Jesus' Baptism as A Foundation For an Integral Development Of the Human Being Exegetical Analysis, Theological Implications And Pastoral Applications of Matthew 3:13-17
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Date
2003
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Tangaza University College
Abstract
This essay is going to deal with the account of the baptism of Jesus in the
Gospel of Matthew 3:13-17. We will see that Matt 3:13-17 is something more than a
simple historical account of an important moment in the life of Jesus. I completely
agree with Justin Martyr that if Jesus did not need to be baptized for his sins, his
baptism must have been oriented toward the establishment of our salvation.' There
have been many ways of explaining why Jesus received John's baptism. After my
research, one of the clearest conclusions is that Jesus probably did this aware not
only of John's role as a forerunner, but also of his own as "Servant-Messiah": Jesus'
baptism may have been his first conscious step toward the baptism of the Cross.'
Jesus' baptism is the anticipation of his death on the cross and his resurrection. And
as such, it gives an indispensable frame that unites and provides meaning and sense
to all that lies between these events.' Jesus' baptism resembles an instruction manual
of how relations between God and man work, and how to become a "new man".
A new dimension of possibilities and potential of the human person are being
disclosed through Jesus' baptism. In Jesus the human being is restored as it was originally, before the fall (Gen 3). Jesus is presented as the new Adam. He is not just
a human being, but a human being in permanent communication and communion
with God. The isolation from God of human beings is broken and through this new
Adam God can now act and reveal his wisdom, holiness, love, power and salvation.
Matt 3:13-17 shows us the way to be followed, the first step in this new way of life.
I will try to demonstrate all this in the first and second chapters of this essay. In the
third chapter I will make an attempt to expose how the theological implications of
Matt 3:13-17 can demand a commitment from all Christians to work for an integral
development of the human being. A commitment that becomes a nuclear element of
what it is to be a Christian. Finally, I will try to see how this commitment can be
applied pastorally.
In order to do all that I will use the composition critical method in the
exegetical analysis of Matt 3:13-17, referring to both directly to the text and also to
different published biblical studies on Matt 3:13-17. All the biblical texts quoted in
this essay are taken from the Revised Standard Version.' In this essay I also quote
several books that are written in the Spanish language, the translations into English
that I give are all mine. From now on I will not include the abbreviation of the
Gospel of Matthew (Matt) when referring to any text from it, but simply the number
of the chapter and verses (except in quotations from published works. where I will
follow the quoted text as it is originally written).
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Keywords
Jesus' Baptism, Integral Development, Human Being, Exegetical Analysis, Matthew 3:13-17