Gospel Reflection for Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, The Baptism of the Lord
The silence of the Scriptures, and largely even of tradition, of the life of the young adult Jesus prior to presenting himself for baptism at the hands of John the Baptizer, only serves to add to the mystery of Jesus.
We can learn much from that silence. It reminds us of the ordinariness of life, not just of our lives, but of the life of Jesus. Son of God, the One who became like us in all things but sin, lived a fully human life in the midst of our world. At the prompting of the Spirit and at the right time, Jesus appeared on the scene. We are told that he had left the village of Nazareth and settled in Capernaum, a bustling fishing village on the Sea of Galilee.
Jesus does not just act without preparation. He listened to the people around him, and knew the hopes, aspirations, dreams, fears, and challenges of living in the politically tense world of Roman occupation. He was undoubtedly present at the synagogue in Capernaum and was at least at a distance familiar with those men who will eventually form the core of his group of disciples.
At some point he is attracted to the preaching of John who was preaching repentance and baptism in preparation for the coming of the Kingdom of God. Though it seems that various charismatic preachers in Judaism had employed baptism as a gesture of conversion, it was uncommon, and certainly not expected.
This meant that Jesus had to travel from the Galilee to the banks of the Jordan River where he encountered John. Different groups of people understood John’s teaching in different ways — some sought a spiritual renewal, others aspired for social reform, while others were infused with the desire for political revolution. We have no idea if or for how long Jesus might have listened to the teaching of John, but at one point he presented himself for John’s baptism. Jesus receives this baptism, not as a sinner, a social reformer, or a political revolutionary, but as a moment of commitment.
Matthew tells us that John recognized Jesus — we know not how — and recognizes his own need to be baptized by Jesus instead of Jesus by John.
In this way John points to a different sense of baptism, one that reflects more than a conversion but rather points to a new relationship between God and humanity.
This reality becomes further expressed in the theologumenon which follows: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
The baptism of Jesus is not for himself. He had no need to be baptized, neither as a religious commandment nor in response to a call to conversion. His baptism sets in motion the mission for which he had been sent. The pronouncement of his Sonship was a call to action. Having heard this call, Jesus entered the wilderness where through prayer and fasting, he prepared himself for the mission.
In a sense, the Jesus who left Capernaum for the wilderness returned to Capernaum as a changed person. His time of listening and entering into the ordinariness of daily life gave way now to a preacher, filled with the power of God, to inaugurate the Kingdom of God that John had anticipated in his teaching.
Whether or not Jesus or his disciples used a form of baptism during his earthly ministry is a matter of speculation, but certainly after the resurrection of Jesus, on the day of Pentecost, the disciples baptized those who accepted their proclamation of the nascent Gospel.
From that time on, then, the Church has used Baptism, not as a symbol, but as having real spiritual effect, leaving an indelible mark on the Christian soul.
Baptism is the universal Christian sacrament, though not all Christians understand and treat the ritual in the same way. While often overlooked, the division regarding the nature of baptism is a painful one, which causes much confusion among the faithful. That Jesus was baptized is certain, why he was baptized remains a theological question. We are baptized so that we can enter into the life of Christ and share in the life he has promised. Yet, like Jesus, we are not baptized merely for ourselves. Our baptism calls us to mission: to engage, live, and express our faith as committed disciples in the world.
Father Garry Koch is pastor of St. Benedict Parish, Holmdel.