Беседа на день Крещения Христова. Св. Иоанна Златоустого, архиепископа Константинопольского

Let us now say something about a real holiday. Many people celebrate holidays and know their names; but they do not know the reason for which they were established. So everyone knows that the real holiday is called Epiphany; but what kind of Epiphany it is, and whether it is one or two, they do not know. And it’s shameful to celebrate a holiday every year and not know the reason for it. Therefore, first of all, it is necessary to tell your love that there is not one Epiphany, but two; one is the present, which has already happened, and the other is the future, which will happen with glory at the end of the world. You heard about both of these today from Paul, who, talking with Titus, says this about the present: the saving grace of God has appeared to all man, chastening us, so that, having rejected ungodliness and worldly lusts, we may live chastely and righteously and piously in this present world; and about the future: waiting for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ (Titus 2:11–13). And the Prophet said this about this latter: the sun will turn into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and enlightened day of the Lord comes (Joel 2:31). Why is the Epiphany called not the day on which the Lord was born, but the one on which He was baptized? The present day is the same one on which He was baptized and sanctified the nature of the waters. Therefore, on this holiday, everyone, having drawn water, brings it home and keeps it all year long, since today the waters are blessed; and a clear sign occurs: this water in its essence does not deteriorate over time, but, drawn today, it remains intact and fresh for a whole year, and often two and three years, and after such a long time is not inferior to waters just drawn from sources. Why is this day called Epiphany? Because Christ became known to everyone not when He was born, but when He was baptized; Before this He was not known to the people. And that the people did not know him and did not understand who He was, listen to John the Baptist about this, who says: He stands in the midst of you, but you do not know Him (John 1:26). And is it surprising that others did not know Him, when the Baptist himself did not know Him until that day? And I, he says, did not know Him: but He who sent me to baptize with water, He said to me: You will see the Spirit descending on him and remaining on him, He is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit (John 1:33). So, from here it is clear that there are two Epiphanies; and why Christ comes to baptism and what kind of baptism He comes to, it is necessary to say about this: for it is necessary to know this, as well as that. And in advance we must tell your love about the latter: for from this we will learn the first. There was Jewish baptism, which cleansed bodily impurities, but not sins of conscience. Thus, whoever committed adultery, or who decided to steal, or who committed any other crime, it did not free him from guilt. But whoever touched the bones of the dead, whoever ate food prohibited by law, whoever came from an infected person, whoever handled lepers, washed himself and was unclean until evening, and then he was cleansed. Let him wash his body with clean water, the Scripture says, and be unclean until the evening, and be clean (Leviticus 15:5; 22:4). These were not truly sins or impurities, but since the Jews were imperfect, God, making them more pious through this, prepared them from the very beginning for the most precise observance of the most important things. So, Jewish washing did not free us from sins, but only from bodily impurities. Ours is not like that: it is much higher and full of great grace, for it frees from sins, cleanses the soul and gives the gift of the Spirit. And John’s baptism was much higher than the Jewish one, but lower than ours: it was like a bridge between both baptisms, leading through itself from the first to the last. For John did not lead to the observance of bodily cleansing, but instead exhorted and advised to move from vice to virtue and to place the hope of salvation in doing good deeds, and not in various washings and cleansings with water. John did not say: “Wash your clothes, wash your body, and you will be clean”; but what? – create fruit worthy of repentance (Matthew 3:8). Therefore, it was higher than the Jewish, but lower than ours: the baptism of John did not communicate the Holy Spirit and did not deliver grace-filled forgiveness; it commanded to repent, but did not have the power to forgive sins. That's why John said: Because I baptize you with water, you baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire (Matthew 3:11). It is obvious that He did not baptize with the Spirit. What does it mean: by the Holy Spirit and fire? Remember that day on which the Apostles appeared, dividing the nations like fire, and sitting on one of them (Acts 2:3). And that the baptism of John did not impart the Spirit and the remission of sins is evident from the following: Paul, having found certain disciples, spoke to them: have you received the Holy Spirit, having believed in nature? They