The Baptism of the Lord 2026

Lectionary: 21

Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan
to be baptized by him.
John tried to prevent him, saying,
“I need to be baptized by you,
and yet you are coming to me?”

We can well imagine Saint John's astonishment when Jesus came wading through the muck of the Jordan River to be baptized. I suppose we've all been surprised to find someone truly holy and widely respected coming to us for a blessing or favor. As Elizabeth said to Mary, "Who am I that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?"

But we should notice Jesus' cryptic response, "Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” He might have said, "The Father wants me to do it this way!" John would certainly respect that reply. It makes sense and, like the centurion, he too was guided by a higher authority and acted as he was told to act. But, if Jesus had said of his Father's superiority, he might have suggested his own superior virtue as An Obedient Son, (and not like those others.)  

"Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” follows the style that reappears in the Beatitudes of Chapter 5. Jesus said, "Blessed are they who...." He named those who are blessed but not the One who's giving the blessing. Obviously a blessing must be given by someone; otherwise, it's just a vague "Good Luck" which is tossed willy-nilly, here and about, without purpose or meaning. 

As he spoke to John, he refrained from speaking directly of God and his unique relationship to Father. "It is fitting..." allows for the distance between the divine and human; and Jesus stands before God with us, as a human being. 

He never spoke the Holy Name which was given to Moses on Sinai -- and it never appears in the New Testament. Neither Jesus nor his disciples nor any of the New Testament authors ever pronounced the Name of God. Devout Jews today call it the tetragrammaton when they speak about it.  

In fact, as we see in his conversation with John the Baptist, Jesus often avoided direct reference to God. Americans, who like clear, direct speech without allusions or euphemisms regardless of how rude it might sound, scorn such delicacy. 

Long before this encounter in the Jordan River, Isaiah had said of the Messiah, "His delight shall be the fear of the Lord!" Jesus' response to John -- “Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” reflects his Fear of the Lord (which) is the beginning of wisdom. 

Reverence is not something to be taken for granted; and the Baptist knew what he meant. "Oh, I see." he might have said in equally cryptic language. In that moment they shared a secret just as their mothers had shared an enormously important message when Mary came calling on Elizabeth. The moment would come when the world must witness the Glory of God. On that day all the warring nations of the world with their nuclear weapons and ICBM missiles and robotic drones will hear, "Be still and know that I am God. Supreme on the Earth, supreme in the Heavens! That day was immanent but it had not yet arrived. 

The Christmas season closes with today's feast, The Baptism of the Lord. Today we set out for the deep of 2026. This is a mid-term election year in the United States, with an implied referendum on the presidential administration. For that reason alone 2026 is heavy with apocalyptic implications of judgment and death. We would do well to remember the Lord's reverence for the name of God, and for every human being made in the image of God. 

Christians, and Catholics in particular, are charged with bringing reverence and fear of the Lord into our political conversations. There is no need for exaggeration, hyperbole, or stretching the truth. Swearing and cursing are taboo to us. They don't help; they persuade only those who've already made their decision. Rather, we should express what we know and believe, and admit what we're not sure of. 

We don't know, for instance, what will happen. Our faith assures us that God's kingdom will come but, beyond the grapes of wrath being trampled in an enormous wine press, it doesn't say what that future will look like, or when it might happen. We do not accept any form of determinism.

Our faith doesn't say when women will be regarded equally as men, or children will be protected as they should be. The Communists prophesied a workers' paradise without capitalists. Lincoln predicted the government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Baha'i expects a world federal system that is both democratic and humanitarian. Star Trek used to say there'd be no poverty in the 25th century. 

American Christians and Catholics might imagine a future but we don't know what it will look like and we do not judge others for their visions, dreams, or efforts to make the world a better place. Rather, we do to others as we would have done to us. We ask people to listen to us, and we listen to them. We want respect for our opinions, we respect those of others. We need the support of others, we give our support to them. We share and share alike. 

We do this in the name of God, but we don't need to go around telling everyone we've done it in the name of God. Saint Peter wrote, "If anyone should ask the reason for your hope," you should, 

sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts.... And do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who defame your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that be the will of God, than for doing evil.

When the Lord was baptized Saint John hesitated because he knew Jesus was utterly innocent. There was no guilt, suspicion, or stain of sin anywhere in the Man. But, by his baptism, Jesus appeared sinful like any other human before John, before the crowd on the shore, and before Almighty God. He repented for our sins and by his baptism shared guilt for sins he had never committed. 

Everyone of us can claim there are sins I've never committed. To which the Lord might reply, "Yes, and so...?" The Bible teaches us to say, "We have sinned; we and our ancestors have sinned." We are all guilty, and when we accuse others of sin, whatever they may be, we share their guilt; it appears in the stolen pleasure of accusing them. Jesus blamed no one; but he took the blame on himself. He stood before God in all his innocence and with all our sins; and for that reason we have been forgiven. 

As we enter this mid-term election year let's keep our heads about us and remember there was only one innocent man and one innocent woman in human history. We have all sinned; and, as Saint Paul believed, "...through the obedience of one many will be made righteous.."  

We wait, hope, and pray for That Day. In the meanwhile, with devout reverence for the Name of God, and the Most Holy Name of Jesus, we prepare for it.