Lectionary Research: The Baptism of Our Lord
Date: Sunday, January 11, 2026
Lectionary Year: A
Liturgical Season: First Sunday after the Epiphany (Baptism of Our Lord)
Liturgical Color: White
Liturgical Context
The Baptism of Our Lord closes the Christmas cycle and transitions the Church into the Epiphany season. This festival celebrates one of the three traditional “epiphanies” or manifestations of Christ—alongside the visit of the Magi (January 6) and the wedding at Cana. Martin Luther himself preferred to commemorate the Baptism of Christ on Epiphany, recognizing its central importance for understanding both Christ’s identity and our own baptismal life.
The season of Epiphany is a “season of lights” emphasizing God’s self-revelation in the person of Jesus Christ. The Baptism of Our Lord presents the fullest Trinitarian theophany in Scripture: the Father speaks from heaven, the Son stands in the Jordan, and the Spirit descends as a dove. This festival sets the trajectory for all that follows in Jesus’ ministry—from Jordan to Calvary.
First Reading: Isaiah 42:1-9
“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.”
Historical and Textual Context
This passage is the first of four “Servant Songs” in Isaiah (42:1-9; 49:1-13; 50:4-11; 52:13-53:12). The Servant Songs have generated considerable scholarly debate regarding the servant’s identity. In Isaiah 41, the servant is identified with Israel as a nation. But in Isaiah 42, the servant is distinctly individual—one who will accomplish what Israel failed to do.
The servant is introduced with royal terminology. In the ancient Near East, a “servant” could be a trusted envoy, a confidential representative, or a chosen agent of the king. The Hebrew term carries connotations of dignity and authority, not mere servility.
Lutheran Confessional Interpretation
Lutheran theologian Franz Pieper asserted that “for all Christian exegetes the Messianic interpretation is a priori the correct one because of the precedent set by the New Testament writers.” Matthew explicitly identifies Jesus as this servant in Matthew 12:15-21, quoting Isaiah 42:1-4 and declaring its fulfillment.
The Father’s declaration at Jesus’ baptism—“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased”—directly echoes Isaiah 42:1. The descent of the Spirit upon Jesus at the Jordan fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy that God would “put my spirit upon him.”
Law and Gospel
Law: The servant is sent because Israel has failed in its mission to be a light to the nations. The people who were called to bring forth justice have instead become blind and deaf (Isaiah 42:18-20). Human efforts at bringing justice and righteousness inevitably fall short.
Gospel: God does not abandon His purpose. He raises up His Servant—His own Son—to accomplish what humanity cannot. The Messiah comes not to break the bruised reed or quench the smoldering wick (v. 3). His ministry is marked by gentleness toward the weak, the forgotten, and the struggling. Those whom the world discards, He rebuilds; those whose flame has nearly died, He rekindles.
Key Terms
- עֶ֫בֶד (ebed): “Servant”—connoting a trusted representative with delegated authority
- מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat): “Justice”—but also “judgment” or “right order”; the servant establishes God’s righteous rule
- בְּרִית עָם (berit am): “Covenant of/for the people”—the servant himself becomes the covenant (v. 6)
Psalm: Psalm 29
“The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD, over many waters.”
Structure and Theme
Psalm 29 is an enthronement psalm celebrating YHWH’s cosmic sovereignty. The divine name (יהוה) appears eighteen times. The phrase “voice of the LORD” (קוֹל יהוה) occurs seven times in verses 3-9—seven being the number of completeness, echoing the seven days of creation.
The psalm moves through three sections:
- Verses 1-2: Call to heavenly beings to ascribe glory to YHWH
- Verses 3-9: The sevenfold voice of the LORD in the storm
- Verses 10-11: YHWH enthroned, blessing His people with peace
Connection to the Baptism
The lectionary pairs this psalm with Christ’s baptism every year of the three-year cycle. The connection is profound: “The voice of the LORD is over the waters” finds its fulfillment at the Jordan when the Father’s voice declares, “This is my beloved Son.” The storm imagery of Psalm 29 says “This is my cosmos”; the baptism says “This is my Christ.” The two belong inseparably together.
The psalm presents a theophany—God revealed in creation’s power. At Jesus’ baptism, theophany takes on flesh. The God whose voice thunders over the waters now stands in the waters, joining Himself to sinful humanity.
Lutheran Theological Emphasis
The paradox at the psalm’s conclusion is striking. After describing the terrifying power of God’s voice—breaking cedars, shaking the wilderness, stripping forests bare—the psalm ends with an unexpected prayer: “May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless his people with peace!” (v. 11)
This is the movement from Law to Gospel. The God whose voice makes the earth tremble uses that same voice to declare His Son “beloved” and to bless His people with peace. The awesome power of God is not turned against us but exercised for us in Christ.
