Epiphany of Christ (DenHo)
By Fr. Kamil AlChouefati
The word “DenHo” is derived from a Syriac root meaning “appearance, illumination and revelation.” It is clearly the theological and spiritual dimension of the feast of the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist or the Epiphany (i.e. the descent of Jesus into the waters of the Jordan) in which Jesus was baptized with the rest of humanity and for all humanity as the Lamb of God who bears the sins of the world. Thus, his secret was revealed to everyone, and his mission began publicly in the world and for the world. We also notice the revelation of the mystery of the Holy Trinity (the Son in the waters, the Holy Spirit as a dove and the voice of the Father). In the text of the baptism of Saint Luke (Lk 3:15-22), we can contemplate some points:
The people were waiting: This is the permanent human attitude towards God and His project—readiness and attention to the signs of God’s hidden secret to fulfill His will when He reveals it to us. Waiting is a call to every Christian who believes that God reveals His will to us, and we are ready to hear it.
The Baptism of John and the Baptism of Jesus: John the Baptist distinguishes between two baptisms. His baptism is the baptism of repentance, which is incomplete because it is only done with water, meaning it needs someone to complete it. Hence the baptism of Jesus with the Spirit and fire comes to purify man from his inner sins and give him new life through the action of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the one who gathers the good wheat in man and burns the chaff that hinders the believer’s path in his life.
“I am not worthy to untie His sandal strap”: We are struck by the humility of John the Baptist and his understanding of his role in the salvation project. He did not puff himself up and delude himself into thinking that he was the most important and that everyone would come to him. Rather, he was aware that his role was one of mediation, the role of the manager who prepares the way for the one who is most important. From here, a call is issued to each one of us, to everyone who works in the Lord’s field, to follow the example of the Baptist: Do we work for our own glory and for the manifestation of our power and fame? Or do we work so that Christ Jesus and his glory may be revealed to the world?
Jesus was baptized: The humility of the Baptist is nothing compared to the humility of the Son who came to be baptized like the rest of humanity. Jesus did not receive John’s baptism of repentance because he was a sinner, for he was like us in everything except sin. As for Jesus’ descent into the water, it is nothing but a descent in solidarity with all of humanity, this sinful humanity, to bear their sins and atone for them on the cross.
The heavens were opened: The heavens were closed in the face of Adam. Here, they are opened again in the face of the new Adam who came to build a bridge of reconciliation between the Father and humanity, to win salvation for us and to merit forgiveness for the person who repents.
The descent of the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit’s descent upon Christ is evidence of Jesus’ kingship, prophecy, and priesthood. This is the same Spirit who seals us in our baptism as kings, prophets, and priests in the likeness of the Son.
The Father’s voice: After a long period of silence, the Father spoke through his only Son. Today we hear him say, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” The essence of Jesus’ message is to do God’s will. The Father confirms this by declaring his pleasure with his beloved Son. This phrase is a quote from the hymn of the suffering servant of Jehovah in Isaiah, linking the baptism of the Lord Jesus to his suffering, death, and resurrection. Today, we are called to reflect on our baptism: do we agree to this baptism that we accepted in our childhood without our will but with a covenant from our parents and godparents to keep us in the right faith? If we agree, do we understand the essence of our Baptist? That we have received through the Holy Spirit kingship, prophecy and priesthood? This is a great responsibility that we must activate in our daily lives. Spiritual identity was never documented in human life until the heavens were opened and the Father announced the identity of Jesus at the time of his baptism by John. A share in this same identity is given to everyone who receives Jesus’ baptism of water and the Spirit, being marked by the seal of sonship to the Father.
Based on our faith in the one who came for us and our hope that leads us to await the final meeting with joy, let us walk each day in the manifestation of God’s love in man and in the world.
The people were waiting: This is the permanent human attitude towards God and His project—readiness and attention to the signs of God’s hidden secret to fulfill His will when He reveals it to us. Waiting is a call to every Christian who believes that God reveals His will to us, and we are ready to hear it.
The Baptism of John and the Baptism of Jesus: John the Baptist distinguishes between two baptisms. His baptism is the baptism of repentance, which is incomplete because it is only done with water, meaning it needs someone to complete it. Hence the baptism of Jesus with the Spirit and fire comes to purify man from his inner sins and give him new life through the action of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the one who gathers the good wheat in man and burns the chaff that hinders the believer’s path in his life.
“I am not worthy to untie His sandal strap”: We are struck by the humility of John the Baptist and his understanding of his role in the salvation project. He did not puff himself up and delude himself into thinking that he was the most important and that everyone would come to him. Rather, he was aware that his role was one of mediation, the role of the manager who prepares the way for the one who is most important. From here, a call is issued to each one of us, to everyone who works in the Lord’s field, to follow the example of the Baptist: Do we work for our own glory and for the manifestation of our power and fame? Or do we work so that Christ Jesus and his glory may be revealed to the world?
Jesus was baptized: The humility of the Baptist is nothing compared to the humility of the Son who came to be baptized like the rest of humanity. Jesus did not receive John’s baptism of repentance because he was a sinner, for he was like us in everything except sin. As for Jesus’ descent into the water, it is nothing but a descent in solidarity with all of humanity, this sinful humanity, to bear their sins and atone for them on the cross.
The heavens were opened: The heavens were closed in the face of Adam. Here, they are opened again in the face of the new Adam who came to build a bridge of reconciliation between the Father and humanity, to win salvation for us and to merit forgiveness for the person who repents.
The descent of the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit’s descent upon Christ is evidence of Jesus’ kingship, prophecy, and priesthood. This is the same Spirit who seals us in our baptism as kings, prophets, and priests in the likeness of the Son.
The Father’s voice: After a long period of silence, the Father spoke through his only Son. Today we hear him say, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” The essence of Jesus’ message is to do God’s will. The Father confirms this by declaring his pleasure with his beloved Son. This phrase is a quote from the hymn of the suffering servant of Jehovah in Isaiah, linking the baptism of the Lord Jesus to his suffering, death, and resurrection. Today, we are called to reflect on our baptism: do we agree to this baptism that we accepted in our childhood without our will but with a covenant from our parents and godparents to keep us in the right faith? If we agree, do we understand the essence of our Baptist? That we have received through the Holy Spirit kingship, prophecy and priesthood? This is a great responsibility that we must activate in our daily lives. Spiritual identity was never documented in human life until the heavens were opened and the Father announced the identity of Jesus at the time of his baptism by John. A share in this same identity is given to everyone who receives Jesus’ baptism of water and the Spirit, being marked by the seal of sonship to the Father.
Based on our faith in the one who came for us and our hope that leads us to await the final meeting with joy, let us walk each day in the manifestation of God’s love in man and in the world.
