Epiphany is the twelfth holiday. Baptism of the Lord

On January 18 and 19, Orthodox Christians traditionally celebrate Epiphany. This day has its own history, dating back to ancient times, and church canons have been closely intertwined with popular beliefs for a long time.

The holiday of the Baptism of Rus' is usually celebrated on July 28. This event, according to historical research, dated back to 988. However, the adoption of the Christian faith in Rus' was not a short-term action, but a long process that required the residents of the pagan state to rethink new forms of life and interaction.

History of the holiday. Baptism

Translated from Greek, the word “baptism” means immersion. This is exactly how a cleansing bath is carried out for a person who has decided to accept the Christian faith. The true meaning of the water ritual is spiritual cleansing. According to Christian tradition, on January 19, Jesus Christ was baptized, and on this day the Epiphany is celebrated, when the Almighty appeared to the world in three forms.

On the Epiphany of the Lord (the history of the holiday goes like this), God the Son underwent the Sacrament in the Jordan River at the age of 30, where the Holy Spirit appeared to him in the form of a dove, and God the Father made it known from heaven that Jesus Christ was his son . Hence the second name of the holiday - Epiphany.

On January 18, according to Orthodox tradition, it is customary to fast until the removal of the candle, which follows the Liturgy, accompanied by communion with water. The holiday of Epiphany, or rather its eve, is also called Christmas Eve, which is associated with the custom of boiling wheat juice with the addition of raisins and honey.

Celebration traditions

Epiphany is a holiday whose traditions are associated with the extraordinary ability of water to heal, and it can be taken from the most ordinary body of water. Even the one that is supplied to the apartments of our houses is endowed with this property. For healing, it is necessary to take consecrated Epiphany water on an empty stomach in a very small volume (a teaspoon is enough). After taking it, you need to wait a while before eating.

The healing properties of Epiphany water

Epiphany is an Orthodox holiday and, according to the Christian faith, holy water is the most effective cure for all diseases. To get rid of physical and spiritual ailments, you need to drink it hourly, deeply believing in healing power. Women in critical days You cannot touch holy water, only in exceptional cases, for example, in case of a serious illness.

In Orthodox traditions, the history of the holiday is well known. The Baptism of the Lord gives water miraculous powers. A drop of it can sanctify a huge source, and it does not deteriorate under any storage conditions. Modern research confirmed that Epiphany water does not change its structure without refrigeration.

Where to store Epiphany water

Water collected on the day of Epiphany should be stored in the Red Corner near the icons; this is the best place for it in the house. You must take it from the Red Corner without swearing; at this moment you cannot quarrel and allow yourself ungodly thoughts, as this will lose the holiness of the magic drink. Sprinkling a house with water cleanses not only the home, but also family members, making them healthier, more moral and happier.

Epiphany bathing

Traditionally, on January 19, on the feast of the Epiphany, water from any source has miraculous properties and the ability to heal, so on this day all Orthodox Christians collect it at various containers and store carefully, adding small drops as needed, for example, to a glass of water. As you remember, even a small portion can consecrate huge volumes. However, the Epiphany holiday is most widely known for its mass bathing. Of course, not everyone can decide to do this. However, in lately Epiphany bathing is becoming increasingly popular.

Dives are held in an ice-hole cut out in the shape of a cross, which is called Jordan. Plunging into cold water On January 19, Epiphany, an Orthodox holiday, a believer, as legend says, gets rid of sins and all ailments for a whole year.

When is it customary to collect water?

People go to church for holy water on the morning of January 19th. There is a sign that you need to take it first. This makes the behavior of some parishioners unacceptable for the temple, because in a sacred place one cannot push, swear, or fuss.

Blessed water can also be collected the day before, January 18, Epiphany Eve. Church services continue on this day. As the priests say, water is blessed the same way on both January 18 and 19, so the time of collection does not affect its healing properties. If it is impossible to go to church, you can use ordinary apartment water supply. It is better to collect water from the tap on the night of January 18-19 between 00.10 and 01.30. This time is considered the most favorable. When and where to swim on Epiphany? Regarding bathing, the church notes that it is not a canon of Christianity, but has simply become a tradition. You can take a dip at Epiphany both on the night of January 18-19 and in the morning of the 19th. In every city special places are organized for this holiday; you can find out about them in any church.

On accepting baptism in the Orthodox tradition

On the Epiphany of the Lord (the history of the holiday tells about this), God appeared to the world for the first time in three forms (Epiphany). Few people think that communion with the Lord is an important event in the life of every Orthodox Christian. On the day of baptism, a person is adopted by God and becomes part of Christ.

Baptism, as mentioned above, should be translated as immersion or pouring. Both meanings are somehow connected with water, which is a symbol of the Orthodox Christian religion. It has enormous destructive and creative power. Water is a symbol of renewal, transformation and spiritual cleansing. The first Christians underwent the rite of baptism in rivers and lakes. Subsequently, as now, this action began to be performed in fonts. Orthodox baptism mandatory for liberation from negative forces.

After undergoing the rite of baptism, a person is accepted by the Orthodox Church and ceases to be a slave of Satan, who can now tempt him only by cunning. After gaining faith, you can visit the temple and pray, as well as use other Sacraments Orthodox faith.

Reception of Baptism by an adult is carried out consciously, so the presence of godparents is not necessary. A future Christian must become familiar with the basics of the Orthodox faith and, if desired, learn prayers.

When we're talking about about babies, then they need godparents, who must subsequently take care of the child’s religious development and, of course, pray for him. They should be an example of morality for their godchildren.

Before the Sacrament is performed, everyone who will be present in the church is recommended to fast and abstain from worldly entertainment. Babies themselves do not need preparation.

Now every church has a registration for baptism, where you can also find out what you need to take with you. It is imperative to prepare a consecrated cross and, if desired, baptism set, which includes a shirt, cap, diaper. For boys, a cap is not required.

After the ceremony you will receive a “Baptismal Certificate”. Keep it, if your child decides to enter a religious school, it will definitely be needed.

It must be said that the baptism of a child is a holiday that is given more and more importance in Russia every year.

Folk customs and traditions associated with Epiphany

The holiday of Epiphany, of course, is less popular than Christmas, but it is very rich in various rituals. Here are some of them.

On this day, it is customary to release doves into the sky during worship, which is a symbol of the Spirit of God appearing on earth in the guise of this bird. This ritual also “releases” the Christmas holidays.

Water is always blessed in churches. On the eve of Epiphany, a cross-shaped hole is cut out in reservoirs, and the cross is placed close to it and sometimes decorated. Water is baptized with fire, for which the priest lowers a burning three-branched candlestick into it.

To wash away your sins during Epiphany bathing, you need to plunge your head three times.

In former times, young people had fun on this day by riding carousels and ice skating. Also, boys and girls caroled - they went around houses with songs and congratulations, and the owners gave them treats.