The Hebrew word for “glory” (כָּבוֹד, kavod) literally means “weight” or “heaviness.” The LORD is “heavy”—He is not to be taken lightly. Yet this weighty God humbles Himself to stand in the Jordan, to bear the weight of our sin, that we might share in His glory.
Second Reading: Acts 10:34-43
“I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.”
Historical Context
This passage is Peter’s sermon to the household of Cornelius, a Roman centurion of the Italian Cohort. Peter, a devout Jew, has entered the home of a Gentile—something he would never have done before the vision of Acts 10:9-16. The sermon represents a watershed moment in the early Church’s understanding of the Gospel’s scope.
Structure of Peter’s Sermon
Peter’s message follows a clear kerygmatic pattern:
- The Character of God: God shows no partiality (v. 34)
- The Ministry of Jesus: Anointed with the Holy Spirit and power, He went about doing good and healing (vv. 36-38)
- The Death of Jesus: They put Him to death by hanging Him on a tree (v. 39)
- The Resurrection: God raised Him on the third day (v. 40)
- The Apostolic Witness: We are witnesses, chosen by God (vv. 41-42)
- The Promise of Forgiveness: Everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins (v. 43)
Lutheran Confessional Emphasis
Peter emphasizes that “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power” (v. 38). This anointing occurred at Jesus’ baptism. The baptism inaugurated Jesus’ public ministry as the Christ (the “Anointed One”).
The climax of Peter’s sermon is pure Gospel: “Everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name” (v. 43). This is justification by faith, the central article on which the Church stands or falls. God’s impartiality means that both Jew and Gentile are equally condemned under the Law—and equally justified through faith in Christ.
Law and Gospel
Law: Peter notes that Jesus was put to death “by hanging him on a tree” (v. 39). The phrase deliberately echoes Deuteronomy 21:23: “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.” Jesus bore the curse of the Law for all people without distinction.
Gospel: “God raised him on the third day” (v. 40). The resurrection is God’s vindication of Jesus and God’s promise to all who believe. The Judge of the living and the dead (v. 42) is also the Savior who grants forgiveness through His name.
Gospel: Matthew 3:13-17
“Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him.”
The Paradox of Jesus’ Baptism
John’s baptism was “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Mark 1:4). Why would the sinless Son of God submit to such a baptism? John himself protests: “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” (v. 14)
Jesus’ answer is cryptic yet profound: “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” (v. 15). The phrase “fulfill all righteousness” is the key to understanding this event.
”To Fulfill All Righteousness”
Luther taught that Jesus’ baptism reveals Him as our substitute. Christ, who alone had never sinned, took upon Himself the sins of the whole world. In one sense, He needed baptism—not for His own person, which is innocent and spotless, but for our sake, since He has stepped into our person and bears our sins.
Jesus “fulfilled all righteousness” in two ways:
- Active Obedience: He fulfilled all of God’s commands on our behalf, including John’s new command to be baptized
- Passive Obedience: He submitted to the baptism that marked sinners for death, foreshadowing His own death on the cross
The Jordan points to Calvary. Luther writes that Jesus “plunges sins into His Baptism and washes them away from Himself (that is, He washes them from us, since He has stepped into our person) so that they must be drowned and die in His Baptism.”
The Trinitarian Theophany
Matthew 3:16-17 presents the clearest Trinitarian revelation in Scripture:
- The Son stands in the water, incarnate and visible
- The Spirit descends as a dove, the anointing for ministry
- The Father speaks from heaven: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased”
Note Matthew’s distinctive wording. In Mark and Luke, the voice addresses Jesus directly: “You are my beloved Son.” In Matthew, the voice speaks to the witnesses: “This is my beloved Son.” Matthew emphasizes that Jesus’ baptism is a public declaration of His identity for the sake of the world.
Connection to Our Baptism
Lutheran theology carefully distinguishes Jesus’ baptism from ours while showing their connection:
- Jesus’ baptism did not save Him; Holy Baptism saves us
- Jesus’ baptism did not wash away His sins (He had none); our baptism washes away our sins
- Jesus’ baptism joined Him to our death; our baptism joins us to His death and resurrection
As Paul writes in Romans 6:3-4: “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”
When the Father says to Jesus, “You are my beloved Son,” He is also speaking to us who are in Christ. To be baptized into Christ is to be God’s beloved child, to have the heavens opened to us, to have the Spirit descend upon us. In Christ, God is well-pleased with us.
