremonial enthronement.

[A]

Well, in a way, then we have an answer to that kind of problem that Matthew presents us with. We had David, we had his sons. And then the line seems to break off. We have the deportation of Babylon. Now we have the Christ.

[B]

Right, exactly. That's why you refers to him in that way.

[A]

Wow. Okay. All right, what's next?

[B]

Well, one other thing about the Spirit, the other, I think, important symbolism here is that the Spirit is also associated with creation. And so the baptism is a kind of new creation. You have lots of passages.

[A]

Sorry, are you thinking of the Spirit hovering over the waters?

[B]

Yeah, that's one passage that I have in mind at the beginning of Genesis. Yeah. That the Spirit was hovering over the waters. So the Hebrew word for spirit can be translated in a number of ways, but the imagery there of hovering is the image of a bird hovering.

[A]

Right, right.

[B]

So you have that, but then you also have, of course, the flood. And at the end of the flood, Noah sends out the dove.

[A]

The dove.

[B]

And Noah is portrayed as a new Adam. The emergence of the land after the flood is like a new creation.

[A]

Oh, wow.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Well, even is it Psalm 104. Lord, send forth your spirit, and they

[B]

shall be created, and you shall renew the face of the earth. Okay.

[A]

All right, all right, I buy it. All right, go on.

[B]

Okay, so those are things that are common to Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Actually, they have all three of those elements. The spirit descending, the voice and the address of my beloved Son.

[A]

Okay, so somehow what you're saying is even though he blends in with the gray mass of sinners, and we don't necessarily see it. It doesn't seem to be clear that it's not like everybody was there, saw the spirit come out. So they just see something ordinary. Yeah, but what, in fact is happening is the Father's identifying Jesus as the new king.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

And he's what, somehow, like, beginning this new creation. Mm.

[B]

Okay. That's.

[A]

Yeah, that's pretty cool.

[B]

Well, and it's funny that you say that like nobody else noticed, because the way Mark tells the story, nobody else did notice.

[A]

Right.

[B]

Because it says he saw the heavens being torn open and the spirit descending on him like a dove. Mark has this motif of secrecy that nobody knows. So no human being in Mark's Gospel addresses him as the Son of God until he dies on the cross. And this is intentional on Mark's part. Lots of interpreters have seen this. I didn't come up with it on my own, but.

[A]

Well, look. Should we look at that?

[B]

Yeah, let's do that. Because there are some very interesting.

[A]

Maybe that'd be a good place to wrap up. Yeah. So what you're saying, too, is that it's not just an isolated event when Mark records the baptism, that we're gonna see connections to this elsewhere. Okay. Yeah.

[B]

No, it's foreshadowing Jesus death.

[A]

All right, let's see the.

[B]

So, look, I won't read all of it because it would take a little bit too long, but we'll start at mark 1535, I guess. Why not? Right. And so. And some of the bystanders hearing it said, behold, he is calling Elijah. So Jesus had just made.

[A]

Which connects to John the Baptist, right. He is Elijah.

[B]

Right. And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down. And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion who stood facing him saw that in this way, he breathed his last, he said, truly, this man was the Son of God.

[A]

And that's the only time that a human being calls him Son of God.

[B]

First and last time in Mark's Gospel that a human being calls him the Son of God. Now, there's this beautiful parallelism because at the baptism, Jesus goes down into the water and he's submerged because John's plunging people. Right. That's what baptism is symbolic of. Death, in a sense.

[A]

Right. You mentioned last episode, the waters of death.

[B]

Right. So he dies, in a sense, symbolically. Then he comes up and the heavens are torn open. And Mark is unique in using this language of being torn open. Matthew and Luke say the heavens were opened. Mark says it was torn open. Jesus dies. The curtain of the temple is torn in two. And then, same verb yeah, same verb in Greek. Wow. And then the voice comes from heaven. You are my beloved Son. As Turin says, truly this man was the Son of God. So Mark is intentionally connecting these two things. The baptism anticipates and foreshadows the crucifixion. And it also shows what it means for Jesus to be the Son of God. It doesn't mean that he's going to be this warrior who's going to. I'll refrain from a phrase that I like to use that's not fit for video, but beat up on people, you

[A]

know, whoop up on them.

[B]

No, what it means for him to be the Son of God is that he gives himself completely. He gives him life as a ransom, as he says in Mark, chapter 10, on the cross.

[A]

So that. And that's actually another connection. Right. Between these episodes. Right. We talked about the incredible humility of Jesus at the baptism. It's like, well, if that's incredible, I mean, the humility of his passion and death is just overwhelming. Right. He's seen not just as a sinner, but as a criminal, as an enemy of the Roman state, as an enemy of the people that he came to save.

[B]

As a deceiver.

[A]

As a deceiver. Right. All those things. As a blasphemer. That's just astonishing. And yet it's precisely in that humility, that gift of himself, that his identity is first, I guess, revealed by the Father, even though it's a secret, but then to the centurion, recognizes him as a Son of God.

[B]

Yeah. And this might be a good way to wrap up this episode is so, of course, Jesus. Well, so first John's baptism is not Christian baptism. And then Jesus baptism, of course, is particularly unique. Right. He's the Messiah. We're not. But it is the pattern that we're called to conform to through our baptism. Because in our baptism, Paul says we're sons of God through our baptism. And what that means is the cross. So Jesus life, death and resurrection is the pattern for our baptismal life.

[A]

Well, that's. Yeah, I think that's a great segue to the next episode where we'll be talking. You know, we've talked about the Old Testament. We talked about John the Baptist and Jesus baptism. And now we're going to talk about Christian baptism, the baptism that we've received and how that sort of takes up these threads that we've been talking about. So I hope you're able to join us for the next episode. Father, thank you once again.

[B]

Thank you.

[A]

God bless.