After this holiday, fasting ended. Young people again began to get together for festivities, where they could choose their soulmate. The period from the end of Epiphany to Lent is the time when one could have a wedding.

It is not customary to work and eat a lot on Epiphany.

Signs and beliefs

Agreeing on a wedding on this day means a happy life for the future family. In general, any good deed started on this day is blessed.

Snow on Epiphany means a rich harvest.

The sun on this day means a bad harvest.

To wash your face with ice and snow on this day means to be beautiful, sweet and pretty all year round.

IN Epiphany night dreams are prophetic.

That evening the girls got together and told fortunes.

Epiphany fortune telling

The most popular, of course, is fortune telling for the betrothed. There are a great many ways to find out the name and see your future husband, some of them are quite creepy: with mirrors, candles, “spirit circles” and the alphabet.

Almost every modern girl knows about fortune telling for the groom using Tatyana Larina’s method: to find out the name of the betrothed, you need to go out into the street at midnight and ask the first man you come across what his name is.

Here's a very funny fortune telling for wish fulfillment. You ask a question, having a good idea of what you are asking about (the question should really be important to you, but if you are doing it for fun, then the answer will not be true), and then you scoop up grains (cereals) from the bag. Next, pour everything onto a plate and count it. If the number of grains is even, it will come true, if the number is odd, it will not come true.

The Baptism of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ is one of the most important Christian holidays. On this day, Christians around the world remember the gospel event - the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River.

The Savior was baptized by the prophet John the Baptist, who is also called the Baptist.

The second name, Epiphany, was given to the holiday in memory of the miracle that occurred during baptism. The Holy Spirit descended from heaven on Christ in the form of a dove and a voice from heaven called him Son. Evangelist Luke writes about this: The sky was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form, like a dove, and there was a voice from heaven, saying: You are My Beloved Son; My favor is in You!(Matt. 3:14-17). This is how the Holy Trinity was revealed in visible and accessible images to humans: the voice - God the Father, the dove - God the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ - God the Son. And it was testified that Jesus is not only the Son of Man, but also the Son of God. God appeared to people.

twelfth holiday. The twelfths are holidays that are dogmatically closely connected with the events of the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Mother of God and are divided into the Lord's (dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ) and the Theotokos (dedicated to Mother of God). Epiphany is the Lord's holiday.

When is the Epiphany celebrated?

The Russian Orthodox Church celebrates Epiphany on January 19 according to the new style (January 6 according to the old style).
The Feast of the Epiphany has 4 days of pre-celebration and 8 days of post-celebration. Forefeast - one or several days before a major holiday, the services of which already include prayers dedicated to the upcoming celebrated event. Accordingly, after-feasts are the same days after the holiday.

The celebration of the holiday takes place on January 27 according to the new style. The celebration of the holiday is the last day of some important Orthodox holidays, celebrated with a special service, more solemn than in ordinary days after-celebrations.

Events of the Epiphany

After fasting and wanderings in the desert, the prophet John the Baptist came to the Jordan River, in which the Jews traditionally performed religious ablutions. Here he began to talk to the people about repentance and baptism for the remission of sins and baptize people in the waters. This was not the Sacrament of Baptism as we know it now, but it was its prototype.

The people believed the prophecies of John the Baptist, many were baptized in the Jordan. And then, one day, Jesus Christ himself came to the banks of the river. At that time He was thirty years old. The Savior asked John to baptize Him. The Prophet was surprised to the core and said: “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” But Christ assured him that “It is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” During baptism, the sky was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form, like a dove, and there was a voice from heaven, saying: You are My Beloved Son; My favor is in You!(Luke 3:21-22).

The Baptism of the Lord was the first appearance of Christ to the people of Israel. It was after the Epiphany that the first disciples followed the Teacher - the apostles Andrew, Simon (Peter), Philip, Nathanael.

In the two Gospels - Matthew and Luke - we read that after Baptism the Savior withdrew into the desert, where he fasted for forty days in order to prepare for his mission among people. He was tempted by the devil and did not eat anything during these days, and after they were over, he finally became hungry (Luke 4:2). The devil approached Christ three times and tempted Him, but the Savior remained strong and rejected the evil one (as the devil is called).

What can you eat on Epiphany?

There is no fasting on the feast of Epiphany. But on Epiphany Eve, that is, on the eve of the holiday, Orthodox Christians observe strict fasting. The traditional dish of this day is sochivo, which is prepared from cereals (for example, wheat or rice), honey and raisins.

Epiphany of the Lord - the history of the holiday

The Epiphany of the Lord began to be celebrated even when the apostles were alive - we find mention of this day in the Apostolic Decrees and Rules. But at first, Epiphany and Christmas were a single holiday, and it was called Epiphany.

Starting from the end of the 4th century (in different places in different ways), the Epiphany of the Lord became a separate holiday. But even now we can observe echoes of the unity of Christmas and Epiphany - in worship. For example, both holidays have a Eve - Christmas Eve, with strict fasting and special traditions.

In the first centuries of Christianity, converts were baptized on Epiphany (they were called catechumens), so this day was often called the “day of Enlightenment”, “feast of Lights”, or “holy Lights” - as a sign that the Sacrament of Baptism cleanses a person from sin and enlightens with the Light of Christ . Even then there was a tradition to bless water in reservoirs on this day.

Iconography of the Baptism of the Lord

In early Christian images of the events of the Baptism of the Lord, the Savior appears before us young and without a beard; later He began to be portrayed as an adult man.

Since the 6th-7th centuries, images of angels have appeared on icons of Baptism - most often there are three of them and they stand on the opposite bank of the Jordan from the prophet John the Baptist. In memory of the miracle of Epiphany, an island of sky is depicted above Christ standing in the water, from which a dove in rays of light descends to the Baptized One - a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

The central figures on all the icons of the holiday are Christ and John the Baptist, who places his right hand (right hand) on the head of the Savior. The right hand of Christ is raised in a blessing gesture.

Features of the Epiphany service

Clergy on holiday Epiphany dressed in white robes. Main feature Epiphany service is the consecration of water. The water is blessed twice. The day before, January 18, Epiphany Eve - the Rite of the Great Blessing of Water, which is also called the Great Agiasma. And the second time - on the day of Epiphany, January 19, at the Divine Liturgy.

The first tradition most likely dates back to the ancient Christian practice of baptizing catechumens after the morning service of Epiphany. And the second is connected with the custom of Palestinian Christians to march on the day of Epiphany to the Jordan to the traditional place of the baptism of Jesus Christ.

Epiphany Prayers

Troparion of the Baptism of the Lord

voice 1st

In the Jordan I am baptized to You, O Lord, Trinitarian adoration appeared: for the voice of the Parents testified to You, naming Your beloved Son, and the Spirit in the form of a dove, the affirmation known to Your words. Appear, O Christ God, and enlighten the world, glory to Thee.

