Today’s extract from Isaiah was written at the time of the Babylonian captivity of the Jews. It is a message full of hope, looking forward to a leader who will rescue his people and bring them justice. The prophesy refers to his own time but reached its fulfilment in Jesus. The second reading brings new understanding of God’s plan of salvation in that the gentiles are also accepted in his kingdom and that “God does not have favourites.”
The gospel according to Matthew describes again how the promise made throughout the history of the Jewish people has come to fruition in Jesus. Even John, who had prepared the way for him, did not fully understand how fully human he was. The fact that Jesus asked for baptism shocked John but the Lord wanted to show that he was joining with his people, who had been baptised in the Jordan.
The vision of the Spirit coming down and the Father’s voice must have been very reassuring for him, coming from a small village where he had been the local carpenter. The Father called him the “Beloved,” a term that had been used for his ancestor David. He was loved unconditionally as we too are loved.