St. Barthlomew

The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River is one of the most profound moments in the life of Christ and the history of salvation. Recorded in all four Gospels, this event marks the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry and reveals the mystery of the Holy Trinity in a visible and audible way.

When Jesus approached John the Baptist to be baptised, John was astonished, recognising Jesus as the sinless one. Yet Jesus insisted, saying, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). In this act of humility, Jesus, though without sin, enters into the waters not to be cleansed, but to sanctify them, so that all waters may become a means of divine grace through Christian baptism.

As Jesus rose from the water, the heavens opened. The Holy Spirit descended like a dove, and the voice of the Father declared: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” This is why the Church calls this feast Theophany—a manifestation of God Himself, revealing the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

This moment echoes and fulfils many Old Testament scenes: the Spirit over the waters at creation (Genesis 1), the crossing of the Red Sea, and the Jordan parted for Israel. In all these, water became the passage to freedom and new life—now completed in Christ.

In Orthodox tradition, the icon of the Baptism often includes the Jordan personified, fish fleeing in awe, and light pouring down from heaven. It reminds the faithful that baptism is not merely a ritual but a mystical entrance into Christ’s death and resurrection, into the very life of the Triune God.

Through Christ’s baptism, the waters are made holy, and humanity is called to be born again through water and the Spirit (John 3:5).