17. The Baptism of Jesus

LINKS: Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21-22

BIBLE STORYTELLING: The Baptism of Jesus

PRAYING FOR THE GRACE

In the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius (scroll down for an explanation), we seek grace related to the passage for contemplation/meditation. Here is one you might like to pray daily as you walk with Jesus through His adult life: 

I seek the grace to see Jesus more clearly, love him more dearly, and follow him more nearly.

For some of my older readers, these words might sound familiar. These are lyrics from a song in the musical Godspell called “Day by Day.” Ignatius of Loyola adapted this grace prayer from Richard of Chichester who recited it in the 1200s. Ignatius incorporated it into the second “week” of the Spiritual Exercises.

Here is a crazy worship application: consider singing it or even dancing to it (I just did it on my walk). Here is a video of the cast singing it: 

BACKGROUND

17. The baptism of Jesus: Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21-22

Try this 20-minute recorded Imaginative Contemplation from Matthew 3. 

Consider a Visio Divina of this painting by Albani:

Francesco Albani. (2023, February 11).
In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francesco_Albani

After John's announcement, Jesus reappears after an 18-year absence from the narrative. Jesus came to "fulfill all righteousness" (Matthew 3:15) by being baptized; but the Law did not require baptism. What did He mean by this statement? Jesus did not need baptism for repentance, but he needed to identify with sinners.

Only Luke's account (Luke 3:21) states that Jesus was praying at His baptism (one could argue that He was always praying because He was always in connection with the Father). God broke into the course of HIS-story when the heavens were opened with the revelation of His Son! Doesn't it sound like Psalm 2:7 and Isaiah 42:1?  WOW!

The Holy Spirit descending like a dove marks a time when all three members of the Godhead: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are mentioned. 

REFLECTION/APPLICATION

It would have been amazing to be there when Jesus was baptized and Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were all present as One. Try the Loyola Method (I called it "Imaginative Contemplation" now) using the Imaginative Contemplation of the Baptism of Jesus from Contemplative at Home. It is lovely. 

Here it is in my Dropbox if she ever takes it off her website: Imaginative Contemplation from Matthew 3. 

And here is another lovely meditation that focuses on those words from God: "This is my BELOVED..." It is a favorite of mine!

Beloved by Andy Otto at God in All Things

It would have been amazing to be there when Jesus was baptized and Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were all present as One. Imaginative Contemplation is such a wonderful way of living in the scene with a front-row seat!

There are many different ways to approach Scripture. Here is a handout with some of them, including the one below:

Tools for Meditation and Study

Get Totally Involved -The Loyola Method

(Adapted from the “Spiritual Exercises” of Ignatius Loyola. He was a spiritual director in the 16^th century. The Loyola Method works better when you have a passage that involves a narrative story.)

PART ONE (Preparation)

a. In prayer, ask God for grace to direct your thoughts, words, and actions to service and praise of his Divine Majesty.

b. Read the passage upon which you intend to meditate. Read unhurriedly, but without attempting yet to meditate on the passage. Your goal now is simply to familiarize yourself with the passage.

c. Determine an objective for your meditation time and ask God to help you accomplish it. If the passage you choose, for example, is the account of Jesus’ birth in Luke 2:1–7, your objective may be a sense of awe and humility as you contemplate the mystery of your Savior’s entry into the world.

Usually, this preliminary request is formulated in terms of some emotion you wish God to give you as a result of your meditation. Ignatius Loyola believed that the ultimate purpose of meditation is application (that is, an act of the will), and that the will is motivated primarily by emotion rather than reason.

PART TWO (Meditation)

a. Visualize the scene. In the case of Luke 2:1–7, see in your mind the road from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Is it level, or does it wind through valleys and around hillsides? See Mary, in her ninth month of pregnancy, riding on a donkey, accompanied by Joseph who is perhaps leading an ox. They are going to Bethlehem to pay a tax. What kind of people are they passing on the way? Soldiers? Peasants? Merchants? Other families?

Study in your imagination the place of the Nativity. Is it spacious or cramped? Clean or dirty? Warm or cold? How is it furnished?

b. Assume the role of one of the characters in the passage, or of someone else who might be present. In Luke 2, for example, you could be the hotel’s servant or maid.

c. Now apply your five senses to the scene. Look carefully, watching all the action. Use your ears as you listen in on conversations. Apply your senses of smell and touch. What odors are present? What quality of garments are being worn? Feel the woodwork of the manger. Smell and feel the straw. Apply your sense of taste—is there anything there to eat?

d. Analyze your own feelings as a member of the scene. How do you feel about what is happening? How do you feel about the persons involved? How do you feel about yourself?

PART THREE (Conversation)

Talk to Joseph, Mary, or someone else in the scene. Talk to them about the thoughts that have come to your mind as you have meditated on this passage. Talk to God or to the Lord Jesus.
    

          This conversation should in most cases lead to some form of action or personal application. (Adapted From Discipleship Journal, Issue 6, 1981. Used by permission.)

PRAYER

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for coming to fulfill all righteousness and being righteousness on my behalf. We desire to do Your will, God. Amen.