The Baptism of Jesus

For those who have eyes to see (i.e., those who understand the history of the Kings of Israel), the baptism of Jesus is not a washing away of sin (the ordinary reason for people coming to be baptized by John the Baptist) but the moment when he is anointed as The Christ, the King. John plays the role of Samuel, who anointed (christened!) Saul and David as King of Israel. He is also cast in the role of Elijah, the prophet who was commonly expected to come back down from Heaven to anoint (christen!) the next "son of David" to fulfill the promises made in God's covenant with David (cf. Ps 89:1-38).

Unlike Samuel, John the Baptist did not use oil to anoint (christen!) Jesus as The Christ, the King. The Father Himself anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit, the reality symbolized by the prophet's oil of anointing. The Scriptures about Jesus' Baptism are ambiguous about who saw the Spirit and who heard the voice from Heaven.

Mark 1:7-11

And this is what he proclaimed: "One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the holy Spirit."

It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."

Matthew 3:13-17

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.

John tried to prevent him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?"

Jesus said to him in reply, "Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed him.

After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened (for him), and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove (and) coming upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, saying, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."

Luke 3:6-11

John answered them all, saying, "I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

Exhorting them in many other ways, he preached good news to the people.

Now Herod the tetrarch, who had been censured by him because of Herodias, his brother's wife, and because of all the evil deeds Herod had committed, added still another to these by (also) putting John in prison.

After all the people had been baptized and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, heaven was opened and the holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."