decided to him: but lower, if the Holy Spirit was there, they heard. I say to them: What are you going to be baptized into? They rekosha: in John's baptism. The speech commanded: John therefore baptize with the baptism of repentance - repentance, but not remission of sins; Why did He baptize? People say: let them believe in the one who comes after him, that is, in Christ Jesus. Hearing, he was baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus: and I laid Paul’s hand on her, and the Holy Spirit came upon her (Acts 19:1–6). Do you see how imperfect John's baptism was? For if it had not been imperfect, Paul would not have baptized them again, nor would he have laid hands on them: having done both. He showed the superiority of Apostolic baptism, and that John's baptism is much inferior to it. So, from this we learned the difference of baptisms; Now it is necessary to say why Christ was baptized and with what baptism? Neither the former ones - the Jews, nor the subsequent ones - ours: for He had no need for the remission of sins; How is this possible for Him who had no sin? The Scripture says, He did not create sin, lest flattery be found in His mouth (1 Peter 2:22); and again: who of you accuses Me of sin (John 8:46)? And His flesh was not untouched by the Spirit; how could this be when it was produced in the beginning by the Holy Spirit? So, if His flesh was not alien to the Holy Spirit, and He was not subject to sins, then why was He baptized? But first we need to find out with what baptism He was baptized, then even that will be clear to us. With what baptism was He baptized? - not the Jews, and not ours, but John’s, for what? - so that you know from the very nature of baptism that He was baptized not because of sin and without needing the gift of the Spirit; for, as we have shown, this baptism was alien to both. From this it is clear that He came to the Jordan not for the remission of sins, and not to receive the gift of the Spirit. But lest any of those present then think that He came to repent, like the others, listen to how John warned this too. While He said to others, create fruit worthy of repentance, listen to what He says to Him: I demand that you be baptized by you, and are you coming to me (Matthew 3:8, 14)? With these words, He showed that Christ did not come to him out of the same need for which the people came, and that He was so far from the need to be baptized for the same reason as He was higher and incomparably purer than the Baptist himself. Why was He baptized if He did it neither for repentance, nor for the remission of sins, nor to receive the gift of the Spirit? For two other reasons, of which the disciple speaks about one, and He Himself told John about the other. What reason did John give for this baptism? That Christ should become known to the people, as Paul said: John therefore baptized with the baptism of repentance, until they believed in the things to come through him (Acts 19:4); it was a consequence of baptism. If John approached everyone’s house and, standing at the door, called them outside and, holding Christ, said: “He is the Son of God,” then such testimony would be suspicious, and this matter would be very difficult; also, if he, having taken Christ, entered the synagogue and showed Him, then this would again make His testimony suspicious; but when all the people flocked from all the cities to the Jordan and remained on the banks of the river, when He Himself came to be baptized and received testimony from above by the voice of the Father and the influx of the Spirit in the form of a dove, then John’s testimony about Him became undeniable. That is why he says: and I did not know Him, presenting my testimony as reliable (John 1:31). They were relatives according to the flesh: - behold, Elizabeth, your little wife, and she conceived a son, the Angel spoke to Mary about the mother of John (Luke 1:36); if the mothers were related, then obviously the children were too. Therefore, since they were relatives, so that it would not seem that John was testifying about Christ through kinship, the grace of the Spirit arranged it in such a way that John spent all his previous time in the desert, so that it would not seem as if the testimony was being expressed out of friendship or for some similar reason. But John, as he was taught by God, declared Him; that is why he says: and I did not know Him. How did you know? He sent me, he says, to baptize with water, That’s what he said to me. What did He tell you? You will see the Spirit descending over him like a dove and remaining on him. He is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit (John 1:32–33). Do you see that the Holy Spirit descended not as it had descended on Him for the first time, but in order to show Him what had been preached and by His influx, as if with a finger, to point Him out to everyone? For this reason He came to baptism. There was another reason, which He himself spoke about: what exactly? When John said: I demand to be baptized by You, and are You coming to Me, He answered like this: Leave it now, for it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness (Matthew 3:14, 15). Do you see the meekness of the slave? Do