The Archetypal God

The Baptism of Jesus A Voice in the Desert They had passed by silently, shuffling slowly along, four hundred of them, each following mutely behind the other in an eerie, hushed march that had plodded by longer than anyone could remember. None had spoken. None had returned an answer to the people’s perplexed and apprehensive questions. They had paid no heed to the desperate pleas and anguished prayers urged upon them. Their long, dragging passage had been eerily closed-mouthed and stone-faced. There was no prophetic word from God, no answer from heaven to relieve the nation’s distress. The long, stretching parade of years had been tight-lipped and taciturn. Suddenly, out in the desert a voice rings out, shattering the stillness. A rude and strangely-dressed man then appears, crying out noisily, disquieting the Judean countryside. Coarse and unmannered, John shouts a message for the people. Can it be that the long, dragging years of heaven’s silence are at an end? Yes, yes, at long last the wait is over! John is a prophet, a true prophet, and he comes with a word from God! The heavens have finally heard! Glory! Glory! But wait. Unexpectedly, the word from on high is not about liberation. It’s a warning of wrath and imminent danger. Destruction looms menacingly, for God is displeased. The sharp axe of divine judgment is ready to fall. Perhaps Israel can escape, but they must prepare quickly. There’s not much time left. They must repent and be baptized, to be forgiven of their many sins. A mighty one is coming, who will baptize not with water only, but with Spirit and fire. Israel must pass through the hot flames of judgment, and who can live in those unquenchable burnings? Crowds gather to John there, by the Jordan, to be washed and forgiven. Perhaps they can escape the coming wrath. Presently, we see Jesus coming to him, to be immersed in those same waters of cleansing and forgiveness. Why? Does he need cleansing too? For what might he need to be forgiven? No one seems to know. Even John thinks to refuse him the rite. Why? Today, thinking people still wonder why. But time and distance have intervened. And the churches have thrown a dark shroud of mystery and misunderstanding over the event. Questions stick to it like cockleburs on a wool sweater. Why was Jesus baptized? Was it for forgiveness, in keeping with the nature and intent for the rite? That is unthinkable. But if it was not for forgiveness, would it not be mere play-acting, a phony charade contradicting and undermining its authority and its heaven-sent intent? That, too, is unthinkable. It would be an act of sin. What is the answer? Why was our Savior baptized? Strange Beginnings Isn’t it indeed strange that Jesus’ ministry, the gospel of salvation, should begin with immersion in the Jordan’s cold currents? John’s baptism, being under the Law, was undeniably a rite of repentance (Mark 1:1-4). It was for forgiveness, and salvation from the wrath that was knocking at the door. Did Jesus come repentantly, then, to be washed of his sins, to be saved from the coming judgments? Did he come honestly, seeking forgiveness and salvation? Or, was it merely play-acting? “No!” we quickly cry, for the question is a dagger thrust at everything that we have been taught. It strikes at the heart of our faith. “No!” But it’s too late. We’re caught in the conundrum. Either way, whether Jesus was forgiven or not, the matter looks really bad for him. We quickly turn away from such thoughts, but they reach out and grab us roughly by the collar, and won’t let go. They demand an answer. If Jesus was not forgiven in those eddying currents, wouldn’t his baptism transgress and circumvent its purpose, even while he claimed to fulfill all righteousness by undergoing it? A lie by any other name is still a lie, whether spoken or acted out, even if it was Jesus who was acting it out. Was his baptism real and authentic, or was it a lie? What did his dip do? If his baptism was merely an imposture, a sham, would it not be an act of sin? But if it wasn’t a charade, wouldn’t it mean that he was forgiven in those rippling currents? Either way, sinless or sinful, the waters look pretty muddy. What is the answer? Once the question has caught us, it refuses to leave us at peace. It nags at us, pulling at our faith. Was his baptism a phony charade, or was it real? Why was Jesus baptized? A Counterfeit Solidarity At first, the notion of solidarity, that he wanted to show his support for us, sounds plausible, and even noble. Who would find fault with a picture of Christ standing loyally with us? It shows that he’s on our side. He’s one of us. But when the picture is framed within traditional Christian doctrine it’s the wrong shape and size. It doesn’t fit in the frame. It would mean that Jesus only pretended to be like us sinners, although he wasn’t one. But if he was only pretending, the idea reeks of phoniness, no matter how much support and solidarity he intended. Genuineness is never demonstrated by fakery. And Jesus was certainly not a phony. So his baptism must have been real and in harmony with its purpose. But how could it be, without making him a sinner? It was, after all, a baptism for repentance. The notion of solidarity only smears more mud on our Savior.