The people and priests were to have spent the prior three
days consecrating themselves to the Lord.
How did they know what that meant?
We don’t know the answer to that, we can only assume that Moses was
given instructions beyond telling them not to go near a woman. Now, the fearsome presence of the Lord
manifests itself on the mountain and Moses is called up. Even after they were told to fence off the
mountain the Lord tells Moses to go back and warn them not to come near and try
to break through whatever barrier was there.
Moses can’t imagine they would actually try to do so but the Lord tells
him again to go and deliver that message and bring Aaron back with him. The scene has a bit of a Wizard of Oz feel to
it but we know that the God who is there is certainly no humbug. The writer of Proverbs tells us that the fear
of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and this moment in their lives, a
revelation of the holiness and other-ness of God is intended to begin the
relationship in the proper manner so that wisdom can flow from that fear. This fearsome manifestation is only the first
thing they need to know.
How does this baptism “fulfill all righteousness”? John had been given a word to look for a
particular sign. He had been told that
he would baptize Messiah and that he would know that person when a dove
alighted on the person and remained there.
In order for that promise to be fulfilled, John had to baptize
Jesus. He was reluctant to do so perhaps
because of the story Luke tells us about their mothers meeting when they were
pregnant with these two. John had always
known Jesus, even in the womb.
Righteousness here relates to the affirmation of John’s ministry and the
fulfillment of the sign promised. This
is the first sign given that Jesus was the One for whom they were waiting and
the sign was accompanied by the voice that explained the sign, certainly a rare
moment. Contrast this manifestation of
the divine presence with our first reading.
Paul says that Jesus is the image of the invisible God, in
whom the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.
If we want to know God, we must look to Jesus. It is a remarkable statement for Paul to
make, Jesus is the fulfillment of all righteousness and initially Paul had
rejected that truth and persecuted the church that proclaimed Him. Paul had his own manifestation of the divine
presence that changed his mind when He heard the voice from heaven proclaim “I
am Jesus.” No longer is the voice the Father
speaking it is the Son who sits at the right hand of the Father. Paul was completely undone by those words and
here we see that He cannot but proclaim the highest praises for Jesus. All creation is ascribed to Him and nothing
that exists came into existence without Him.
In the same way, we are redeemed and reconciled by Jesus to the Father,
our Father. It is by His righteousness
that we are reconciled and all praise is due to Him.
That word above all
earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.
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