"Jesus of Nazareth" Chapter One

"Jesus of Nazareth" by Pope Benedict XVI

Chapter One: The Baptism of Jesus

I just finished my second full read of Chapter One, and enjoyed it very much. I'm not going to review the contents because they are in total harmony with my thought and beliefs, and I am very glad that the Holy Father has written such a truthful and inspiring account. He provides such pertinent historical and theological context that it truly gives the reader a "door" into that place and time of Jesus.

I am going to try to offer with each chapter my suggestion of a guiding principle based on what Benedict has written that will help with the contemplation of the chapter after being read. When one reads a book like this one that Benedict has written about Jesus, there is potential for real perspective shifting, excellent faith formation, and a new and renewed vision of what has been written, especially if it is reviewed several times and time is given for discussion and pondering.

For this chapter the guiding principle I'd like to offer is that everyone should remember that God the Father and Jesus the Son have very simple and clear motivations for all that they do, or allow to happen. When people wonder, for example, why Jesus underwent baptism, many theories are put forth. Pope Benedict does an excellent job of exploring and validating reasons "why" Jesus was baptized and I agree with his analysis. I want to help readers avoid one risk, however. There is a difference between the reason "why" God does something, and the implications, results, and consequences of that action, which are harmonious with God's will. When one analyzes why God does something, it is a blurry line into listing all the implications of that action as coequal "whys."

Jesus was baptized because as the Son of God being born as a human, it is the correct thing to do. All people should be baptized, and Jesus started his public ministry as the perfect role model. So the "why" of Jesus' baptism is exactly what he said, and Benedict quotes, "it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness" (Matthew 3:15). God the Father throughout the Bible, and Jesus the Son of God, demonstrate that they say what they mean and mean what they say. It is human beings that feel the need to read extra meaning and hidden messages into even their simplest statements. We see that a lot with social engineers who cherry pick and then distort Biblical messages.

Now I am not criticizing at all Benedict's analysis, far from it; in fact I am endorsing all of his thoughts in this chapter. But I suggest that readers separate the "why" from the "subsequent implications." For example, the "why" of Jesus' baptism is that being baptized is the right thing to do for all humankind (and notice the dialogue with John the Baptist illuminates that Jesus is saying that all should receive baptism, even if they don't "need it" (and Jesus is the only example of that) and more directly to human nature, even if you "think you don't need it.") So Jesus is stating that this is a rule, a sacrament, that all must follow.

The reason it is necessary is not because it is a "ritual" or a "key" to a Church, although people are not wrong when they say this is true, because it is a valid implication of baptism. The reason baptism is necessary is that it is the moment, maybe the only time in a sinner's life, that one is formally acknowledging that God exists, that humans are born in sin, and that human will is subordinate to God's will. Baptism is the first "reality check" of a person's life, in making clear God's existence and humans' relationship.

This is illuminated by the skies opening, the Holy Spirit appearing over Jesus, and God's voice heard saying "This is my beloved Son." Jesus is showing all the people that baptism is the moment of the reality of a relationship between God and the baptized. That was why God spoke and the Holy Spirit appeared.

So the reason for the necessity of baptism is the cleansing of original sin by forging a covenant with God, by acknowledging his existence and the reality of the baptized person being in communion with God, and saved through God's grace. Jesus got baptized for that reason and that reason alone, because it is the fulfillment of all righteousness.

Now, all the other reasons that Benedict explores, all of them quite correct, are implications of the "why.' For example, Benedict correctly points out that this is the first appearance of the Trinity together, God the Father's voice, God the Son's physical appearance, and the descending of the Holy Spirit. But this is not "why" Jesus was baptized; it is an implication or result of his being baptized. The risk of confusing subsequent events with the simple overarching reason is that humans might tend to attribute to God script writing and stage crafting tendencies. God does not sit down with a list of "things to do and messages to send" and then decide that having Jesus baptized hits all ten reasons on the list.

To think like that is an attempt to bring God down to a human's level of agendas and hidden messages, and that is erroneous. However, it is illuminating and accurate to list and analyze all of the implications for the original "why," as the Pope does very well. As another example, Benedict writes how Jesus sinks into the water as a metaphor for taking on all the sins of humankind. This is true but it is an implication and a metaphor, not a "why." God and Jesus did not have a huddle and decide, "Well, how do we get across to people that I will collect all their sins, and then die and resurrect? Do we use the image of a book? A fire? Ah, I've got it. Let's use baptism as the stage set, as the classroom lesson board." We know they do not do that because at all points in the Bible God and his Prophets are exceedingly clear about what message is being sent about God's will in a matter. This does not mean we cannot or should not explore all the implications of the message, of all the fulfillment of those messages, and all the consequential events that transpire and how living imagery foreshadows and illuminates those messages. That is what Benedict is doing very well. I just know the human mind very well, and know that being blurry about the "why" and the "implications" can be confusing and perhaps lead to error. Deductive reasoning was developed for a reason and I like to run all my communications through their rigor (even though I hide it well, ha) so that I can be as precise as possible in my communications. If I edited Benedict's book I'd have made him be a little neater in that regard ha ha. Anyway, this is my suggestion for enriching the reading experience of Benedict's excellent Chapter One.