When You, Lord, were baptized in the Jordan, the worship of the Most Holy Trinity appeared, for the voice of the Father testified of You, calling You the beloved Son, and the Spirit, appearing in the form of a dove, confirmed the truth of this word. Christ God, who appeared and enlightened the world, glory to You!

Kontakion of the Baptism of the Lord

voice 4th

Thou hast appeared this day to the universe, and Thy light, O Lord, has appeared upon us, in the minds of those who sing Thee: thou hast come and appeared, the unapproachable Light.

You have now appeared to the whole world; and Your light, Lord, is imprinted on us, consciously chanting You: “You have come and appeared, Unapproachable Light!”

The Greatness of the Baptism of the Lord

We magnify You, Life-Giving Christ, for our sake now baptized in the flesh by John in the waters of the Jordan.

We glorify You, Christ, Giver of life, because You have now been baptized in the flesh by John in the waters of the Jordan for us.

Epiphany Cathedral in Elohovo

Epiphany Cathedral is located in Moscow, on Spartakovskaya street, 15, near the Baumanskaya metro station. In the XIV-XVII centuries the village of Eloh was located here.

In the second half of the 15th century, the famous Moscow saint, St. Basil the Blessed, was born in the parish of the local Church of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God.

At that time, the Epiphany Cathedral was an ordinary rural church. In 1712-1731 it was rebuilt in stone, bricks were donated personally by Emperor Peter I. The new building was consecrated in 1731.

At the end of the 18th century, the Pushkin family became parishioners of the Epiphany Church. It is known that great poet born in the German settlement and was baptized in the old Epiphany Cathedral in 1799. The successors were the grandmother, Olga Sergeevna, nee Chicherina, and Count Vorontsov, the grandson of the minister Artemy Volynsky, who was martyred under Biron.

The old Peter's Cathedral stood until the middle of the 19th century. In the 1830s, the famous Moscow architect Evgraf Tyurin received an order for its reconstruction. The renovated cathedral was consecrated in 1853.

In the years Soviet power the temple did not close. On the Feast of the Presentation in 1925 solemn Liturgy served in it His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon. In 1935, the Baumansky district council decided to open a large cinema in the Epiphany Cathedral, but the decision was soon reversed.

And a few more facts from the history of the temple. In the Epiphany Cathedral rest the relics of St. Alexy, Metropolitan of Moscow, and are buried His Holiness Patriarch Sergius of Moscow and All Rus' and His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus'. In 1992, the Epiphany Cathedral became a cathedral.

Shrines of the cathedral: the miraculous Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, the relics of St. Alexy, Metropolitan of Moscow, the icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow,” particles of the relics of St. John Chrysostom, Apostle Andrew the First-Called and St. Peter of Moscow.

Folk traditions of Epiphany

Every church holiday is reflected in folk traditions. And the richer and more ancient the history of a people, the more complex and interesting the intertwining of folk and church is obtained. Many customs are far from true Christianity and close to paganism, but they are nevertheless interesting from a historical point of view - in order to get to know the people better, in order to be able to separate the essence of this or that holiday of Christ from the colorful stream of folk imagination.

In Rus', Epiphany was the end of Christmastide, girls stopped fortune telling - a purely pagan activity. Ordinary people were preparing for the holiday, which, it was believed, would cleanse them of sins, including the sins of Christmas fortune-telling.

At Epiphany, a great blessing of water was performed. And twice. The first one is on Epiphany Christmas Eve. The water was blessed in the font, which stood in the center of the temple. The second time the water was blessed on the feast of Epiphany itself - in any local body of water: river, lake, well. A “Jordan” was cut into the ice - an ice hole in the form of a cross or a circle. Nearby they placed a lectern and a wooden cross with an ice dove - a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

On the day of Epiphany, after the liturgy, people went to the ice hole procession of the cross. The priest served a prayer service, lowered the cross into the hole three times, asking for water God's blessing. After this, all the villagers collected holy water from the ice hole and cheerfully poured it over each other. Some daredevils even swam in ice water, in order, according to popular belief, to be cleansed of sins. It should be noted that this belief has nothing to do with the teachings of the Church. Swimming in an ice hole (Jordan) is not a church sacrament or ritual, it is folk tradition celebration of Epiphany

Not only rural reservoirs were blessed, but also rivers in big cities. For example, here is a story about how water was blessed in Moscow on the Neglinnaya River on January 6, 1699. Emperor Peter I himself took part in the ceremony. And the Swedish envoy to Moscow, Gustav Korb, described the event:

“The Feast of the Three Kings (Magi), or rather, the Epiphany of the Lord, was marked by the blessing of the Neglinnaya River. The procession moved to the river in the following order. The procession was opened by the regiment of General de Gordon... Gordon's regiment was replaced by another, called Preobrazhensky, which attracted attention with new green clothes. The captain's place was occupied by the king, who inspired tall respect for your Majesty. ...A fence (theatrum, Jordan) was built on the solid ice of the river. Five hundred clergy, subdeacons, deacons, priests, archimandrites (abbates), bishops and archbishops, dressed in robes befitting their rank and office and richly adorned with gold, silver, pearls and precious stones, gave the religious ceremony a more majestic appearance. In front of the wonderful golden cross, twelve clerics carried a lantern in which three candles burned. An incredible number of people crowded from all sides, the streets were full, the rooftops were occupied by people; spectators also stood on the city walls, huddled closely together. As soon as the clergy filled the vast space of the fence, the sacred ceremony began, many candles were lit, and first of all the invocation of the grace of God followed. After duly calling on God’s mercy, the Metropolitan began to walk around the entire fence with censing, in the middle of which the ice was broken with an ice pick in the form of a well, so that water was discovered. After censing her three times, the Metropolitan consecrated her by immersing a burning candle three times and the usual blessing. ...Then the patriarch, or in his absence the metropolitan, leaving the fence, usually sprinkles on His Royal Majesty and all the soldiers. To finally complete the festive celebration, a salvo was fired from the guns of all regiments. ...Before the start of this ceremony, a vessel covered with red cloth was brought on six white royal horses. In this vessel the blessed water was then to be taken to the palace of His Royal Majesty. In the same way, the clergy carried a certain vessel for the patriarch and many others for the boyars and Moscow nobles.”

Holy Epiphany water

Water is blessed twice on Epiphany. The day before, January 18, on Epiphany Eve, there was the Rite of the Great Blessing of Water, which is also called the “Great Hagiasma.” And the second time - on the day of Epiphany, January 19, at the Divine Liturgy. The first tradition most likely dates back to the ancient Christian practice of baptizing catechumens after the morning service of Epiphany. And the second is connected with the custom of Christians of the Jerusalem Church to march on the day of Epiphany to the Jordan to the traditional place of the baptism of Jesus Christ.

