Beneath the Surface

Christmas Weekday (before Epiphany)

1 John 5:5-13; Mark 1:7-11

We all know that only about 10% of an iceberg is visible; the other 90% lies below the surface. We also know, from such tragedies as the Titanic, how much that 90% matters. The same is true for Scripture, and Mark’s version of the baptism of Jesus is the perfect case in point. To see what I mean, let’s take the viewpoint of a bystander at the scene:

First, Mark says that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John (1:9). We don’t know Jesus; all we see is a crowd of people in line at the river, wading up to the man John, who baptizes them. A man who could be Jesus, now in front of John, dips below the waterline. Mark says that when the man resurfaced, he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him (1:10). But notice: He (Jesus) saw this, no one else. Finally, Mark says that a voice came from the heavens, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (1:11). We don’t hear it, but again, notice: The voice said, You; it spoke to Jesus.

It’s like that with the Sacraments. We see water, oil, wine, or a host, we hear prayers or vows, and we see actions. But this is all just the tip of the iceberg; there’s a lot going on beneath the surface, which is exactly where John is looking when he speaks of water, blood, and the Spirit.

What does John see symbolized by water? Probably many things: Creation, as when the Spirit blew over the water (Genesis 1:2); sustaining life, as with Jacob’s well (Genesis 29:2-21); starting anew, as with Noah’s ark (Genesis 6-9:17); cleansing (Leviticus 16:4, 24; 17:15; Exodus 30:18-21); and baptizing (Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:16, John 3:5, etc). Above all, as John knows, water symbolizes Christ, the Living Water (John 4:13-14; 7:37-39; Revelation 22:1-2).

But John also speaks of blood, for he knows that, apart from water, the life of the flesh is in the blood (Leviticus 17:7). In this, he connects Christ’s baptism to his passion and death. Remember what Jesus spoke about on the way to his passion: a baptism with which he must be baptized (Luke 12:50). This was the baptism of the cross, when blood and water flowed from his side (John 19:34) just after he breathed his last.

Finally, in our Lord’s last breath, John sees the power of the Holy Spirit. At the baptism of Jesus, each evangelist spoke of the Holy Spirit’s descent, but only John tells us about Christ breathing the spirit at his death (John 19:30). The next time we hear of breath, it is the risen Christ breathing the Holy Spirit upon the disciples (John 20:22), conferring on them the power to forgive sins.

Here, John has gone as far beneath the surface as we need to go: the passion, death, and resurrection of our Lord, which is the very heart of all seven Sacraments. Every sign, every prayer, and every action of every Sacrament points to the deepest reality possible: the infinite love of God for us. What other than love could move God to take our flesh, pour it out, and raise it up again, that he might continue to touch us with his sanctifying grace? And what does he ask in return? Simply that we believe, and allow him to draw us closer to himself.

Truly, as John says, we who believe that Jesus is the Son of God are the victors over the world.

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