Year A Baptism of our Lord 2026 Corporeal

 Year A Baptism of our Lord, 11 January 2026

St George’s Episcopal, Fredericksburg, VA

“Corporeal”

Collect: Father in heaven, who at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed him with the Holy Spirit: Grant that all who are baptized into his Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly confess him as Lord and Savior; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

Matthew 3:13-17

Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented. And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased."

I have been in the ministry for over 30 years. And many times over the years, I have been asked something along this line. “If Jesus was sinless, why did he have to be baptized?”

I have always appreciated how people are wrestling with this. I think one of the underlying issues is that people have the wrong idea about baptism. It is not a bath which washes something away. We are not Lady McBeth who wants her darned spot removed. Sin does not work that way. Neither does baptism.

So if it is not that, then what is it?

Eminent mythologist Joseph Campbell reminds us that “Ritual is an enactment of a myth.” Myth here meaning a formative story, not a fiction. Baptism is definitely a ritual, and we see it as a sacrament in the Episcopal Church. So what story are we reenacting?

It is harder to see in the usually way we do it in the Episcopal Church with our fonts, but our full-immersion-siblings have a clearer view of the story. It is BIRTH. Coming forth from the water of the womb, we are born. Coming up from the water, we are also reborn in baptism. It is a symbol of the new life we find in God.

This is no surprise. We are even explicit in our language around it. But it does not answer our original question, then “Why was Jesus baptized?” He, of all people, is surely in relationship with God!

I am not trying to be flippant here, but why did  Jesus need to be baptized? Because he was. He would not have done it if it were not necessary. And he gives good reason in his interaction with John. John at first refused, but Jesus responded:

"Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness." Then [John] consented.

Now, to step beyond the obvious. For me, what I love about Jesus being baptized, I see in it that Jesus identifies with us. He sees himself as part of humanity so fully that he knows of our needs to be baptized and chooses to be one of us.

So often we think of the miracle of the incarnation as God being with us. There is that and it is true. But Jesus put on humanity fully. He lived. He died. He hurt, and laughed, and loved. He experienced pain and sorrow. He subjected himself to baptism, “to fulfill all righteousness.” The miracle of the incarnation is not that Jesus is like God, but that God is like Jesus. Jesus put on this human suit to show is in a way we would understand that God is with us. Emmanuel!

We are spiritual beings having a human experience. So was Jesus. We include our bodies in our faith because we experience everything through and in our bodies. To do otherwise would be disingenuous. Our sacraments are all about the things required for life. Think of them and the part of life with which the relate.

So when you take that warm shower that feels so good, or take that taste of food that is beyond belief, or you feel so deeply it brings you to tears, know that you are given the gift of that body of yours. And embrace it and give thanks. You were given this life in your body to learn to bear those beams of love!

Jesus was baptized, embracing his humanity, and God was pleased.

And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased."

Thanks be to God! Amen