You are my Son, the Beloved. Homily for the Baptism of the Lord. Year C

The baptism of Jesus is what we could call an interpretative key to understanding his ministry. Just as the Israelites passed through the waters as they fled from slavery in Egypt and as they entered the Promised Land, Jesus, as the Lord of a new Exodus, also passes through the waters. The gospel is the story of a new and greater Exodus. But there is a price to pay. As the public ministry is Jesus is about to get underway, his baptism in the waters of the River Jordan anticipates the baptism that that Jesus must still receive, his suffering and death.