January 6 - Epiphany of Our Lord

In this icon of the Baptism, Christ receives baptism at the hands of John the Baptist, the last of the prophets of the old Covenant. Here, the Old and New Covenants meet in the water of the Jordan- the old baptism for repentance of sins, and the lasting baptismal rebirth of water and the spirit, as brought by Jesus in the New Covenant (Lk 3:16). For this reason, the bottom of this icon depicts symbols of the initiation Sacraments of the Christian Church- Baptism, Chrismation and the Eucharist. On either side are representations of confirmation of the Holy Spirit in purifying water: the Spirit of God hovering over the waters in creation (Ge 1:2), and the traditional "Blessing of the Waters" with the Cross in the Epiphany liturgy. In this icon of the Baptism, Christ is stripped of His eternal robe of glory and naked, is robed in the waters of the Jordan which itself shines forth with the beams of His glory and light. Here, He is clothed in our humanity, that we, in our baptism, might be clothed in His eternity. The symbol of the sun and the moon represent the cosmic light that Christ brings on his Feast of Epiphany.

Matthew 3

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

 ^1(A) In those days^(B) John the Baptist came preaching in^(C) the wilderness of Judea, ^2(D) "Repent, for^(E) the kingdom of heaven is at hand." ³For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,

   ^(F) "The voice of one crying in the wilderness:^(G) 'Prepare^[a] the way of the Lord;
   make his paths straight.'"
 ⁴Now John wore^(H) a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was^(I) locusts and^(J) wild honey. ⁵Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, ⁶and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan,^(K) confessing their sins.
 ⁷But when he saw many of^(L) the Pharisees and^(M) Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them,^(N) "You brood of^(O) vipers! Who warned you to flee from^(P) the wrath to come? ⁸Bear fruit^(Q) in keeping with repentance. ⁹And do not presume to say to yourselves,^(R) 'We have Abraham as our father,' for I tell you, God is able from^(S) these stones to raise up children for Abraham. ¹⁰Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees.^(T) Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
 ^11(U) "I baptize you with water^(V) for repentance, but^(W) he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you^(X) with the Holy Spirit and^(Y) fire. ¹²His^(Z) winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and^(AA) gather his wheat into the barn,^(AB) but the chaff he will burn with^(AC) unquenchable fire."

The Baptism of Jesus

 ^13(AD) Then Jesus came^(AE) from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. ^14(AF) John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" ¹⁵But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented. ¹⁶And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold,^(AG) the heavens were opened to him,^[b] and he^(AH) saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; ¹⁷and behold,^(AI) a voice from heaven said,^(AJ) "This is my beloved Son,^[c] with whom I am well pleased."

Thoughts on the Epiphany of Our Lord:

as we research the Baptism of Jesus by John in the Bible, we find it in two Gospels.  They are found in, Mathew 3:1-13 and then in Luke 3:2-17. At the Jordan it became clear to John the Baptist Who it was that had come to him to be Baptized from Nazareth in Galilee. “I myself did not know Him.” John said later, “but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me. ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God” (John l:33-34). The next day, looking at Jesus as He walked, John said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” (John 1:35-36).

Qolo:
Christ, the Coal of Fire, descended and bathed in the waters of the river. Christ, the Burning Flame, is immersed in the waters. The fiery beings stood in awe at the immersion of Christ, that Flame.  His pure body is washed to purify thosed who are not.