The Third Sunday of the Coptic Month of Toubah:

The sacrament of baptism, its effect, and the Birth from Above

Vespers: “The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind; The lightnings lit up the world;
The earth trembled and shook. Your way was in the sea, Your path in the great waters, And Your footsteps were not known.” (Psalm 77:18-19) The gospel: “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” (John 5:7) Baptism holds spiritual healing from the incorruption that entered into the world by the envy of the devil. Due to the incorruption, the devil caused mankind to be incapable of moving towards God.

The matins gospel presents Christ’s conversation with Nicodemus – this is the most important biblical conversation that explains baptism, “Most assuredly, I say to you,unless one is bornagain, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you,unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.That which is born of the flesh isflesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” God did not send His Son to judge the world but rather so that He would save the world by Him. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” For God so loved the world that He gave His only begottenSon, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John Chapter 3)

The epistles explain the spiritual and salvific dimensions of the sacrament of baptism, “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews Chapter 10) And “By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.” (1 John 4:13)

The praxis: Baptism and the Holy Spirit, “Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)

The Liturgy’s gospel complements the matins gospel from chapter 3 of the gospel according to St. John. It presents St. John the Baptist’s words on his role as the forerunner and friend to Christ the heavenly Bridegroom, along with Christ’s work in the salvation of mankind, “You have caused men to ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water; But You brought us out to rich fulfillment.” (Psalm 66:12) and “He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease. He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.” (John 3:29-31)