Catechesis – Faith Unto Ages

Why Christ Entered the Waters: A Doctrinal Study of Revelation and Fulfillment

When our Lord traveled from Galilee to the River Jordan , His cousin St. John the Baptist was preaching the necessity of repentance. Those that accepted the message of St. John would be baptized in water while also publicly confessing their sins (Mt 3:5-6). The rite of immersion in water was something which was shared with a certain Jewish sect known as the Essenes. Though debated, some scholars believe that St. John the Baptist may have been an Essene himself with his own following, or at least influenced by them; given not only their commonality in using water, but the use of apocalyptic language.

Now, with these words in mind: the baptism by which the forerunner was administering was very limited, as it was incapable of regenerating the soul, lacking the Grace of the Holy Spirit. Hence, it was not the Christian Sacrament of Holy Baptism.

To cite the Baptist directly:

“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

As we know from Divine Inspiration, Jesus was not in need of repentance, as He was without Sin (c.f. 1 Peter 2:22). This explains the objection of the Baptist: “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” (Matthew 3:14). These words alone demonstrate the sinlessness of the Lord. Yet, the Lord, in His humility, willfully condescended to the form of a sinner.

Or, to cite St. Gregory of Thaumaturgus:

“He approached him as one of the multitude, and humbled Himself among the captives though He was the Redeemer, and ranged Himself with those under judgment though He was the Judge, and joined Himself with the lost sheep though He was the Good Shepherd who on account of the straying sheep came down from heaven, and yet did not forsake His heavens, and was mingled with the tares though He was that heavenly grain that springs unsown.”

– On the Holy Theophany, or on Christ’s Baptism, Homily IV.

The Superiority of Biblical Cosmology over Pagan Creation Myths

Throughout history, man has made attempts to explain the origin of all things. This is evident when examining the various cosmological stories of antiquity, such as in the case of the ancient Egyptians and Babylonians who attributed the birth of existence to various deities. These deities had fallen human characteristics, ambitions, and interests.

To cite Holmon’s Quicksource:

“Egyptian and Babylonian (as well as the earlier Sumerian) creation myths were inherently polytheistic, with teeming masses of powerful but flawed gods competing for the spotlight… cohabitations, base motives, and warring between the chief gods led to the incidental creation of other gods as well as the earth, sky, sea, and all living things”

– Whorton, Mark S, and Hill Roberts. Holman Quicksource Guide to Understanding Creation. Nashville, Tennessee, Holman Reference, 2008, 41-42.

These deities of the said groups were not only limited, as they wrestled “with eternal matter to fashion heaven and earth” (Whorton, 37) but were unjust and grudging against the human race. For instance, the Babylonian Enuma Elish tells that the human race was created from the blood of the defeated Kingu, who was seen as being the commander of demons, from the underworld, and an enemy to “superior” deities. Consequently, a personal and loving relationship between humanity and the gods was lacking; as they were created not only as a result of conflict, but to perform difficult labors of the gods such as building, digging, etc.

On the contrary, the Holy Scriptures speak of there being One God that is completely good, just, eternal, omnipotent, sovereign, unlimited, and sacred. As such, He was not in need of any other assistance, nor in need of pre-existent matter to create; as He made all things out of nothing by His Word. The idea of a deity needing pre-existent matter was one shared with, and perhaps adopted, by Plato.

The Theology of the Holy Trinity – St. Gregory of Narek

“Beneficent, almighty, awe-inspiring God, good Father, charitable donor of mercy, whose very name heralds the good news of your grandeur, compassion and fatherly affection, you are gentle even toward the bitter and discontented.

With you also is your Son, who is like you, whose hand is strong like yours, whose awesome reign is eternal like yours, whose exaltation is shared with you in your creation.

So too the Holy Spirit of your truth, that flows from you without end, the perfect essence of existence and eternal being, is equal to you in all things, reigning with the Son in equal glory.

Three persons, one mystery, separate faces, unique and distinct, made one by their congruence and being of the same holy substance and nature, unconfused and undivided, one in will and one in action.

One is not greater, one is not lesser, not even by an eyelash, and because of the unobscurable light of heavenly love revealed in our midst both have been glorified with a single crown of holiness from before the ages.”

– (Speaking with God from the Depths of the Heart, Prayer 13, A).