The Coronation Festival The Baptism of the King Before the Lord Jesus began his work among his people as the spiritual King, a coronation of the enthronement of the real king at the River Jordan had to take place. That has been prepared for the King’s forerunner, St. John the Baptist, who was like the Lord’s angel paving the way for Him. 1-The king’s forerunner1-6 2-The Road to be paved7-12 3-Christ’s Baptism13-17 1. The King’s Forerunner: One of the Eastern customs was to have a forerunner for the king for the way to be paved. The lord Jesus Christ was a spiritual king who prepared for Himself a messenger beforehand. Isaiah the prophet prophesied about him (Is. 40:3) “ A voice cries out in the wildness, prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” Also in Malachi the prophet (Mal. 4:5) “ Lo, I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.” The gospel says (Matt. 3:1) “In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wildness of Judea proclaiming.” It is not understood by the words ‘in those days’ if it is after the return of the holy family from Egypt directly, or if it means ‘in this age’ or ‘ at this time’. St Luke defined the time of the Lord’s baptism around thirty years of his age according to the body “Luke 3:3). A few months earlier it was St. John who turned thirty, the lawful age for the Jewish priesthood service. St. John was proclaiming in the wildness of Judea, though it was not a barren wildness. It consisted of six towns with their surroundings (Is. 15:16,62). But these were not crowded, and not surrounded by fields or like the other towns. St. John did not serve as a priest in Solomon’s temple. He went out to the wildness to reveal what the human nature has reached, and how it left its holy job as God’s temple and how it has become filled with dryness. It has become a barren desolate wildness, badly in need of the Messiah King to come down to it to quench it with the water of his Holy Spirit. This he would turn it into a paradise having the fruits of the Spirit. Isaiah the prophet, speaking on behalf of human nature that is eager for the world of messiah the King, he says (Is. 32:15) “until a spirit from on high is poured out on us, and the wildness becomes a fruitful field.” Also (Is. 35:1,2) he says “the wildness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom, like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing.” In the way St. John presents humanity as dry land to the King, and He changes it to his holy altar. John the Baptist was deprived of serving the priesthood of the temple so he could prepare the way for the highest Head of priests our Lord Jesus who makes out our wildness a new heavenly altar. It may be that David the prophet saw the scene with the prophetic spirit, and his spirit was overjoyed in him. In the same wildness he wrote his Psalm 63, in which he says (Ps. 63;1,8) “ O God, You are my God, I seek You, my soul thirsts for You, my flesh faints https://coptic-treasures.com/ for You, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water…My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me.” Kind David the prophet saw the multitudes of those that repented at the hands oh John the Baptist in the wildness. Their hearts were kindled with thirst, the thirst for His Body, and for the waters of His grace. The Lord came for these souls to cling to Him, and be supported by His strength since it is the right hand of the Lord. St. Ambrosias thinks the wildness where St. John the Baptist preached is actually the church spoken of by Isaiah the prophet (Is. 54:1) “For the children of the desolate woman will be more than the children of her that is married, says the Lord.” The Word of the Lord has come so as to beget fruit out of the previously wild and desolate one. How has St. John the Baptist prepares the royal way? This was done by drying out for repentance saying, (Matt 3:2) “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near.” He was like a lion roaring in the wildness, and so Jerusalem and all of Judea and the surroundings of Jordan went out to meet him. His words were so basically truthful, uttering the word of God without any human coatings xx misleading. These words sprung up of an honest heart, full of integrity with what the tongue speaks. Therefore the word had its great impact. Indeed, the secret behind the attraction of St. John the Baptist’s message is the fact that je was covered up in God’s word. He proclaimed his message through his practical life. ‘Repentance’ in Greek means ‘bowing down’, which means ‘changing the direction’ Man gives God his own face and not his back through his unity with the Messiah, the Resurrected from the dead, and as a result his hear became transformed as well as his concepts and all his zeal. “The kingdom has come near”, has come at the door, for more. As St. Paul the apostle, says, (Rom. 10:8) “The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart.” As for the road to obtain this kingdom, it is for us to realize. Our bad need to the Messiah’s work in us. When man condemns himself, the heart