The Baptism of Christ 2026

Today the first Sunday after Epiphany sees a significant change of gear in the telling of the Gospel story and the account of Jesus’ baptism, five short verses, is the first time we experience Jesus as an adult. We have moved on a long way from Bethlehem, mangers, shepherds and wisemen. Now we are at the Jordan River with John the Baptist and Jesus on the very cusp of beginning his public ministry. He is no longer a child under the care of his parents but now we hear of Jesus the man and an answer from heaven as to who he is,  “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

The gospel writers give us very little to go on concerning Jesus’ childhood and teenage years. Mark and John aren’t interested and give us nothing.  In Luke we have his presentation in the temple and return to Nazareth and this tantalising verse “The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of the God was upon him.” Luke 2.40. Then at 12 a trip to the temple in Jerusalem and the enigmatic words “Did you not know I must be in my Father’s house.” Luke 2.49.

Mathew gives us the flight to Egypt fearing death from Herod and then the return to Nazareth and after that with all the gospels we get the preaching of John the Baptist, preparing the way for Jesus. Today we have, “Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him.” Matthew 3.13. We might say we have come to the real beginning of what Jesus came to do.

The fact is that we have little to go on to fill in the gaps between Bethlehem and the Jordan, between birth and baptism. Some have tried over the years but it is simply speculation and no more, and the fact of the matter is that the gospel writers were not that interested as it did not fit with the message they wanted to communicate about Jesus – who he was and why he came.

However maybe we should stop and just remember that many people will have played a part in getting Jesus to his baptism, played their part in the journey that got Jesus to the Jordan. It is right that we honour them today.

Of course it is no different for us, stop for a moment to think about all those people who have played a significant part in our lives, walked with us on the journey, showed us the love of God, encouraged us on the road, helped pick us up when we messed up and failed. Shared courage when we were afraid. We all know who these people are and have been – stop for a moment and give thanks…..

In first century Palestine it is reckoned that half the children born did not reach ten years of age. It was hard, disease, poverty, war, malnutrition, infanticide all threatened children growing to childhood. This is the world into which Jesus was born. So a big shout out to Mary and Joseph and others, for all they did in keeping Jesus safe and shaping his young life so that he could grow up into the man that God would use in such a special way.

I have always believed that the family life of Jesus helped to shape his spiritual life and his awareness of God that meant he could respond to the call of the Father in the way that he did. Love must have surrounded him not simply in protecting him from danger – remember there was a powerful king who wanted him dead. Remember  that he lived under the heel of Imperial Rome which could be fickle, cruel and unjust. But that love shaped him into a loving human being who could show compassion and care to those in greatest need.

So here he is at his baptism – fulfilling all righteousness as he says, identifying with us as humans and the human condition. Here is a spirit filled moment when Jesus receives affirmation and encouragement at the very beginning of his public ministry. “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” These are wonderful words which acknowledge that Jesus is set on the right road. I love those words “with whom I am well pleased” encouragement for what is to lie ahead and the difficult road of ministry and ultimately suffering and death.

Let’s face it we all need to hear words of encouragement in our lives. There is a lot at the moment which can make us fearful and anxious – we need to hear hopeful words of kindness and encouragement. But where will they come from?

Well I think that encouragement should be the mark of the church community – we need to be communities of encouragement, places and people who build people up, who travel hopefully together in the spirit of Christ. Paul in Galatians 6.2 says “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ”. We stand with each other, we seek to affirm and encourage one another in the gift of the love of Christ and in doing this we seek to be faithful to our own baptism as a member of the body of Christ, seeking as the baptism services says to “shine as a light in the world to the glory of God the Father”.

Canon Stuart Bain