Baptism of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
By Father Garabed Kochakian

"And straightway, coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: and there came a voice from heaven, saying, 'Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased'" (Mark 1: 10-11)

This image / icon or mural of the Baptism of Our Lord is an exact reproduction of this Gospel account, with the addition of several details that come from the texts of the Liturgy of Theophany Day in the Armenian Church, as well as the service of the Blessing of the Water, for instance the rocks, the flora, the symbolic geometric shapes in the upper zone, the angels located in the central zone and the allegorical figures in the lower zone.

These are all important inclusions to help us better understand what the image is telling us about Jesus, The Holy Trinity, earthly persons, heavenly personages and creatures of the earth.

In the Armenian Orthodox tradition, we celebrate on one day both the birth and baptism of Jesus Christ. The early church date was January 6th, which until this day we have observed. It is not an Armenian date, but an ancient and sacred date still shared and similarly celebrated, in part, by other Orthodox and Catholic Christian churches. We call the feast Asdvadzahaydnootiun, or the Revelation of God. The Greek term and the name we still use is Theophany [the shining forth of God].

St. John Chrysostom, an important and much revered early church father of the Armenian Church, tells us that the birth of Jesus, the Christ was only the beginning of God's revelation in the world. It was finally, His Baptism, by which Our Lord was proclaimed the Son of God Incarnate. St. John says, not through His birth did He become known to all, but through His baptism. Before the day of His baptism Jesus the Christ was not known to the people. There are two fundamental aspects of the miracle, of the Incarnation; Christ God's Birth among humankind and then His Baptism which inaugurates His Messianic mission.. The birth of Jesus Yeshua was announced and heralded by the angels but it was His Baptism by John in the Jordan at which the declaration by God the Father proclaimed Him to be My beloved Son -the Son of God.

The full dogmatic truth of God in three Persons/ The Holy Trinity/ was revealed to us as St. Basil the Great describes with these words of prayer from the Blessing of the Water service.  He writes, Today the Triune Godhead has revealed Himself on earth and the entire world is full of his glory. The Father testifies from heaven saying, "that is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased". And the Holy Spirit comes down upon Him in the likeness of a dove. The Orthodox Christian doctrine of the Holy Trinity as revealed with these words of prayer are those same words which are reported and recorded by St. John The Evangelist who himself was an eyewitness . What he was writing about was a baptism ritual which grounded in the Old Testament theology of repentance; a ritual before the time of Christ that was somewhat different from Christ's very own baptism. Until the day of Jesus' baptism, this rite of cleansing- a sacred act of the Jews - offered purification for the soul and through repentance opened the way to the Lord.

The Location:
The Jordan River was an important location for this ministry of St. John the Baptist because it had become a place, purified by the Old Testament prophets and made a living and renewed body of water to make clean those who were washed in it. Jesus Our Lord used this Jewish ritual to add and give newer meaning to the Christian Sacrament of Baptism we celebrate today. Not just by clean, purified and cleansing water is one saved but more significantly, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Unless one is born of both the water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God [Jn.3:5]. Jesus has transformed the Old Testament Baptism to become our "assurance" to enter and see the Kingdom of God and Heaven.  This relationship of the Creator Father and Son and all created things is beautifully stated in the Armenian hymn Ov Zarmanali, - sung at the Blessing of the Water service. Christ God as Creator Son , steps into the Jordan River and says, River [ whom I have created] don't be afraid of me, I am your Creator, and have come to be baptized.
Ked mi zarhourhir, ko araritch yem yes, yegyal mgrdim, yev lvanum uzmeghs

A Look at the Icon
Following the account from the Holy Gospel we see the story of salvation through baptism unfold in image, in form and in color. At the very top is the very beginning. The shape of a semi-circle in concentric colors symbolizes the opening of the heavens. The fourth century St. Gregory the Theologian [Asdvadzapan] writes about the opening of the heavens, which Adam had closed for himself and his descendants, just as he had closed the Garden of Eden by the flaming sword. The circle signifies the opening of the heavens and the presence of God the Eternal Being and Power. Then divine hand of God guides all things and is portrayed in human form. The pointing and blessing hand of God which appears at the center of the circle tells us that it is by the hands of the Creator Father the he the Son Creator has come to save the world.