According to tradition, Epiphany water is stored for a year - until the next Epiphany holiday. They drink it on an empty stomach, reverently and prayerfully.

When to collect Epiphany water?

Is all the water for Epiphany holy?

Archpriest Igor Fomin, rector of the Alexander Nevsky Church at MGIMO, answers:

I remember when I was a child, we left the church for Epiphany and took with us a three-liter can of Epiphany water, and then, at home, we diluted it with tap water. And all year they accepted the water as a great shrine - with reverence.

On the night of the Epiphany of the Lord, indeed, as Tradition says, all aquatic nature is sanctified. And it becomes like the waters of the Jordan, in which the Lord was baptized. There would be magic if the water became holy only where the priest consecrated it. The Holy Spirit breathes wherever it wants. And there is an opinion that at any moment of Epiphany, holy water is everywhere. And the consecration of water is a visible, solemn church rite that tells us about the presence of God here on earth.

Epiphany frosts

The time of the Epiphany holiday in Rus' usually coincided with severe frosts, so they began to be called “Epiphany”. People said: “The frost is crackling, not crackling, but Vodokreshchi has passed.”

Swimming in an ice hole (Jordan) for Epiphany

In Rus', ordinary people called Epiphany “Vodokreshchi” or “Jordan”. Jordan is an ice hole in the shape of a cross or a circle, cut in any body of water and consecrated on the day of the Epiphany. After the consecration, the brave boys and men plunged and even swam in the icy water; It was believed that this way one could wash away one’s sins. But that's just folk superstition. The Church teaches us that sins are washed away only by repentance through the sacrament of Confession. And swimming is just a tradition. And here, firstly, it is important to understand that this tradition is completely optional. Secondly, one should remember the reverent attitude towards the shrine - Epiphany water. That is, if we decide to swim, we must do it wisely (taking into account our state of health) and reverently - with prayer. And, of course, not replacing swimming as a substitute for attending a festive service in church.

Epiphany Christmas Eve

The Feast of Epiphany is preceded by Epiphany Eve, or the Everlasting Epiphany. On the eve of the holiday, Orthodox Christians observe strict fasting. The traditional dish of this day is sochivo, which is prepared from cereals (for example, wheat or rice), honey and raisins.

Sochivo

To prepare sochiva you will need:

Wheat (grain) – 200 g
- peeled nuts – 30 g
- poppy seed – 150 g
- raisins – 50 g
- fruits or berries (apple, blackberry, raspberry, etc.) or jam - to taste
- vanilla sugar - to taste
- honey and sugar - to taste
- cream – 1/2 cup.

Wash the wheat well, add hot water, covering the grain, and cook in a saucepan over low heat until soft (or in a clay pot, in the oven), topping up periodically hot water. Rinse the poppy seeds, steam with hot water for 2-3 hours, drain the water, grind the poppy seeds, add sugar, honey, vanilla sugar or any jam, chopped nuts, raisins, fruits or berries to taste, add 1/2 cup of cream or milk or boiled water, and combine all this with boiled wheat, place in a ceramic bowl and serve chilled.

Poem about Baptism

What kinds of life-giving and what kind of terrible waters there are... At the beginning of the Book of Genesis we read about how the breath of God hovered over the waters and how all living beings arose from these waters. Throughout the life of all humanity - but so brightly in Old Testament– we see water as a way of life: they preserve the life of a thirsty person in the desert, they revive the field and forest, they are a sign of the life and mercy of God, and in the sacred books of the Old and New Testaments, water represents an image of cleansing, washing, renewal.

But what terrible waters there are: the waters of the Flood, in which everyone who could no longer resist the judgment of God perished; and the waters that we see throughout our lives, terrible, destructive, dark flood waters...

And so Christ came to the Jordanian waters; into these waters no longer of a sinless land, but of our land, defiled to its very depths by human sin and betrayal. People who repented according to the preaching of John the Baptist came to these waters to wash themselves; how heavy these waters were with the sin of the people who washed themselves with them! If only we could see how the waters washing these gradually became heavier and became terrible with this sin! And Christ came to plunge into these waters at the beginning of His feat of preaching and gradual ascension to the Cross, to plunge into these waters bearing the entire burden of human sin - He, the sinless one.

This moment of the Baptism of the Lord is one of the most terrible and tragic moments of His life. Christmas is the moment when God, out of His love for man, wants to save us from eternal destruction, puts on human flesh, when human flesh is permeated by the Divine, when it is renewed, becomes eternal, pure, radiant, that flesh which through the Cross, Resurrection , the Ascension will sit at the right hand of God and the Father. But on the day of the Baptism of the Lord, this preparatory path ends: now, the Lord, already matured in His humanity, having reached the full measure of His maturity, the Man Jesus Christ, united by perfect love and perfect obedience with the will of the Father, goes with his free will, freely to fulfill what the Eternal Council has ordained . Now the Man Jesus Christ brings this flesh as a sacrifice and as a gift not only to God, but to all humanity, takes on His shoulders all the horror of human sin, human fall, and plunges into these waters, which are now the waters of death, the image of destruction, they carry within themselves all evil, all poison and all sinful death.

The Baptism of the Lord, in the further development of events, most closely resembles the horror of the Garden of Gethsemane, the separation of death on the cross and the descent into hell. Here, too, Christ is so united with human fate that all its horror falls on Him, and the descent into hell is the final measure of His unity with us, the loss of everything - and victory over evil.

That is why this majestic holiday is so tragic, and that is why the waters of the Jordan, bearing all the heaviness and all the horror of sin, by touching the body of Christ, the sinless, all-pure, immortal body, permeated and shining by the Divine, the body of the God-man, are cleansed to the depths and again become primary, primeval waters of life, capable of cleansing and washing away sin, renewing a person, returning him to incorruption, communing him with the Cross, making him a child no longer of the flesh, but of eternal life, the Kingdom of God.

How exciting this holiday is! That is why, when we consecrate the waters on this day, we look at them with such amazement and awe: these waters, by the descent of the Holy Spirit, become the waters of the Jordan, not only the primeval waters of life, but waters capable of giving life not only temporary, but also eternal; that is why we partake of these waters reverently, reverently; That’s why the Church calls them a great shrine and calls on us to have them in our homes in case of illness, in case of spiritual sorrow, in case of sin, for cleansing and renewal, for introduction to the newness of purified life. Let us taste these waters, let us touch them reverently. Through these waters, the renewal of nature, the sanctification of creation, and the transformation of the world began. Just as in the Holy Gifts, and here we see the beginning of the next century, the victory of God and the beginning of eternal life, eternal glory - not only of man, but of all nature, when God becomes all in all.