is thus opened to accept the Messiah’s work in it. St John Chryspostom says, “ John came to lead them to repentance, and not to be punished. Though repentance, they condemn themselves, and hasty to obtain forgiveness. If they do not condemn themselves, they are unable to ask for His grace. And if they do not ask for that, they will never be able to obtain forgiveness. St. Ambrosias says, “Many look up to John as the symbol of the old law; for he is able to scourge sin, but he is unable to forgive it.” Isaiah the prophet described St. John the Baptist saying, (Matt. 3:3) “ The voice of one crying out in the wildness, prepare the way of the Lord, make the paths straight.” It is the voice that comes before ‘Divine Word’. As Father Gregory the great says, ‘from our discussion you come to know that ‘the voice’ comes first, then you hear ‘the word’. This why St. John declares himself that he is ‘the voice’, for he comes before ‘the word’. Because he comes before the Lord, he was called ‘the voice’, and due to his service the people heard ‘the word of the Lord’. He cries out proclaiming ‘make His paths straight.’ The Lord’s way to the heart is a straight one, whenever in modesty the words of truth are accepted. The way is straight if we practice our life in accordance with His commandments. This is why it is said (John 14:23) “Those who love Me will keep My word, and Mt Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” But if anyone is haughty and lifts his heart in pride, and is kindled with the fever of greed and he who defiles himself with lust, he shuts the door of his heart against the https://coptic-treasures.com/ entrance of Truth. He closes up the door with evil habits lest the Lord reigns over the entrance. Our teacher St. Luke the xxx completes this prophecy saying (Luke 3:5,6) “Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God,” What are these valley’s that are repentant and confessing their need of the Savior. These are the one filled with the waters of the Holy Spirit, the Donor of life. And what are these mountains and hills that go low other than the pride of Israel and Judea, for the Jews became haughty and believed they were righteous. St. John came to destroy this pride and loftiness so that the modest ones accept the Lord’s salvation. Hence, the crooked souls will become corrected, and their nature will change, which was previously like and rocks to become smooth. In this way God’s salvation is offered to all people, the Jews and the Gentiles as well. + Let the Lord’s path be prepared in our hearts, because man’s heart is big and wide, as if it’s the entire world. Look at its greatness, not how big physically, but rather in the mental power that gives it the capability to embrace great knowledge for the Truth. Therefore, make the Lord’s path be prepared in your hearts through an appropriate life and good complete works. This path will keep your life straight, and the Lord’s words will enter into you without any obstruction. The scholar Origin. The cries of St. John were not only uttered by his mouth but they were released by the deeds of all his life, declared in his inward life and outward appearance as well. His attire was like a silent and effective sermon, and also his food. The evangelist says, (Matt. 3:4) “ Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.” St John Chryspostom is amazed at how the evangelist speaks of the mission of St. John the Baptist, which was prophesied by Isaiah the prophet, and there speaks of his clothing and his food! He described his appearance to remind the Jews of Elijah the zealous prophet, for he came as Elijah did, before the Lord. By such an appearance, moreover, he presented to us a lesson in the ascetic life away from the life of luxury. As St. John Chryspostom says, “ I wish we could forget this kind of life, so spoilt and frivolous. Repentance can never be established on a life of luxury, both at the same time. Let John the Baptist teach you this matter by his clothes, his food, and his dwelling place.” St. John did not put on long roles like the Pharisees, and neither did he wear the silky clothes like those of the king’s entourage; he rather wore the appropriate clothes for his call to repentance. (Matt. 3:6) “ And they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.” John the Baptist preached repentance, and so the multitudes came to him to baptize them, confessing their sins. The Jews knew other baptisms such as the ‘intervention Jewish baptism.’ As for John’s baptism it was a symbol of the Christian baptism; it was begun by St. John the Baptist to prepare the way for the New Testament baptism. John’s baptism could not grant becoming God’s children. This was an issue solely granted by https://coptic-treasures.com/ the Christian baptism for the entering of the Lord Jesus ‘the only begotten Son’ to it. In its essence it didn’t have the ability for the forgiveness of sins or for sanctification. It had the power extended as a symbol from the power of what is symbolized, just as the copper serpent had the power of healing through the cross that it symbolized. + St. John baptized with water and not with the Holy Spirit. This baptism was unable to forgive sins and so it washed with water the bodies of these to be baptized. But as for their souls, it couldn’t wash them. So, why then was St. John baptizing? In his birth he was prior to Him who was be born, and also in baptism he was prior to the Lord who was to baptize. Also, with his preaching he became the forerunner of Jesus. Father Gregory the great. + Let us briefly take the various kinds of baptism: Moses baptized, but it was in water, in the cloud and in the sea. But he did so in a symbolical way St. John also baptized, but nit in the Jewish ritual. It was not only in the water, but for the forgiveness of sins as well. But it was not in a complete spiritual method, for he did not add it was ‘in the Spirit’. Jesus baptized but it was in the Spirit, and this is perfectly complete. There is also fourth kind of baptism, fulfilled by martyrdom and bloodshed. This kind Jesus Himself was baptized with, and it was highly honorable, more than the others. In spite of this, there is a fifth baptism and it is more commonly adopted. This is the baptism of tears. King David constantly wept in tears every night on his bed, washing it with his sincere tears (Ps. 6:7). St. Gregory Nazinzi. 1- Preparing the Way: St. John prepared the Lord’s way in the people’s hearts. It is not by gathering them around him on his account, but rather by entering with multitudes of people into the life of repentance, confessing their sins. The Pharisees and the Sadducees came to baptize by him with their bodies but not with their hearts. This is why he blamed them (Matt 3:7) “ You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? .“ St. John was not a reed shaken by the wind, and would be shaken before those commanders in hypocrisy. He was extremely eager for their salvation, exposing the evil in them, calling them ‘brood of vipers’. The opposing chiefs agreed together against St. John, just as they did against Christ Himself. Pharisees used to represent the Jewish church authority, and copying the traditions in a deadly method. The Sadducees represented the opposing side to the authority, against traditions, denying the resurrection and did not believe in existence of spirits. The Pharisees looked on St. John as being a greater danger in a rebellion against the authority. The multitudes came from all towns to see a living example of a practical life of repentance. This was an issue of great scandal to the Pharisees and all the religions men in authority. As for the Sadducees, though they resisted those in authority, yet saw in St. John someone of https://coptic-treasures.com/ far greater danger than the men of religious authority. He won the multitudes in his side, and offered the spiritual concepts that destroyed the Sadducees ones. At any rate, St. John stood bravely before the Pharisees and the Sadducees, putting them in shame and calling them ‘brood’ then ‘brood of vipers’. It is said this animal …. When just born, the little ones eat their mother’s belly and kill her, then they go out to the daylight. These people do the very same thing, for they are murderers of fathers and mothers (1 Tim ……1:9), killing their own breeders with their hands.” St. John the Baptist continues speaking of the Pharisees and the Sadducees (Matt 3:8,9) “Boor fruit worthy of repentance do not presume to say to yourselves, we have Abraham as our ancestor, for I tell you God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham”. The Jews, generally speaking, and their spiritual leaders in particular, depend on being physically related to Abraham the father of all fathers. But St. John made it clear to them this pretext is an obsolete one. If they claim they are ‘Abraham’s children’ they are actually ‘vipers’ children, for they do not have Abraham’s living faith, and neither do they follow his precepts. They rather carried the evil of vipers in them. According to ma’s thoughts and behavior, he shows whose son he is. Those living unwisely are called’ sons of stupidity’ (Chron. 30:8) and those living in iniquity are considered ‘sons of iniquity’ (Col. 3:6) and he who disregards his own destruction is called ‘son of damnation’ (John 17:12). As a contrast, those who experience the new life resurrected in Christ are considered ‘the sons of resurrection’ (Luke 20:36). And those who love God’s light, and seek to find it, these are called “the sons of light’ (John 12:36) and ‘children of daylight’ (1 Thess. 