The Baptism of the Lord – Jan. 11, 2026
Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7; Acts 10:34-38; Matthew 3:13-17
Theme: Jesus is
God’s Self-Manifestation
1. Historical
and Literary Contexts
The
story of Jesus’ baptism is preceded by John the Baptist's preaching (3:1-12)
and followed by Jesus’ temptation (4:1-11). In this account of Jesus’ baptism
by John the Baptist, Matthew prepares his readers to recognize that Jesus, who
will soon begin his public ministry (see 4:12-17), is equipped by the Holy
Spirit, and that God’s voice proclaims him the Son of God.
2. Form,
Structure, and Movement
This
narrative passage can be divided into two movements. The first movement (vv.
13-15) reports the dialogue between Jesus and John the Baptist regarding Jesus’
request for baptism by John. The second movement (vv. 16-17) covers the events
after the baptism.
3. Detailed
Analysis
Vv.
13-15. This first movement records the dialogue between Jesus and John the
Baptist about Jesus’ request for baptism. Matthew is the only evangelist who
recounts this dialogue. There are at least two problems in understanding Jesus’
baptism by John the Baptist. The first is that John had previously claimed
Jesus was mightier than he was (see Mt 3:11), so why does Jesus appear
subordinate here? The second difficulty is that Matthew’s readers were told
that Jesus was born sinless, so why does Jesus request John’s baptism of
repentance here? The answers to these two questions are found in Jesus' reply
to John the Baptist: “Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill
all righteousness” (V. 15). Fulfill and Righteousness are two keywords for
understanding Jesus’ baptism better.
Indeed,
Jesus is sinless; therefore, he did not need a baptism of repentance. His
baptism here is not for the forgiveness of sin but rather to set an example for
others. John the Baptist confirms this when he tries to prevent Jesus from
being baptized by him. “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to
me?” (V. 14). He believes that Jesus is without sin; consequently, Jesus does
not need to undergo baptism for repentance, which he administers. Jesus’
baptism here is not for repentance but for the fulfillment of all
righteousness. This means that through this baptism, Jesus submits himself to
God’s plan, which involves his identification with sinners for the salvation of
humanity.[1] This
demonstrates Jesus’ total obedience to God’s will.
Vv.
16-17 report three events after Jesus’ baptism: First, the heavens were opened
for Jesus. This indicates a moment of direct communication between humans and
the divine. Second, the Spirit of God descended like a dove and came upon
Jesus. This recalls Isaiah’s messianic prophecies, “The Spirit of the Lord
shall upon him.” (Is 11:2; cf. 61:1). Third, a voice from the heavens said,
“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” In Mark (1:11) and Luke
(3:22), the voice is directed only to Jesus: “You are my beloved Son.” In
Matthew, however, with the expression “This is” instead of “You are,” the
divine revelation is directed to all.[2]
Israel, God’s beloved possession in the Old Testament, is replaced by God’s
relationship with Jesus, which reveals Jesus as the New and Last Covenant. All
of God’s promises of the Old Testament are fulfilled in Jesus. This baptism of
Jesus marks the third time God reveals himself to the people. The previous two
times were at Jesus’ birth (Mt 1:23) and the visit of the Magi (Mt 2:1-12).
4.
Synthesis
Jesus is sinless; therefore, he does not need baptism for repentance. However, he seeks baptism from John not for the forgiveness of sins but for the fulfillment of all righteousness. This means that through his baptism, Jesus fully submits to God’s plan, which includes his identification with sinners for the salvation of humankind. After his baptism, three divine events occurred: the heavens were opened, the Spirit of God descended upon Jesus like a dove, and a heavenly voice declared Jesus to be God’s beloved Son. These three divine events attest to God’s self-revelation through Jesus.
B. Pastoral Implication
1. 1. Liturgical
Context
The
early Church identified three specific events that reveal Jesus’ divine nature,
which the modern Lectionary and liturgical calendar maintain together in three
successive celebrations. The first event is the visit of the Magi that we
celebrated last Sunday (Epiphany). The second is the Baptism of the Lord that
we celebrate today. The third event is celebrated on the Sunday following the
Lord's baptism (the second Sunday in Ordinary Time). It is John the Baptist
revealing Jesus as the Lamb of God (Jn 1:29-34 read in the liturgical calendar
A and Jn 1:35-42 read in the liturgical calendar B) and the story of the
Wedding at Cana (Jn 2:1-11 read in the liturgical calendar C). The common point
of these three Sunday celebrations is God’s self-manifestation to us, his
people. Focusing on today’s liturgy, after Jesus was baptized, the heavens were
opened, the Holy Spirit descended upon him, and God’s voice declared him to be
his Beloved Son (the Gospel). This attests that Jesus is the unnamed “servant”
whom the prophet Isaiah prophesied about in our first reading. In the second
reading, Peter confirms this. For him, God’s revelation of his salvific plan
for the world through Israel culminated in Jesus.
2.
2. What
the Church Teaches Us Today
Jesus’ baptism fulfills the Scriptures,
notably Isaiah’s prophecy, which we heard in our first reading. In this
reading, Isaiah speaks of an unnamed “servant” whom God declares his chosen
one, with whom God is pleased and upon whom he puts his spirit (Is 42:1). In
our Gospel, God’s voice declares Jesus to be his beloved Son. The Tradition
teaches us that Jesus is this unnamed “servant,” and that he came into this
world to accomplish God’s promises foretold by the prophets of the Old
Testament. In the second part of our first reading, Isaiah describes the
ministry of this unnamed “servant:” “He will faithfully bring forth justice…
the coastlands will wait for his teaching” (vv. 3, 4). The coastlands allude to
all the nations, including the Gentile territories. This description is
identical to the mission and ministry of Jesus. Therefore, Jesus is the
fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. This is the content of Peter’s address to the
Gentiles in the house of the Gentile Cornelius, which we heard in our second reading.
Peter
begins our first reading passage by affirming that God’s choice of Israel did
not mean God withheld divine favor from other people (vv. 34-35). He then
speaks of Jesus, somehow summarizing our Gospel and first readings. He evokes
the baptism of Jesus and the descent of the Holy Spirit upon him, which alludes
to our Gospel (Acts 10:37-38a), and his description of Jesus’ ministry of doing
good and healing all those oppressed by the devil (Acts 10:38b) connects us to
the ministry of the “servant” in our first reading (see Is 42:3-4). For Peter,
Jesus’ ministry reveals God’s salvific plan for the world's destiny through
Israel.
Through
these Scripture readings, our Holy Mother Church teaches us that Jesus, whose
birth we celebrated a few days ago, is God’s self-manifestation among us, his
people. His mission is to save not only the “chosen people, Israel,” but the
whole world. To be saved, we must believe in him, fear him, and act uprightly
(Acts 10:35). May this liturgy of the Mass enable us to do so. Amen.
Rev. Leon Ngandu, SVD
Pastor of Holy Family Catholic Church
in Jackson, MS &
SVD USS Biblical Apostolate
Coordinator
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