Glory to God for His infinite mercy, for His Divine condescension, for the feat of the Son of God, who became the Son of man! Glory to God that He renews both man and our destinies, and the world in which we live, and that we can still live with the hope of an already won victory and the rejoicing that we are waiting for the great, wondrous, terrible day of the Lord , when the whole world will shine with the grace of the received, and not just given, Holy Spirit! Amen.

Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh. Sermon on Epiphany

With what a feeling of reverence for Christ and gratitude to our relatives who lead us to faith, we remember our Baptism: how wonderful it is to think that since our parents or people close to us discovered faith in Christ, vouched for us before the Church and before God, we , By the Sacrament of Baptism, we became Christ’s, we are called by His name. We bear this name with the same reverence and amazement as a young bride bears the name of the man whom she loved for life and death and who gave her his name; How we cherish this human name! How dear it is to us, how sacred it is to us, how terrible it would be for us to act, to give it up for blasphemy to ill-wishers... And this is how we unite with Christ, Christ the Savior, our God, who became Man, gives us to bear His name. And just as on earth they judge the whole race that bears the same name by our actions, so here they judge Christ by our actions, by our lives.

What a responsibility this is! The Apostle Paul warned young women almost two thousand years ago Christian Church that for the sake of those of them who live unworthy of their calling, the name of Christ is blasphemed. Isn't that the case now? Aren’t there millions of people all over the world now who would like to find the meaning of life, joy, depth in God, moving away from Him, looking at us, seeing that we, alas, are not a living image of the gospel life - neither personally nor as a society? ?

And on the day of the Baptism of the Lord, I would like to say before God on my own behalf and call on everyone to say to those who were given the opportunity to be baptized in the name of Christ: remember that you have now become bearers of this holy and divine name, that God, your Savior, the Savior of all will be judged by you what if your life is my life! - will be worthy of this gift of God, then thousands around will be saved, and if she is unworthy, they will perish: without faith, without hope, without joy and without meaning. Christ came to the Jordan sinless, plunged into these terrible Jordanian waters, which seemed to become heavy, washing away human sin, figuratively becoming like dead waters - He plunged into them and became familiar with our mortality and all the consequences of human fall, sin, humiliation in order to to make us capable of living worthy of our human calling, worthy of God Himself, Who called us to be His relatives, children, to be His family and our own...

Let us respond to this work of God, to this call of God! Let us understand how high, how majestic our dignity is, how great our responsibility is, and let us enter the year that has now already begun in such a way as to be the glory of God and the salvation of every person who touches our lives! Amen.

Saint Theophan the Recluse. Thoughts for every day of the year - Epiphany

Epiphany (Titus 2, 11-14; Z, 4-7; Mt Z, 13-17). The Baptism of the Lord is called the Epiphany because in it the one true God, worshiped in the Trinity, revealed Himself so tangibly: God the Father - by a voice from heaven, God the Son - incarnate - by baptism. God the Holy Spirit - by descending on the Baptized One. Here the mystery of the relationship between the persons of the Holy Trinity is revealed. God the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and rests in the Son and does not proceed from Him. It is also revealed here that the incarnate economy of salvation was accomplished by God the Son incarnate, co-inherent with Him the Holy Spirit and God the Father. It has also been revealed that the salvation of everyone can be accomplished no other way than in the Lord Jesus Christ, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, according to the good will of the Father. All Christian sacraments shine here with their divine light and enlighten the minds and hearts of those who celebrate this great celebration with faith. Come, let us mindfully look up to the mountain, and let us immerse ourselves in the contemplation of these mysteries of our salvation, singing: in the Jordan I am baptized to You, O Lord, Triple adoration has appeared, a salvation that arranges for us in a triple way and saves us in a triple way.

Then, among the rest of the people, Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee came to John to be baptized by him. John had never met Jesus before and therefore did not know who he was. But when Jesus approached him for baptism, John, as a prophet, felt his holiness, sinlessness and superiority over himself, so he objected in bewilderment: “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” “Thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness,” Jesus answered meekly. By this he confirmed the holiness and greatness of John’s actions, and gave future Christians an example of obedience to the will of God and humility.

Having been baptized, Jesus, according to the evangelist, prayed that God would bless the beginning of his ministry. At that moment, the heavens “opened” and John the Baptist saw the Spirit of God, which descended on Jesus in the form of a dove. The people also saw the dove, since the purpose of this miracle was to reveal to people the Son of God in the unknown Jesus Christ. At the same time, everyone heard the words of God the Father: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” They pointed out to John the Baptist and the people present the divine dignity of the baptized Jesus Christ. These words were the answer of God the Father to the prayer of His Son for a blessing on the feat of saving humanity.

The Orthodox Church calls the Baptism of the Lord the Epiphany, because Jesus Christ after baptism showed himself to the world as the Savior and Messiah. In this event, the Holy Trinity was revealed to people: God the Father - with a voice from heaven, God the Son - with the baptism of John in the Jordan, God the Holy Spirit - with a dove descending on Jesus Christ.

For a Christian, the sacrament of Baptism is the door to the Kingdom of light. “Those who have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ,” is sung at the festive service. This means: whoever is baptized into Christ is clothed in the garments of Christ's righteousness and, becoming like Him, becomes a participant in His holiness. The power of baptism is that the baptized person receives the ability and strength to love God and his neighbors. This Christian love attracts the Christian to righteous life and helps him overcome his sins.

The beginning of the feast of the Epiphany dates back to apostolic times. He is mentioned in the Apostolic Constitutions.

Until the 5th century, it was customary to remember the birth and baptism of Jesus Christ on one day - January 6 - and this holiday was called Epiphany. Then the celebration of the Nativity of Christ was moved to December 25 (by Julian calendar, or old style). This was the beginning of Christmastide, ending with Vespers, or Christmas Eve, the feast of Epiphany. The word “forever” means the eve of a church celebration, and the second name “Christmas Eve” (sochevnik) is associated with the tradition on this day of boiling wheat broth with honey and raisins - sochivo.

Due to the importance of the event that took place on the coming day in the life of Jesus Christ, the church established a one-day fast after Christmastide. This is where the tradition of cooking sochivo came from, which is not mandatory, but is so convenient that it has become a tradition everywhere. Believers determine the extent of fasting individually and according to their abilities. On this day, as on Christmas Eve, they do not eat food until the candle is taken out after the liturgy (worship) in the morning and the first communion of Epiphany water.

On Christmas Eve, after the liturgy, the great consecration of water takes place in churches. The blessing of water is called great because of the special solemnity of the rite, imbued with the remembrance of the Baptism of the Lord, which became not only an image of cleansing from sins, but also the actual sanctification of the very matter (nature) of water through the immersion of God in the flesh. This water is called Agiasma or Epiphany water.

Under the influence of the Jerusalem Charter, from the 11th-12th centuries, the blessing of water occurs twice - both on Epiphany Eve and on the Feast of Epiphany. Consecration on both days takes place in the same manner, so the water blessed on these days is no different.

