|
© Copyright - material in this site may not be reproduced in any media without the express permission of the Web Master. Care has been taken by this site to ensure that all necessary copyright permissions have been obtained. If this is not the case in any instance, this is an inadvertent error. Please contact the Web Master and this will be rectified. |
Theophany Orthodox celebrate the Feast of the Theophany on January 6th. On this day we commemorate the Baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan by St.John the Baptist (Mark 1:9-11). This, however, is only one example of a theophany. The Orthodox Study Bible defines a theophany as a 'Manifestation of God in His uncreated glory'. Other examples range from the Burning Bush (Exodus 3:1-6) to the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-13). The act of Baptism and the words spoken by God 'You are My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased', together with the Spirit descending upon Christ in the form of a dove, was indeed a manifestation of the Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - one in essence and undivided. The use of water to effect Baptism symbolizes many things. Water - together with earth, air and fire - was considered by the ancients to be the elemental source of the Universe. In the Old Testament both Ezekiel (Ch 47) and Isaiah (Chs 12, 35 and 55) make much of water as a sustainer of life - the quencher of thirst and the irrigator of crops. Water is a gift of God which is essential to the preservation of life. As to the spiritual symbolism of water, there are several aspects of the Baptism of Christ, which are crucially important. Firstly water, essential as we have seen for temporal life, when in conjunction with the power of the Holy Spirit becomes through the act of immersion equally essential for eternal life because it signifies the appropriation by Christ, who allows himself to be baptised by St.John (the last prophet of the Old, Mosaic Covenant), of water as a component part of the New, Christian covenant. Secondly the act of triple immersion during Baptism, representing the Trinity, constitutes us as members of Christ's Church. Thirdly Baptism by water brings about our death and rebirth in Christ so that we die with Him to sin but are then reborn to eternal life. Thus our baptism initiates a process whereby we are saved through Christ's once for all sacrifice, may go on to grow in spiritual strength through the sacramental life of the Church and may finally provide a good defence before the dread judgement seat of Christ. John Moore |