5:5)….etc If those commanders have depended on their relation to Abraham, they have to confirm being as such, in the same spirit our father Abraham lived in. Otherwise God will raise children to him from these stones, and He actually did so. Out of the Gentiles that were so hardened, God raised sons to Abraham through the faith in Christ Jesus, Abraham who had seen Him and was overjoyed (John 8:56). St. John Chryspostom ….. sees this similarity came by when this nation was born through Isaac that was granted to …..through Sarah’s infertile womb, as if it were hardened as a rock. It was as if it were dead as a stone, unable to deliver any children. God has risen out of it children to Abraham through the strength oh His Devine promise, and through Abraham’s faith in God, the One able to resurrect from the dead. This is what its prophet meant to stay (Isaiah 51:1,2) “ Look to the rock from which you were knew, and to the quarry from which you were dug. Look to Abraham and to Sarah who love you; for he was bout one when I called him, but I blessed him and made him many.” Here now He is ……. You of His childhood for God have made him a father to them in a miraculous way, as if out of the rocks he has raised up children. Now also, He is able tp do likewise.” St. Augustine thinks these stones that have become children to Abraham point to the gentiles who worshipped the idols and have become stones. When they have accepted the faith which was Abraham’s they have spiritually before his children. For he say’s, It is meant ‘by stones’, that it is all the Gentiles, not because of their https://coptic-treasures.com/ ability to tolerate as the rocks that were rejected by the builders, but because of their stupidity and faith slothfulness. They have become as the things they worshiped, for they worshipped the silent dumb ….. pictures, and hence they, too, became unfeeling. (Psalm 115:8) “ But when they began to worship God; so are all who trust in them.” But when they began to worship God, what did they hear concerning themselves? (Matt 5:45) “ So that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sunrise on the evil and out the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous”,; so man becomes similar to whoever he worships. Therefore, what is meant by the words (Matt 3:9) “ God is able to raise out of these stones children fathers to Abraham.” ? That is to say to become children of Abraham’s by following his example in his faith, and not by our physical birth. He moreover says, “ We were, … in our fathers stones because we worshipped stones as gods out of these stones God will create us children to Abraham. St. Jerome says, “God can make out of these stones, children to Abraham.” He points here to the Gentiles, for they are stones because of the cruelty of their hearts. We read (Ezekiel 36:26) “ and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” The rock or stone is a symbol of cruelty, and flesh is a symbol of gentleness. He wished to show God’s strength and ability to create out of dumb stones, a people of faith. (Matt 3:10) “Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” What does he mean by saying “the ax” that cuts the unfruitful tree, or the trees that carry bad fruits, other than the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. This cross that attacks the root of our corrupt nature so the old man is destroyed, and setting up the new man instead; this is the likeness of the Creator who presents the fruit of the joyful Holy Spirit. He buries the ancient man in the waters of a baptism as in the tomb of the Lord, or throw him into the fire to present for us life’s experience. It is therefore not surprising that the prophet says concerning the Christian baptism, since it is the way for pulling down the ancient man and establishing the new one. He says (Matt 3:11) “ I baptize you with water for repentance, but One is more powerful than I is coming after me, I am not worthy to carry His sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” St. Mari Jacob El Seroujy says, ‘The baptism is the great fire in which people are sealed to become ‘not dead’. St. Caprianous says, “Baptism is where the old man dies, and the new one is born, as declared by the apostle, confirming we have become saved with the renewal washing.” St. John the Baptist sees he is unworthy of carrying the shoes of our Lord Jesus. At another place he declares he is unworthy of untying His shoe, lace (John 1:27). What does he mean by saying so? The word of God, the inconceivable, has become like One who puts on His shoes by means of incarnation, for He has become like one of us, walking among us. Therefore St. John the Baptist declares he is unworthy to carry this unsupportable mystery which is that of the incarnation, and neither is he worthy to loosen His seals (the laces) for this is quite indescribable. https://coptic-treasures.com/ St. Gregory the great says, “Who doesn’t know that shoes are made of the skin of dead animals? For the Lord has become incarnate, and appeared among the people as one of …/ for His godliness was worn by Him as a cover susceptible to death. Therefore the prophet says (Psalm 60:8) “ on Edom I hurl My shoe.: The Gentiles have been pointed to as Edom. Through the body He has become known to the Gentiles, just as the ….. has come to us as normal. But the human eye can never penetrate the mystery of incarnation. There is no way whatsoever by which it is realized ……. how the Word has become flesh, and how the high Spirit the Donor of life has become freshened up in a mother’s womb, and how He who has no beginning has become in her womb and has come to existence. Therefore, the