In the ancient church, this was due to the fact that on the eve of the holiday, the baptism of the catechumens (those who accepted and assimilated the Christian doctrine) took place. For the sake of this sacrament, the first great blessing of water was performed. The difference between the first and second consecration was that on the Eve of Epiphany the blessing of water was performed in churches where catechumens were baptized, and on the day of the feast of Epiphany Christians went to the Jordan River.

In the first centuries (including the 4th and 5th centuries), the great consecration of water took place only in the Jerusalem Church, where it was the custom to go out to the Jordan River to the place where Jesus Christ was baptized. Later they began to organize “Jordan” in other places where there were rivers or lakes.

Since ancient times, Christians have had great reverence for the consecrated Epiphany water; it is a shrine. Christ was baptized and sanctified the nature of the waters, and therefore baptismal water is brought home and stored all year. And this water does not spoil and sometimes remains fresh for two or three years.

In Russian Orthodox Church and the people have developed such an attitude towards the Epiphany water that they take it only on an empty stomach as a great shrine. It is used for sprinkling temples and homes, during prayers to drive out an evil spirit, and also as a cure for diseases.

As additional post- and extra-liturgical (and not at all obligatory) exercises in the Orthodox and not only in Orthodox countries Sometimes . In Russia, they plunge into the “Jordan” (a specially built font), in Greece, young men jump after a cross, which the priest throws into the waters of the sea, and compete to see who can get it first. These are folklore continuations of the theological meaning of the holiday, which for Orthodox believers consists primarily of commemorating the Baptism of Jesus Christ by John in the Jordan River.

The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources

Small water artery, lost in the sands and winding among the rocks of the spurs of the Lebanese mountains, is a natural border between the Muslim and Jewish worlds. Two thousand years ago, it became a mystical line that divided human history into “before” and “after.” The name of the Palestinian river turned into "Jordan" meaning any body of water or place where the rite of the Great Blessing of Water is performed on the feast of Epiphany.

What does the word baptism mean?

In the Slavic tradition, “baptism” means participation in the life of Christ. In ancient times this word was pronounced like this - baptism. This is understood as a certain mystical action related to Christ and performed with His participation. The first meaning of the term “baptism” means a church sacrament (not a rite, but a sacrament), through which a person becomes a member of the community of followers of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.

In the Hellenic tradition, this action is called the word βαπτίζω (vaptiso), which means “immerse” or “dip”. Where in the Slavic translation of the Gospel it is written that John the Baptist performed baptism in the Jordan River, one should understand “immersion”: “... and all Judea was baptized (immersed, immersed),” etc. The Holy Prophet John did not invent this ceremony himself, but he performed these actions on the basis of the Old Testament Jewish religious rite. Similar rituals can be found among many nations. For example, Hindus take sacred baths in rivers.

Ancient Jewish custom

The Law of Moses prescribed ablutions for any defilement: touching a dead person, eating forbidden food, a woman after bleeding, etc. According to the rituals of the ancient Jews, any person of non-Jewish blood could join the Jewish faith. Such a person was called a proselyte. For this case, a special ritual was prescribed for the acceptance of people of other faiths into Judaism, which also included ablution. In modern language this may be called the baptism of proselytes.

In all cases, ablution was performed by completely immersing the head in a body of water. This was a symbolic action and had a mystical meaning of cleansing from sins. Only “water from God” had purifying properties: flowing from a source or collected rain.

John's Baptism

Jewish rituals were known to John. At a certain time he comes ashore and proclaims that the time of God's judgment is coming. The righteous will be rewarded with perfect eternal life in the Kingdom of God, while the sinners will be subject to eternal punishment. John preached that you can only be saved from punishment by repenting of your vices and correcting your life. “Come to the Jordan,” the Baptist called, “come, whoever wants to be saved!”

John gives traditional Jewish ritual new meaning. He baptizes people who come to him in the Jordan River: he immerses them in water and does not allow them to leave until the person has completely cleansed his soul. Being God's chosen one, he had the ability to see secrets inner world. The prophet did not demand confession about his crimes, but a decisive renunciation of a sinful life. Gradually, a whole community of new saved people is formed around John.

Baptism of Jesus Christ

Imbued with the prophet’s menacing call to repent of sins, many people from all over Palestine came to him. One day Christ appeared on the banks of the Jordan. This event is described in detail by all four evangelists. Jesus did not have a single sin and did not need confession or cleansing. The evangelists write that Christ, having plunged into the Jordan, immediately came out of the water. The Prophet felt the holiness of the God-man and asked a perplexed question: “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” The Savior commands him to perform the ritual.

Christ's acceptance of John's baptism is very important. This confirms the truth of the Baptist's preaching in what is coming new era morality of humanity. After baptism, Christ went to a secluded place in the Palestinian desert, where he spent forty days in prayer and only after that began preaching among the Jews.

Why did Jesus get baptized?

Some Protestant denominations perceive the meaning of the event in a simplified way. According to them, Jesus was baptized to give us an example. An example of what? The meaning of baptism is explained in the Gospel of Matthew. In chapter 5, Christ says about himself that he came into the world not to destroy the Old Testament law, but to fulfill it. In the original source, the meaning of this verb has a slightly different connotation. Christ came to complete the law, that is, to complete its action with Himself.

Theologians see several mystical aspects in baptism:

The river of Christ's baptism revealed new knowledge about God to people. Evangelists testify that when emerging from the water, the Holy Spirit descended on the Savior in the form of a dove, and all those present heard a voice from Heaven, calling Christ the Son and commanding them to fulfill His teaching. Christians call this event the Epiphany, since for the first time the world was witness to God in three persons.
By baptism, Jesus symbolizes the spiritual state of the entire ancient Israeli people. The Jews retreated from God, forgot His commandments and were in massive need of repentance. Christ seems to make it clear that all Jewish people must make the transition to a new moral state.
The waters of the Jordan, figuratively cleansing the vices of the people immersed in them, carried the spiritual impurity of all humanity. The river in which Jesus was baptized is also a symbol of restless souls. Christ, immersed in the waters, sanctified and cleansed them.
Christ is the sacrifice. The meaning of His ministry on earth is to offer Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind. According to Jewish custom, the sacrificial animal must undergo ablution before the liturgical ritual.

Where does the name "Jordan" come from?

According to generally accepted opinion, the river where Jesus was baptized has a Jewish name. There is no consensus in the scientific community on this matter.

The most logical thing was to assume the Semitic origin of the toponym. In this case, Jordan comes from the Hebrew word “yered” (“descends”, “falls”), and the name of the spring Dan is the name of one of the 12 tribes of ancient Israel.
There is a version of the Indo-European origin of the word. Since ancient times, Indo-Iranians, the ancestors of the Philistines, lived in these Middle Eastern territories. The Indo-European root danu means "moisture", "water", "river".
The Russian religious philosopher Dmitry Sergeevich Merezhkovsky in Homer’s “Odyssey” saw lines that spoke of a certain tribe of Kidons who lived off the coast of the Yardan. He concluded that the river of Jesus' baptism was called Jordan by people from Crete.