you see the Lord’s humility? What does it mean to fulfill all righteousness? The fulfillment of all commandments is called righteousness, as they say: both are righteous, walking in the commandments of the Lord blameless (Luke 1:6). Since all people were supposed to fulfill this truth, but none of them observed or fulfilled it, then Christ comes and fulfills this truth. And what, someone will say, is the truth in being baptized? Obedience to the Prophet was righteousness. Just as Christ was circumcised, made a sacrifice, kept the Sabbath and observed the Jewish holidays, so he added this rest and obeyed the baptizing Prophet. It was the will of God that then everyone would be baptized, about which, listen, as John says: He sent me to baptize with water (John 1:33); Likewise, Christ: the publican and the people justified God by being baptized with the baptism of John: but the Pharisee and the women of the law rejected the advice of God about themselves, not being baptized by him (Luke 7:29, 30). So, if obedience to God constitutes truth, and God sent John to baptize the people, then Christ fulfilled this one along with all the other commandments. Imagine that the commandments of the law are two hundred denarii: this is a debt that our family had to pay; but we did not pay, and we, who fell under such guilt, were seized by death. Christ came and, finding us obsessed with her, paid this debt, fulfilled what was due and snatched away from her those who could not pay. Therefore, He did not say: “we must do this and that,” but: “fulfill all righteousness.” “I, the Lord who has,” He says, must pay for those who have not.” This is the reason for His baptism, so that He might be seen to have fulfilled the whole law; both this reason and the one that was spoken about before this one. Therefore, the Spirit descended into a dove: for where there is reconciliation with God, there is the dove. So the dove brought an olive branch into Noah’s ark - a sign of God’s love for mankind and the end of the flood, and now in the form of a dove, and not in the body - this should especially be noted - the Spirit descended, proclaiming the mercy of God to the universe and at the same time showing that a spiritual person must be gentle, simple and innocent, as Christ says: unless you are converted, and you will be like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven ( Matthew 18:3). But that ark, after the end of the flood, remained on earth; and this ark, after the cessation of the wrath, was taken into heaven, and now this immaculate and incorruptible body is at the right hand of the Father. Having mentioned the body of the Lord, I will say a little about this, and then I will finish my speech. Many will now begin the sacred meal on the occasion of the holiday. But some approach not with trepidation, but pushing, hitting others, burning with anger, shouting, slandering, interrupting their neighbors with great confusion... Why, tell me, are you embarrassed, man? What's bothering you? Necessary matters, of course, call to you: at this hour are you especially aware that you have things to do - especially remember that you are on earth, and think that you are dealing with people? But isn’t it typical of a stony soul to think that at such a time you are standing on the earth, and not rejoicing with the Angels, with whom you send up a mysterious song, with which you offer a victorious song to God? That is why Christ called us eagles, saying: where the body is, there the eagles will be gathered (Matthew 24:28) - so that we ascend to heaven, so that we soar in height, ascending on the wings of the spirit; and we, like serpents, crawl in the dust and eat the earth. Having been invited to dinner, even if you are full before others, you do not dare to go out before your friends while others are still reclining; and here, when the sacred ceremony is still going on, you leave everything in the very middle and go out? Is this worthy of forgiveness? What excuse can there be? Judas, having partaken of the last supper that last night, hurriedly went out, while everyone else was still reclining. This is who those who go out before the last thanksgiving imitate! If he had not left, he would not have become a traitor; If he had not left his fellow practitioners, he would not have died; if he had not moved away from the herd, the wolf would not have captured him alone and devoured him; If he had not separated from the shepherd, he would not have become the prey of the beast. Therefore he was with the Jews, and they went out with the Lord, singing. Do you see how the last prayer is performed after the sacrifice? Let us, beloved, imagine this, let us think about it, fearing the impending condemnation for this. Let us approach the sacred sacrifice with great decorum, with due reverence, so that we may earn greater favor from God, purify our souls and receive eternal blessings, of which may we all be worthy by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, and power, and worship, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen 97. In short. See Creation. St. Chrysostom, in Russian. translation vol. II, published. 1896, countries. 399–408. You might be interested in: