Please read the passage before the commentary.
It is the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, the ending of the annual Christmas season. We have the prophet Isaiah to shed some light on today’s feast.
Jesús was baptized by John in the Jordan River. The heavens were opened, the Spirit of God descended upon him, like a dove and the Father’s voice declared Jesús to be God’s beloved Son in whom God was well pleased.
In Isaiah, God chose the servant, anointed him with God’s spirit, and called him for the victory of making people just. God formed a covenant with the servant and gave him as a light for the nations. God gave the servant the power to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement and bring light those in darkness.
Who was this special servant of the Lord so highly praised and endowed? This was Cyrus, the pagan King of the Persians who let the children of Irsael return to their homes in Isrsael from their exile in Babylon. Cyrus was a pagan King, but God chose him and endowed him with the power and the will to bring freedom to a people living in exile.
All these characteristics that endowed a human and a pagan were acknowledged as Jesús’ at his own baptism.
The same is true for us. At our baptism God anointed us with the Holy Spirit, adorned us with power to proclaim liberty to captives. God has also proclaimed us God’s own children with whom the Father is well pleased.
Like Jesús, we are sent to the Galilees of the world, healing people and proclaiming the forgiveness of sins.
If God could do this with a pagan like Cyrus, God can very easily do it with us who already believe in the true God.