Whether the Heavens Should Have Been Opened Unto Christ at His
Baptism?
Objection 1: It would seem that the heavens should not have been
opened unto Christ at His baptism. For the heavens should be opened
unto one who needs to enter heaven, by reason of his being out of
heaven. But Christ was always in heaven, according to John 3:13: "The
Son of Man who is in heaven." Therefore it seems that the heavens
should not have been opened unto Him.
Obj. 2: Further, the opening of the heavens is understood either in a
corporal or in a spiritual sense. But it cannot be understood in a
corporal sense: because the heavenly bodies are impassible and
indissoluble, according to Job 37:18: "Thou perhaps hast made the
heavens with Him, which are most strong, as if they were of molten
brass." In like manner neither can it be understood in a spiritual
sense, because the heavens were not previously closed to the eyes of
the Son of God. Therefore it seems unbecoming to say that when Christ
was baptized "the heavens were opened."
Obj. 3: Further, heaven was opened to the faithful through Christ's
Passion, according to Heb. 10:19: "We have [Vulg.: 'Having'] a
confidence in the entering into the holies by the blood of Christ."
Wherefore not even those who were baptized with Christ's baptism, and
died before His Passion, could enter heaven. Therefore the heavens
should have been opened when Christ was suffering rather than when He
was baptized.
_On the contrary,_ It is written (Luke 3:21): "Jesus being baptized
and praying, heaven was opened."
_I answer that,_ As stated above (A. 1; Q. 38, A. 1), Christ wished
to be baptized in order to consecrate the baptism wherewith we were
to be baptized. And therefore it behooved those things to be shown
forth which belong to the efficacy of our baptism: concerning which
efficacy three points are to be considered. First, the principal
power from which it is derived; and this, indeed, is a heavenly
power. For which reason, when Christ was baptized, heaven was opened,
to show that in future the heavenly power would sanctify baptism.
Secondly, the faith of the Church and of the person baptized conduces
to the efficacy of baptism: wherefore those who are baptized make a
profession of faith, and baptism is called the "sacrament of faith."
Now by faith we gaze on heavenly things, which surpass the senses and
human reason. And in order to signify this, the heavens were opened
when Christ was baptized.
Thirdly, because the entrance to the heavenly kingdom was opened to
us by the baptism of Christ in a special manner, which entrance had
been closed to the first man through sin. Hence, when Christ was
baptized, the heavens were opened, to show that the way to heaven is
open to the baptized.
Now after baptism man needs to pray continually, in order to enter
heaven: for though sins are remitted through baptism, there still
remain the fomes of sin assailing us from within, and the world and
the devils assailing us from without. And therefore it is said
pointedly (Luke 3:21) that "Jesus being baptized and praying, heaven
was opened": because, to wit, the faithful after baptism stand in
need of prayer. Or else, that we may be led to understand that the
very fact that through baptism heaven is opened to believers is in
virtue of the prayer of Christ. Hence it is said pointedly (Matt.
3:16) that "heaven was opened to Him"--that is, "to all for His
sake." Thus, for example, the Emperor might say to one asking a favor
for another: "Behold, I grant this favor, not to him, but to
thee"--that is, "to him for thy sake," as Chrysostom says (Hom. iv in
Matth. [*From the supposititious Opus Imperfectum]).
Reply Obj. 1: According to Chrysostom (Hom. iv in Matth.; from the
supposititious Opus Imperfectum), as Christ was baptized for man's
sake, though He needed no baptism for His own sake, so the heavens
were opened unto Him as man, whereas in respect of His Divine Nature
He was ever in heaven.
Reply Obj. 2: As Jerome says on Matt. 3:16, 17, the heavens were
opened to Christ when He was baptized, not by an unfolding of the
elements, but by a spiritual vision: thus does Ezechiel relate the
opening of the heavens at the beginning of his book. And Chrysostom
proves this (Hom. iv in Matth.; from the supposititious Opus
Imperfectum) by saying that "if the creature"--namely, heaven--"had
been sundered he would not have said, 'were opened to Him,' since
what is opened in a corporeal sense is open to all." Hence it is said
expressly (Mk. 1:10) that Jesus "forthwith coming up out of the
water, saw the heavens opened"; as though the opening of the heavens
were to be considered as seen by Christ. Some, indeed, refer this to
the corporeal vision, and say that such a brilliant light shone round
about Christ when He was baptized, that the heavens seemed to be
opened. It can also be referred to the imaginary vision, in which
manner Ezechiel saw the heavens opened: since such a vision was
formed in Christ's imagination by the Divine power and by His
rational will, so as to signify that the entrance to heaven is opened
to men through baptism. Lastly, it can be referred to intellectual
vision: forasmuch as Christ, when He had sanctified baptism, saw that
heaven was opened to men: nevertheless He had seen before that this
would be accomplished.
Reply Obj. 3: Christ's Passion is the common cause of the opening of
heaven to men. But it behooves this cause to be applied to each one,
in order that he enter heaven. And this is effected by baptism,
according to Rom. 6:3: "All we who are baptized in Christ Jesus are
baptized in His death." Wherefore mention is made of the opening of
the heavens at His baptism rather than at His Passion.
Or, as Chrysostom says (Hom. iv in Matth.; from the supposititious
Opus Imperfectum): "When Christ was baptized, the heavens were merely
opened: but after He had vanquished the tyrant by the cross; since
gates were no longer needed for a heaven which thenceforth would be
never closed, the angels said, not 'open the gates,' but 'Take them
away.'" Thus Chrysostom gives us to understand that the obstacles
which had hitherto hindered the souls of the departed from entering
into heaven were entirely removed by the Passion: but at Christ's
baptism they were opened, as though the way had been shown by which
men were to enter into heaven.
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