The miracle of the Lord's Baptism made John the Baptist

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III


The miracle of the Lord's Baptism made John the Baptist testify that Christ was the Son of God. He said: "I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God' (Jn. 1: 33,34). This Sonship to God, to which John the priest and prophet testified, is not an ordinary sonship but a Sonship which implied His Divinity, and was declared after a miracle. That was why John the Baptist said on the same occasion: "This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me"' (Jn. 1:30), and it is known that Christ was born six months after John the Baptist.