Now come the rays of light, coming from God radiates and approves the Baptism event. They are like arrows and indicators to capture our attention and make Christ the center of our lives. Among the rays of light is placed and descending upon the figure of Jesus at the center, God's Holy Spirit which appears in the form of a dove hovering and resting upon and above the head of Jesus the Son. The same circle and rays of light also appear in the icon of the Nativity but instead of a dove among the rays of light, instead we see the Bethlehem Star.

The Dove is an import feature because it is not only part of the Gospel story text but an important reference to the Old Testament revelation of the Spirit of God hovering over the waters at Creation. It is the presence of the one and the same Holy Spirit who announced the end of the great Flood after 40 days and the inauguration of Peace on Earth in a world now purified by the waters of the great Flood.  As the Dove brought to Noah in the Ark, an olive branch signifying new life, so too the Holy Spirit at the Baptism of our Lord announces the remission of sins and God's mercy to the world and a new birth to eternal life..

The Saviour Christ,
My Beloved Son stands at the center. He, who has taken on the sins of the world, is embraced by the waters of the Jordan River. The placement of Christ who is himself fully immersed is shown with the body of the Lord surrounded by the flowing waves of the waters. He is standing erect against the background of darkness, the River itself. The deep color and deliberate waterscape evokes the mystery and memory of the place where He was born; in a darkened cave, in a manger and in nature.

The placement of Christ in this manner tells us that He was fully immersed, that is His total Body went beneath the waters at Baptism. And, at the same time, pointing to the future, when His body would be buried in a new and Virgin Cave or Tomb. Thus, the theology Birth, Death and Rebirth is represented. It is through Baptism that we die and are reborn with Christ, in hope of the Resurrection.

The Baptizer John, the Forerunner
He stands nearby the Christ. Though he acknowledges Jesus to be Master and Lord, he asked to be baptized by Jesus, however he followed the command of Christ and Baptized Him to fulfill the scripture- the One whose sandals he was not worthy to wear..

What we see
St. John is most often depicted with his head upward, in awe, hearing and listening to the command of God the Father, telling him that this is my Beloved Son. At the same time John the Baptist extends his right hand in the gesture of blessing Christ who places Himself under the hand of the Baptizer St. John who blesses the waters of the Jordan River and Jesus whom he baptizes.

St. John's position, posture and action officiates, like a priest does at baptisms, showing the sacramental gestures of Baptism ritual. His left hand also, displays an open position, which is a gesture of prayer and humility, and the trembling that seized him at this sacred event. If we follow an imaginary line, we can construct a triangle from God the Father's hand, through The Holy Spirit [dove] to hand of St. John upon the head of Our Lord and then back to the heavens.

Nakedness
In Christian iconography this always raises questions. Is it shameful or not, as we so often presume. In many other iconic examples of Our Lord's Baptism, His body is not clothed as we note here it is. . Rather, Our Lord can often be portrayed sometimes fully naked.. Why, we might ask. This nakedness of the body, takes us to the first Adam who was naked in paradise, and discovered and suffered the ills of sinful disobedience. His nakedness cost him eternal life with God because his sinfulness corrupted his humanity and flesh. But with Jesus, the New Adam, though naked in appearance, this hope -of restoration to be with God -and being clothed in his glory becomes very real through Baptism, which now opens the door to salvation. The hymn of procession from the Armenian rite of the Blessing of the Waters beautifully describes how this change from the nakedness of man to the clothed glory of God takes place.

Looys ee Loosoh
Light from Light [Christ], you were sent from the Father and took on the Body [and flesh] from the Holy Virgin to renew [re-clothe in glory] the corrupted [body] of Adam.