Holy waters of Jordan

Already 1000 years BC, the waters of the Jordan River were considered sacred. Chroniclers have preserved a lot of evidence that patients with leprosy were healed after bathing in the river. Other zealots sank into the water in funeral shrouds. Cuts of fabric were kept until the day of death, believing that this would help resurrect.

After the baptism of Jesus, the river began to be considered a great shrine without additional rituals. Early Christians used the water, considering it miraculous and having healing properties. When Christianity became the state religion in Byzantium, believers were able to move freely throughout the empire. The river of Christ's baptism became a desired destination for pilgrims.

Many pilgrims rushed to the banks of the Jordan, not only to worship the sacred places. In addition to reverent veneration, superstitions also appeared. The sick began to be immersed in the waters of the river in anticipation of a miracle of healing and old age people with faith in rejuvenation. They began to use water to sprinkle farmland, hoping that it would bring bountiful harvest. Owners of sea vessels filled large vessels of water, trying to prevent shipwreck and ensure a safe voyage.

Jordan today

The flow of pilgrims does not stop today. According to ancient evidence, the place on the banks of the Jordan where John the Baptist carried out his mission is located in the territory modern Israel. The River of the Baptism of Christ in this area flows through the Palestinian Authority and access to it has been impossible since the 1967 war.

Meeting the wishes of Christians, the Israeli government allocated a small section of the coast at the exit of the Jordan from the sea). With the participation of the Ministry of Tourism, a whole complex of structures was built. This pilgrimage center is not considered a historical site of evangelical events, but for numerous believers from all over the world it is the only opportunity to immerse themselves in the sacred waters.

Miracles on the Feast of Epiphany

On the feast of Epiphany on January 19, the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem performs a festive prayer service and the great blessing of water. The culmination of this service is the immersion of the cross in water three times. Many people present testify to the annually repeated miracle. At the moment of immersion of the cross, the river of Jesus' baptism stops its flow, and the waters begin to move in the opposite direction. This phenomenon was captured on video by many eyewitnesses. The Jordan has a fairly strong current, and it is not possible to explain this phenomenon by a natural factor. Believers believe that in this way God shows his power.

The authentic place of the Savior's baptism

If the question of which river Jesus was baptized in is already considered resolved, then the location of the event itself can be debated. Over the course of twenty centuries, the riverbed has changed more than once; states and peoples that existed in biblical times have sunk into oblivion.

In the Jordanian city of Madaba preserved ancient temple the heyday of the Byzantine Empire. The Church of St. George the Victorious was built in the middle of the 6th century. Its floor is decorated with a mosaic geographical map of Palestine. The surviving fragment of this document measures 15 by 6 meters. Among other things, the map shows in great detail the place of the Savior’s baptism. This gave scientists the idea of finding archaeological evidence of the Gospel events.

On the territory of Jordan, not far from where the river flows into the Dead Sea, in 1996, forty meters east of the modern riverbed, a group of archaeologists discovered the true place of the Savior’s baptism. For almost a year now, on the Israeli side, the river of the baptism of Christ in this place has been accessible to pilgrims. Anyone can get to the water and take a bath or dive.

River of Baptism of Rus'

Kiev Prince Vladimir decided to make Orthodox Christianity official religion. In historiography, both ecclesiastical and secular, when consecrating these events, it is customary to mention the survey of envoys organized by Prince Vladimir different religions. The Greek preacher proved to be the most convincing. In 988, the Jordan State of Kyiv took place.

Vladimir himself was baptized in the Greek colony of Crimea - the city of Chersonese. Upon arrival in Kyiv, he ordered his entire court to be baptized. After this, under pain of being considered a personal enemy, he baptized Rus'. There was no doubt in which river the mass sacrament would take place. Wooden statue of the most revered pagan god Perun was thrown into the river, and the people of Kiev were gathered on the banks of the Dnieper and its tributary Pochayna. The clergy who arrived with Vladimir from Chersonesus performed the sacrament, and a new era of our state began.

How did the baptism of Jesus Christ take place? What is the meaning of the feast of the Epiphany? You can find out about this by reading our article!

How did the baptism of Jesus Christ take place?

Until His thirty years of age, the Lord Jesus Christ lived with His Mother in small town Nazareth. Helping the elderly Joseph with carpentry work, He did not show Himself in any way, and people considered him to be one of Joseph’s children. But the time approached for Him to begin His public ministry. Then God, in a special vision, commands the prophet John the Baptist, who lived in the desert, to preach a nationwide sermon of repentance and baptize all those who repent in the Jordan as a sign of their desire to be cleansed of sins. The place where the prophet John began his ministry was called the “desert of Judea,” which lay on the western coast of the Jordan and the Dead Sea.

Evangelist Luke reports valuable historical information this turning point in history, namely that at that time Palestine, which was part of the Roman Empire, was ruled by four rulers, the tetrarchs. The emperor then was Tiberius, the son and successor of Octavian Augustus, under whom Christ was born. Tiberius ascended the throne after the death of Augustus in the 767th year from the founding of Rome, but two years earlier, in 765, he had already become a co-ruler and, therefore, the fifteenth year of his reign began in the 779th year, when the Lord turned 30 years old - the age required for a teacher of the faith.

In Judea, instead of Archelaus, the Roman procurator Pontius Pilate ruled; in Galilee - Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great, who killed the infants in Bethlehem; his other son, Philip, ruled Iturea, a country located east of the Jordan, and Trachonitida, located northeast of the Jordan; in the fourth region, Abilene, adjacent to Galilee from the northeast, at the foot of Anti-Lebanon, Lysanias ruled. The high priests at this time were Annas and Caiaphas. The high priest was, in fact, Caiaphas, and his father-in-law Annas, or Ananus, removed from office by the civil authorities, but enjoying authority and respect among the people, shared power with his son-in-law.

Evangelists call John the Baptist “the voice of one crying in the wilderness,” because He loudly cried out to the people: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make His way straight.” These words are taken from the speech of the prophet Isaiah, where he consoles Jerusalem, saying that the time of her humiliation is over, and the glory of the Lord will soon appear, and “all flesh will see the salvation of God” (Isaiah 40:5). John the Baptist (John 1:23) explains this prophecy in the form of a prototype: the Lord, walking at the head of His people returning from captivity, means the Messiah, and the messenger means His Forerunner, John. The desert in the spiritual sense is the people of Israel themselves, and the irregularities that need to be eliminated as obstacles to the coming of the Messiah are human sins and passions; That is why the essence of the entire sermon of the Forerunner was reduced to one, in fact, call: Repent! This is a typical prophecy of Isaiah. The last of the Old Testament prophets, Malachi speaks directly, calling the Forerunner “the Angel of the Lord,” preparing the way for the Messiah.

