The Baptisms of the Lord

Gospel Reflection for January 12, 2025 - Luke 3:15-16, 21-22

And as the people were of opinion, and all were thinking in their hearts of John, that perhaps he might be the Christ;

John answered, saying unto all: I indeed baptize you with water; but there shall come one mightier than I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to loose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

Now it came to pass, when all the people were baptized, that Jesus also being baptized and praying, heaven was opened;

And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape, as a dove upon him; and a voice came from heaven: Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. (Luke 3:15-16, 21-22 DRA)

Since the other readings for this Sunday include multiple options, some of which you may or may not hear at Mass, I will focus particularly on the Gospel for my reflection.

Today is the great Solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord in the Jordan by St. John the Baptist. As with all of Scripture, especially events of the life of Christ, there are an infinite number of things to talk about, and many angles by which to do so, but I would like to focus on a specific part of these four verses which might seem confusing or ambiguous: what is the distinction between the baptism “with the Holy Ghost” and the baptism “with fire” which St. John mentions? Since the Holy Ghost appears in the form of tongues of fire at Pentecost, there would seem to be no need to make this distinction, yet St. John does so.

I think there are a few important reasons why St. John described the higher, sacramental baptism which Christ would institute as a participation in His own baptism for the Church, what is the beginning of the Christian life when we receive sanctifying grace in our soul with the indwelling of the Holy Ghost, incorporation into the Body of Christ and the purging of all sin, using two different terms. To explain these reasons, it’s helpful to include a verse that was skipped in today’s reading, namely verse 17: “Whose fan is in his hand, and he will purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his barn; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

This prophetic metaphor for Christ goes some way in uniting these two images of baptism. The Holy Ghost is the divine Person who effects the gathering of the wheat into the barn, leading those who remain faithful to Christ and persevere in His grace into Heaven, while the chaff is those who are burned with the unquenchable fire of Hell for their rejection of Christ and their separation from God by unrepentant mortal sin. St. Bede made an important connection here to the Church, reminding us that this verse does not merely distinguish Christians from non-Christians but especially pertains to the judgment of those who claim to follow Christ:

For by the floor is represented the present Church, in which many are called but few are chosen. The purging of which floor is even now carried on individually, when every perverse offender is either cast out of the Church for his open sins, (by the hands of the Priesthood,) or for his secret sins is after death condemned by Divine judgment. And at the end of the world it will be accomplished universally, when the Son of Man shall send His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom every thing that has offended. (Catena Aurea)

This is an eschatological reason for St. John’s double imagery for baptism. It can also be drawn out further and applied to our lives today, as we strive, for better or worse, toward the final judgment and anticipate it by our lives of virtue or vice. A Greek expositor wrote,

By these words then, He shall baptize with the Holy Spirit, He signifies the abundance of His grace, the plenteousness of His mercy; but lest any should suppose that while to bestow abundantly is both in the power and will of the Creator, He will have no occasion to punish the disobedient, he adds, whose fan is in his hand, shewing that He is not only the rewarder of the righteous, but the avenger of them that speak lies. But the fan expresses the promptitude of His judgment. For not with the process of passing sentence on trial, but in an instant and without any interval he separates those that are to be condemned from the company of those that are to be saved. (Catena Aurea)

One possible reason why this verse was left out of today’s reading, despite following logically from verse 16, is due to an erroneous picture of Christ which many people maintain. It is preferable, and indeed easier, to think only of “Jesus meek and mild,” the kind and merciful Savior who forgives all sins, eats with extortioners and prostitutes, and lays down His life for our salvation. But, as the expositor said, this is only one part, and a distortion, of who Christ really is. He is kind, merciful, patient, forgiving all who repent with humble contrition and giving everyone the ability to obtain the grace necessary for salvation.

But He is also the King and the Judge: the infinitely perfect God who tolerates no sin and gives to those who do not want Him exactly what they wish. He brings about true justice, rectifying wrongs through restoration and punishment. He rarely showed this side of Himself during His earthly mission, since He came “not to judge the world, but to save the world.” (Jn 12:47) Nevertheless, when He comes again, it will be as the Judge of Heaven and Earth: “He that believeth in him is not judged. But he that doth not believe, is already judged: because he believeth not in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (Jn 3:18) In this way, the baptism of the Holy Ghost indicates the profound mercy of God, while the baptism of fire shows forth His justice.

There is another reason for St. John’s double imagery which I would also like to mention. It can be understood using concepts from the Ignatian spiritual exercises, that of consolation and desolation, with consolation being that sense in prayer of reassurance and peace from God in our spiritual progress, while desolation is a feeling of attack from Satan through temptation, disquietude and turmoil. Both, in fact, can be beneficial, with desolation often showing us that we are on the right track, since the devil is expending such energy to dissuade us, whereas for those who obey him in sin, he is ready to give them worldly rewards such as power and pleasure, the same seductions with which he tempted Christ in the desert.

Likewise, the baptism of the Holy Ghost represents the consolations we receive from God, including the goodness and beauty of Creation which remind us of God (if we treat creatures as gifts rather than idols), the balm of grace received in the Church and the interior tranquility, wisdom and promptness in charity of the Spirit. On the other hand, the baptism of fire represents our participation in the Cross, as we carry our own crosses willingly and offer our sufferings to God as a spiritual sacrifice of love for the amendment of our sins. This is the baptism about which Christ spoke to the apostles: “Can you drink of the chalice that I drink of: or be baptized with the baptism wherewith I am baptized?” (Mk 10:38)

Jesus did not speak here of His baptism by St. John but of His baptism on the Cross through the fire of suffering. It is not enough for Christians simply to believe in Him, repent of our sins and do good works: we must also suffer as He did, bearing our afflictions, whatever they may be, and offering them to God. The effects of this sacrifice may be invisible, but faith tells us that it conforms us to Christ most perfectly; hence why the martyrs have always been so beloved by Christians for their heroic demonstration of Christ’s perfect act of self-sacrificial love.

As we celebrate this great feast day, may we remember our own baptism, even if we were too young to recall it directly, holding true to our baptismal vows to reject Satan and all his works and pomps and to cling to Christ no matter what storms life throws at us. The best way to do this is through the Sacrament of Penance, by which Christ restores us to the state of sanctifying grace and participation in divine life when we were made a new creation and born again at our baptism.