The Angels- heaven's witnesses.
Angles take a part in the ritual of Jesus' Baptism as well. The texts from the Divine Services mention them. Their presence is one of service to God in Christ, here on earth and to God the Father in heaven. The extended prayers from our Water Blessing Ceremony describe this very point, as St. Basil writes;

Today, the ranks of heavenly bodiless powers [the Angels] from above serve Christ our God on earth and in Heaven praise unceasingly in worship, the Father.
Aysor verin zorootiunk zoratz, anmarmnaganatz hergri sbasavoren Krisdosi Asdoodzoh meroh, yev hergins parabanootiun madootzanen Hor.
The inclusion of the angelic powers in this scene of Christ's Baptism, is an important aspect of our own relationship with God. Angles exist to serve God and likewise we too are called to serve and honor the Lord God. We always ask him to guard and protect us here on earth under the watchful care of his angels.

The protective angels came to serve God even here on earth. Most often, as portrayed here in this icon, the angles are depicted with extended hands covered by their own cloaks and robes as a sign of reverence before Him whom they serve eternally. Holding material cloth in their hands they represent those of us, who stand as attendants at Baptisms also, ready to cover the nakedness of the newly baptized with a white towel as they are taken out of the water.

The angels are ready to receive Jesus whom they celebrate and serve. The number of angels varies from one icon to another. The fact remains that through them, heaven was witness as well The man and the woman seated on the beasts of the sea.  There are two mysterious figures here that seem to be running away. Who are they?  Often, there are two small figures represented at the feet of the Saviour, among the fish swimming in the waters of the Jordan River and moving away. One of them is a man partly clothed and the other a woman. These figures represent scriptural references to the saving waters and the action of Baptism and are actually lections from the Divine Service of the Blessing of waters celebrating Christ's Baptism - the ceremony held on January 6th in the Armenian Church.

The Male Figure is an allegory of the purified waters of the Jordan River. As earlier explained this allegory is cited in Fourth Kings 2:19-22. During the times of the Prophet Ezekiel, the Jordan River and waters were like a dead sea, and lifeless. The Prphet Ezekiel tells us about another Prophet named Elisha who according to a Jewish ritual and custom took salt, blessed it and cast it into the waters, which were then transformed, redeemed and made life-giving waters once again. This is the passage in reference, represented by this male figure who is portrayed pouring into the water the salted libation for purification. The following passage is the key;

And Elisha said, bring me a pitcher and put it there. And they brought it to him, And Elisha went to the spring of the waters [the Jordan] and cast in salt there, and said, 'I have healed these waters, there shall be death no more or bareness.' And the waters were healed to this day.  The Female figure is also an allegory of the Red sea and refers to the prefiguration of the saving grace of Baptism and when the Jews were led to the crossing of the Red Sea.

St Paul in his letter to I Corinthians 10: 1-4] says, I want you to know brothers that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed though the [Red] sea and were all Baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea Thus these two allegorical figures tell us that Christian Baptism is both the rite of purification [the male] and passage [the female] from death, and slavery of sin to the promise of new life.

Rhythm in the Imagery
The icon- its images, colors and forms together creates a song of Faith, of Hope and of Salvation. The figures and all symbolic inclusion of the Baptismal story create a certain rhythm and movement, a tempo and cadence of people, and props leaning toward God, and His anointed Christ, The Saviour, The Beloved Son of the Father.

The figures of the angels placed one above the other, the figure of John the Baptist, the waves of water, the rock formations, the rays, the dove, the Hand of God all repeat a central movement toward the Saviour. The Creator is the magnet and all created things lean toward Him both here and at other times. When He was born in a cave the animals that breathed on Him, his parents who surrounded Him lean toward the Christ. At the Crucifixion, the thieves on two Cross lean toward the Son of God even to the end. At the Transfiguration on Mt. Tabor, Moses and Elijah lean toward Christ. And, at His Ascension to Heaven, the Angels there lean toward the ascending Saviour, while the attention of His Mother and the Apostles lean upward to His Ascension. If we are to give ourselves to Christ, then we all are forever concentrating our attention upon Him.