You are my beloved child
The Baptism of the Lord - C
Isaiah 40:1-5,9-11; Psalm 104:1-4,24-25,27-30; Titus 2:11-14;3:4-7; Luke 3:15-16,21-22;
The year 586 BC marked a turning point in Israel's history—a “double payment” for the nation’s sins, as described by the prophets (Jer. 16:18; Is. 40:2). In that devastating year, the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem, burned the Temple, and exiled the people. Yet, amidst this tragedy, the prophet known as “Second Isaiah” (Is. 40–66) delivered a message of hope from Babylon. He proclaimed that Israel’s “term of service is over, her iniquity is expiated” (Is. 40:2).
The prophet assures his audience that despite their national and personal tragedy, the God of Israel is in control of the historical events and cares for His people. He who created the world is also able to renew it by bringing back His people from exile (Is. 40:9-11). This theme is taken up by our responsorial psalm. The psalmist praises God for the creation of a perfect world where evil has no place. Everything depends on God and His creative Spirit. Without the Spirit everything perishes, but when the Spirit blows everything is renewed (Ps. 104:29-30; cf. Gen. 1:1-2).
As we move to the Gospel, we find the people filled with expectations (Luke 3:15). The longing for the Messiah, the offspring of the woman (Gen 3:15), is a constant thread in the Old Testament. The proof of this expectation are the genealogies found in many places in the Bible. The baptism of Jesus is sandwiched between the people’s expectations for the Messiah and Jesus’ genealogy that traces His family tree to Adam - the first human and the one responsible for our exile (Luke 3:23-38; Gen. 3:1-24).
The people’s unspoken question — Is John the Baptist the Messiah? — is answered with clarity. John emphatically declares that he is not the one they await. Both John’s voice from earth and the Father’s voice from heaven testify to Jesus’ uniqueness: He is mightier than John (Luke 3:16) and the beloved Son of the Father (Luke 3:22). Jesus is the long-awaited offspring of the woman, the fulfillment of God’s promises.
In Luke’s Gospel Jesus prays before all the major events in His life. He prayed before choosing the Twelve (Luke 6:12), before asking His disciples about His identity (Luke 9:18), before His transfiguration (Luke 9:28-29), and before His passion (Luke 22:40-44). At His baptism, as Jesus prays, the heavens open, the Spirit descends upon Him, and the Father’s voice proclaims His beloved Sonship (Luke 3:21-22). This same Spirit accompanies Jesus throughout His ministry and is handed back to the Father at His death, when the temple veil is torn, symbolizing open access to God (Luke 23:46). In Jesus Christ, divinity meets humanity; through Him we have an open access to the Father, in Him, we are transformed (see Titus 2:11-14).
Jesus’ baptism anticipates our own. When we are baptized, the Church prays for us, the heavens open, and the Holy Spirit descends upon us. The Father speaks the same words over us: “You are my beloved child.” Like a gentle shepherd, our Father leads us from the exile of sin back to the joy of His kingdom (Is. 40:9-11).
St. Paul beautifully captures this truth in our second reading: “He saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that we might be justified by His grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:5-7). Baptism is not merely a ritual; it is an encounter with the living God, who claims us as His own and bestows on us the gift of eternal life.
As we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord, let us remember our own baptism and the identity bestowed upon us: beloved children of God. May we live in the power of the Spirit, renewed daily by His grace, and proclaim the Good News of salvation to a world longing for hope and healing.