Rebirth and Revelation

The next day he saw Jesus coming towards him and declared, ‘Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, “After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.” I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.’ And John testified, ‘I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.’
- John 1:29-34

John comes baptizing, in hopes of the revelation of the Savior. I think it's fitting that we have a symbolic death which is the birth of the Savior's revelation. Baptism is a symbol for death - the covering or immersion in water is a symbol for death, and hence rebirth. To baptize is to lose the old life, to pray for renewal, to be reborn. But the rebirth in Spirit is to come by another hand.

So, fittingly, Jesus' ministry begins with death and rebirth, just as it would end, in the hopes of resurrection and salvation. John is the prophet who tells us of his coming and to whom his true nature is revealed. In the Orthodox church, this event is called Ephiphany or Theophany, because it is the revelation of the Trinity: the voice of the Father, the revelation of the Son in Jesus, and the Holy Spirit in the form of the dove descending. It is also the beginning of Jesus' public ministry, so revelation - and rebirth - is happening here in more than one way.

As we enter into Lent, I think it's important to think of death and rebirth, salvation and redemption. Baptism may wash us clean, but this cleanliness is for a purpose, for a rebirth into something. We ask to be made whole through repentence or reflection, but it's important to remember we are also entering into something, and that the baptism we await is in Spirit. To what are we reborn? Into what is this new life asking us to be reborn? What new nature is being revealed?