John the Baptist based his preaching on repentance on the approach of the Kingdom of Heaven, that is, the Kingdom of the Messiah (Matthew 3:2). By this Kingdom, the Word of God understands the liberation of man from the power of sin and the reign of righteousness in his heart (Luke 17:21; cf. Rom. 14:17). Naturally, the grace of God, settling in the hearts of people, unites them into one society, or the Kingdom, also called the Church (Matthew 13:24-43, 47-49).

Preparing people to enter this Kingdom, which will soon open with the coming of the Messiah, John calls everyone to repentance, and baptized those who responded to this call “with the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Luke 3:3). This was not yet a grace-filled Christian baptism, but only immersion in water, as a symbol of the fact that the penitent desires cleansing from sins, just as water cleanses him of bodily impurity.

John the Baptist was a strict ascetic who wore coarse clothes made of camel's hair and ate locusts (a type of locust) and wild honey. He represented a sharp contrast to the contemporary mentors of the Jewish people, and his preaching about the approach of the Messiah, whose coming so many were eagerly awaiting, could not fail to attract everyone's attention. Even the Jewish historian Josephus testifies that “the people, delighted with the teaching of John, flocked to him in great numbers” and that the power of this man over the Jews was so great that they were ready to do everything on his advice, and even King Herod himself [Antipas ] was afraid of the power of this great teacher. Even the Pharisees and Sadducees could not calmly watch how the masses of people were coming to John, and they themselves were forced to go into the desert to him; but hardly all of them walked with sincere feelings. Therefore, it is not surprising that John greets them with a stern accusatory speech: “You brood of vipers! Who inspired you to flee from future wrath?” (Matt. 3:7). The Pharisees skillfully covered up their vices by strictly observing the purely external prescriptions of the Mosaic Law, and the Sadducees, indulging in carnal pleasures, rejected what contradicted their Epicurean way of life: spiritual world and afterlife reward.

John denounces their arrogance, their confidence in their own justice and inspires them that their hope of descent from Abraham will not bring them any benefit if they do not produce fruits worthy of repentance, for “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into fire” (Matt. 3:10; Luke 3:9), as if it were good for nothing. The true children of Abraham are not those who descend from him according to the flesh, but those who will live in the spirit of his faith and devotion to God. If you do not repent, then God will reject you and call in your place new children of Abraham in spirit (Matt. 3:9; Luke 2:8).

Confused by the severity of his speech, people ask: “What should we do? ” (Luke 3:11). John responds that it is necessary to do works of love and mercy and abstain from all evil. This is “Fruit worthy of repentance,” i.e. good deeds that were the opposite of the sins they committed.

Then there was a time of general expectation of the Messiah, and the Jews believed that the Messiah, when he came, would baptize (John 1:25). It is not surprising because many began to wonder whether John himself was Christ? To this John replied that he baptizes with water for repentance (Matthew 3:11), that is, as a sign of repentance, but he is followed by one who is stronger than him, whose shoes he, John, is not worthy to untie, as slaves do for their master. “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (Matthew 3:11; Luke 3:16; cf. Mark 1:8) - in His baptism the grace of the Holy Spirit will act like fire, consuming all sinful filth. “His shovel is in His hand, and He will clear His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn, and burn the chaff with unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3:12; Luke 2:17), i.e. Christ will cleanse His people as a master cleanses his threshing floor, from the tares and litter, and the wheat, that is, those who believe in Him, he will gather into His Church, as into a granary, and will give over to eternal torment all those who reject Him.

Then, among the rest of the people, Jesus Christ from Nazareth of Galilee came to John to be baptized by him. John had never met Jesus before and therefore did not know who He was. But when Jesus approached him for baptism, John, as a prophet, felt His holiness, sinlessness and infinite superiority over himself, and therefore in bewilderment he objected: “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me? “-“ Thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness,” the Savior meekly answered (Matthew 3:15). With these words, the Lord Jesus Christ wanted to say that He, as the founder of the new humanity revived by Him, had to show people by His own example the need for all Divine institutions, including baptism.

However, “having been baptized, Jesus immediately came out of the water” (Matthew 3:16), because He did not need to confess, as the rest of those being baptized did, remaining in the water while confessing their sins. Having been baptized, Jesus, according to the Evangelist, apparently prayed that the Heavenly Father would bless the beginning of His ministry.

“And behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and John saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and descending on Him. “Obviously, the Spirit of God was seen not only by John, but also by the people who were present, since the purpose of this miracle was to reveal to people the Son of God in Jesus, who until then had been in obscurity. That is why on the day of the feast of the Epiphany, also called Epiphany, church service it is sung: “Today you have appeared to the whole world...” According to the Evangelist John, the Spirit of God not only descended on Jesus, but also remained on Him (John 1:32).

The Holy Spirit appeared in the form of a dove because this image most befitted His properties. According to the teachings of St. John Chrysostom, “the dove is a particularly meek and pure creature. And since the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of meekness, He appeared in this form.” According to the explanation of Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, “just as in the time of Noah the dove announced the end of the flood by bringing an olive branch, so now the Holy Spirit announces the resolution of sins in the form of a dove. There is an olive branch, here is the mercy of our God.”

The voice of God the Father: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased,” pointed out to John the Baptist and the people present the Divine dignity of the Baptized One, as the Son of God in the proper sense, the Only Begotten, on Whom the favor of God the Father eternally abides; and at the same time, these words were the answer of the Heavenly Father to the prayer of His Divine Son for a blessing for the great feat of saving humanity.

Our holy Church celebrates the Baptism of the Lord on January 19. With. (January 6, s.s.), calling this holiday Epiphany, since in this event the entire Holy Trinity revealed itself to people: God the Father - with a voice from heaven, God the Son - by the baptism of John in the Jordan, God the Holy Spirit - who descended on Jesus Christ dove The feast of Epiphany, along with the feast of Easter, is the oldest Christian holiday. It is always greeted by Christians with great enthusiasm, because it reminds them of their own baptism, which encourages them to better understand the power and significance of this sacrament.

For a Christian, says the father of the Church of the first centuries, Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, the waters of baptism are “both the tomb and the mother.” The grave for his former sinful life outside of Christ and the mother of his new life in Christ and in the Kingdom of His infinite truth. Baptism is the door from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light: “If you were baptized into Christ, you put on Christ.” – Whoever is baptized into Christ is clothed in the robe of Christ’s righteousness, becomes like Him, and becomes a participant in His holiness. The power of baptism is that the baptized person receives the ability and strength to love God and his neighbors. This Christian love attracts a Christian to a righteous life and helps him overcome attachment to the world and its sinful pleasures.