With Opened Bible
Baptism
“I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Matthieu 1)
The second Sunday of Advent invites us to contemplate the grace of baptism, which opens the way to salvation. Baptism in the Bible is presented from several perspectives: repentance and adoption. With Saint John, baptism marked by repentance: "All Judea, and the whole region around the Jordan were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins." (Matthew 3) This baptism was offered to those who didn't know what to do after becoming aware of their sins. But it was without guarantee. That is why John didn't hesitate to tell them that another would come after him for a greater baptism, that is, Jesus.
The second baptism is what we call Christian baptism. Jesus proclaimed and commanded the apostles before he departed for heaven: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:19-20) The Church, the new Israel in the Spirit and Body of Christ, is formed with the living stones that are the baptized. But it was at Pentecost that God gave it to us. (Acts 2) The baptism proclaimed by Jesus is more than a
baptism of repentance declared by John in the desert. It is the gateway through which the Spirit passes to make us adopted children: "For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, through whom we cry, 'Abba, Father!'" The Spirit itself bears witness with our Spirit that we are children of God." (Romans 8:15-16)
Throughout the ages, there have been clashes between the baptism of John and that of Christ, highlighting their spiritual significance. The Book of Acts gives us an echo of this when Saint Paul asked the Johannites with what baptism they had been baptized? "Did you receive the holy Spirit when you became believers?" They answered him, "We have never even heard that there is a holy Spirit."He said, "How were you baptized?" They replied, "With the baptism of John. Paul then said, "John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus." When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus." (Acts 19: 2-5)The coming of Jesus brings us into God's covenant, not as enslaved people but as adopted sons and daughters.