shoe laces are nothing but the seals of the mystery. But John was not incapable to loosen or untie the mystery of incarnation. I know He was born after me, but I am absolutely unable of understanding the mystery of this newborn. “ Look John who is filled with the Spirit, the Spirit of prophecy, and the one enlightened with knowledge declares he knows nothing of this mystery.” The secret of St. John the Baptist’s success in his modesty. When he says he is unworthy to untie the Lord’s shoe strings, St. John Chripostom says, ‘ He is way higher than myself and I do not deserve to be the least of His slaves, because the untying of the shoe-strings is the most humble of all chores.” He asked them for practical repentance that carried spiritual fruit, and offered them the baptism as the mystery in crucifying their old self and obtaining a new life. He spoke modestly saying he was not worthy of realizing the unsurpassed mysteries of the Lamb. He told them clearly of the coming of this Lamb as a Judge (Matt 3:12) “ His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will clear His threshing floor and will gather …. His wheat into the granary, but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.” In this way John the Baptist introduces the Lord Jesus as a Judge. He patiently leaves the wheat with the chaff for a while. But the time will surely come for harvest, and the wheat will be taken to the granary, and the chaff to fire. Today the righteous are living with the evil ones, the believers with the unbelievers, until the great day of the Lord comes in which He Himself will do the selection. His winnowing fork will be His hand, not given to anyone else. He alone knows the hearts, and is able to separate the wheat from the chaff in great wisdom, with no mistakes whatsoever. St. Augestine assures us that if the wheat is there, and it is mingled …. with the chaff, this will not harm the wheat, and neither will it lose its crown. The time will come for it to e separated from the chaff, which will be burnt in fire, This chaff will not destroy those who are the wheat of the Lord. They are few when compared to others, yet they are a great harvest. (Matt 24:31) “ And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” The elect will cry out saying (Psalm 12:1) “ Help, O Lord, for there is no longer anyone who is godly; the faithful have disappeared from humankind.” The Lord will tell them (Matt 24:12,13) “ But the one who endures to the end will be saved (when sin will be strapped).” 3- The Baptism of Christ: (Matt 3:13-17) “ Then Jesus came for Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him”. John would have prevented Him saying ‘I need to be baptized by You, and do You https://coptic-treasures.com/ come to me?’ But Jesus answered him “ Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then he consented. And when Jesus had been baptized, just as He came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to Him and He saw the Spirit of God descending like as dove and alighted on Him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased.” The church celebrate the baptism of Jesus Christ since it is God’s appearing, in which the Holy Trinity is declared is Him. Many have come to the river Jordan confessing their sins, but with Jesus in the waters, is reality has been revealed as One of the Holy Trinity. He came amongst the sinners to be revealed, and hence we can be aware of His mysteries not just rationally, but to experience His tremendous work in us. St. Augustine speaks about the appearance of the Holy Trinity in the baptism, saying, “ Next to the river Jordan, we look and contemplate, as if it is a godly scene before us. Our God Himself has been declared to us, for He is the Trinity. Jesus came to be baptized by mans of John, the Lord by means of the slave, an example of modesty. In humbleness He showed us love has been perfected and fulfilled. When John told Him ‘ I am the one in need to be baptized by You, and You are the One to come to me?” He answered, “ Let it be so now, for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” When the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended in the shape of a dove, a voice from the heavens followed, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Here we have the Trinity as if separated: the father in the voice, the Son in man, and the Holy Spirit in the shape of a dove. Here we can see the Holy Trinity distinguished One from the Other. They are the one God, and yet, the Son is other than the Father, and the Father other than the Son, and the Holy Spirit is not with the Father or the Son. We know this Trinity is unutterable, dwells in Him, renewing all, creating, calling, condemning and saving. This Trinity as we know is unutterable and inseparable.” We can realize to what extent the church is concerned about baptism from the words of St. Jerome, “The Savior Himself did not preach the kingdom of heaven until after His sanctification in the Jordan, by being in the water on His baptism.”
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