Today God is Made Manifest

Today is the feast of Theophany. Christ comes as a man to be baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan “to fulfill all righteousness”. St. John Chrysostom raises the very obvious question we all have when we contemplate this feast. Why did Jesus need to be baptized?

Now it is necessary to say, for whom was Christ baptised and by which baptism? Neither the former, the Jewish (i.e. for cleansing from bodily impurity), nor the last—ours. Whence hath He need for remission of sins, how is this possible for Him, Who hath not any sins? “Of sin,” it says in the Scriptures, “worked He not, nor was there deceit found in His mouth” (1 Peter 2:22). And further, “who of you convicteth Me of sin?” (John 8:46). And His flesh was privy to the Holy Spirit. How might this be possible, when it in the beginning was fashioned by the Holy Spirit? And so, if His flesh was privy to the Holy Spirit, and He was not subject to sins, then for whom was He baptised?
- Discourse On the Baptism of Christ

He goes on to answer the question,

Through the other two reasons, of which the one the disciple speaks, and about the other He Himself spoke to John. Which reason of this baptism did John declare? Namely, that Christ should become known to the people, as Paul also mentions: “John therefore baptised with the baptism of repentance, so that through him they should believe on Him that cometh” (Acts 19:4).

and

And there is a second reason, about which He Himself spoke. What exactly is it? When John said, “I have need to be baptised of Thee, and Thou art come to me?” He answered thus: “Stay now, for thus it becometh us to fulfill every righteousness” (Matthew 3:14-15).

But what exactly does it mean to fulfill every righteousness? Quite simply it means he subjected himself to be obedient to His Father and to the law. Chrysostom states:

Thus, if obedience to God constitutes righteousness, and God sent John to baptise the nation, then Christ has also fulfilled this along with all the other commandments.

He begins his earthly ministry by demonstrating humility and simple obedience. He always goes before us. We also are called to Christ’s humility, that same humility that leads to the revelation of God in our own lives.
Today is also the feast day of St. Theophan the Recluse who reposed on this day in 1894. I was first introduced to St. Theophan through his revision of an ancient classic of spirituality “Unseen Warfare”. It seems appropriate to draw from this classic today. The epistle reading for today (Titus 2:11-14;3:4-7) is a good backdrop for much of what Unseen Warfare has to say to us.

11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Christ has appeared, submitted himself to humility and obedience, and was confirmed in his Divinity by the witness of the Father and the Spirit. The Father testifying, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” And so we are exhorted to follow his example. We are to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts; Live soberly and righteously looking forward with the hope of eternal life. We strive to live righteously but put no hope in our our righteousness. We struggle to live godly lives but have no illusions of justifying ourselves before God. As the Psalmist says, 8 My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.

And so, in Unseen Warfare, the first chapter ends with this exhortation as the beginning of the spiritual battle. This is, as it were, the foundational perspective we must carry into the battle. Keep these things in balance and never forget from where our help comes.

Finally, after learning what constitutes Christian perfection and realising that to achieve it you must wage a constant cruel war with yourself, if you really desire to be victorious in this unseen warfare and be rewarded with a crown, you must plant in your heart the following four dispositions and spiritual activities, as it were arming yourself with invisible weapons, the most trust-worthy and unconquerable of all, namely: (a) never rely on your-self in anything; (b) bear always in your heart a perfect and all daring trust in God alone; (c) strive without ceasing; and (d) remain constantly in prayer.

May God grant us grace to imitate Christ’s humility, to submit our lives to Him who was obedient and so to have His life revealed in us as it was revealed in Christ.

Joyous Feast!