Meaning and Function of the Baptism of Jesus in Mt 3:13-17: Literary and Theological Aspects

Abstract

The article studies the pericope of Mt 3:13-17 (the Baptism of Jesus) and delves into the meaning and function that the passage performs in the Christological presentation of the First Gospel. After pointing out the convergences and divergences of Matthew’s version in comparison with the evangelical parallels (cf. Mk 1:9-11; Lk 3:21-22; Jn 1:29-34), we proceed to present the context, the literary genre and the disposition of Mt 3:13-17. John 1:29-34 is followed by an exegetical study of the passage and the exposition of the theological message. The episode of Jesus’Baptism is characterized by three aspects: a) the first concerns the revelatory, programmatic and exemplary function of Jesus’Baptism in relation to Matthew’s Christology; b) the second aspect highlights the relationship between John and Jesus which recalls the dialectic between prophecy and messianism; c) the third aspect is constituted by the dynamism of the Spirit which enables believers to become “adopted children of God”, to live in a fraternal style and to participate in the mission of the Son.