The Lord will bless his people with peace. (Psalm 29)
Jesus’ baptism, as told by Matthew, gives us an intimate exchange between two cousins.
John, a model of humility and truth, does not want to supersede his divine cousin and Lord. But he defers to Jesus’ wishes and baptizes him. Thus Jesus identifies with the sinful humanity he came to save, an identification which brought forth a loving response from his Father.
The response was a divine affirmation of love and approval, together with an empowering by the Holy Spirit. Then, a divine command for all humanity, for all time and in all circumstances: “This is my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on him.”