Luther’s Hymn: “To Jordan Came the Christ Our Lord”
The Lutheran Service Book appoints this hymn (LSB 406/407) for the Baptism of Our Lord. Its text, written by Luther himself, catechizes worshipers in the meaning of Christ’s baptism and its connection to our own Holy Baptism.
Thematic Connections Across the Readings
1. The Spirit’s Anointing
All four readings emphasize the Spirit’s role:
- Isaiah 42:1 — “I have put my spirit upon him”
- Psalm 29 — The voice of the LORD over the waters recalls Genesis 1:2, where the Spirit hovered over the waters
- Acts 10:38 — “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power”
- Matthew 3:16 — “The Spirit of God descending like a dove”
The Spirit’s descent at Jesus’ baptism is His anointing as the Christ—the Messiah, the Anointed One. This same Spirit is given to us in our baptism, marking us as God’s own.
2. The Voice from Heaven
The divine voice connects Psalm 29 to the Gospel:
- The sevenfold “voice of the LORD” in Psalm 29 thunders over the waters
- The Father’s voice at the Jordan declares Jesus to be His beloved Son
- This is the same voice that spoke creation into being (Genesis 1)
The God who creates by His Word also redeems by His Word made flesh.
3. God Shows No Partiality
Isaiah announces that the servant will bring justice “to the nations” (42:1) and be “a light for the nations” (42:6). Peter discovers at Cornelius’ house that “God shows no partiality” (Acts 10:34). The scope of Christ’s saving work extends to all people.
4. Vicarious Substitution
Jesus’ baptism reveals the pattern of His entire ministry: the sinless One takes the place of sinners. Isaiah’s servant bears our griefs and carries our sorrows (Isaiah 53). Jesus steps into the waters of John’s baptism—a baptism for sinners—to take upon Himself the sin of the world.
Suggested Sermon/Blog Themes
Theme 1: “This Is My Beloved Son”
Focus: The Father’s declaration at Jesus’ baptism as both revelation of Christ’s identity and promise for the baptized.
Approach: Explore what it meant for Jesus to hear these words—and what it means for us who are baptized into Christ to hear them as our own. The voice that thunders over the waters in Psalm 29 speaks tenderly over the font: “You are mine.”
Application: For a congregation that may feel insignificant in a small town, this theme emphasizes that baptismal identity is not about human accomplishment but divine declaration. We are not beloved because of what we do but because of whose we are.
Theme 2: “To Fulfill All Righteousness”
Focus: Jesus’ baptism as the first step toward the cross—His active and passive obedience for our salvation.
Approach: Unpack the meaning of Jesus’ puzzling answer to John. Why did the sinless One need baptism? Because He had taken our place. The Jordan leads to Calvary; the water flows to the cross.
Application: This theme addresses the question of why Jesus matters. For those struggling with guilt or uncertainty about their standing before God, the message is clear: Jesus has already fulfilled all righteousness on your behalf.
Theme 3: “God Shows No Partiality”
Focus: The universal scope of Christ’s saving work, as revealed in His baptism and proclaimed by Peter.
Approach: Connect the servant’s mission to “the nations” (Isaiah 42) with Peter’s realization at Cornelius’ house. The baptism of Jesus opens the door for all peoples to enter God’s family through the waters of Holy Baptism.
Application: This theme can address both the comfort and the challenge of the Gospel’s universality. God’s impartiality means that none are excluded—but it also means none can claim special privilege. The playing field is level at the font.
Liturgical Considerations
Color and Vestments
White is appropriate for this festival, continuing from the Christmas season. Some congregations use gold to emphasize the theme of divine glory and revelation.
Hymns
- “To Jordan Came the Christ Our Lord” (LSB 406/407) — Luther’s baptismal hymn, the appointed Hymn of the Day
- “God’s Own Child, I Gladly Say It” (LSB 594) — Emphasizes our baptismal identity
- “Baptized into Your Name Most Holy” (LSB 590) — Classic baptismal hymn
- “All Who Believe and Are Baptized” (LSB 601) — Based on Mark 16:16
Liturgical Opportunities
This is an excellent Sunday to:
- Celebrate any scheduled baptisms, connecting them to Christ’s own baptism
- Use the rite of Remembrance of Baptism from the hymnal
- Invite the congregation to make the sign of the cross during the Invocation, remembering their baptismal name
- Preach from the font, emphasizing the baptismal connection
Prayer Emphases
- Thanksgiving for the gift of Holy Baptism
- Prayer for all the baptized, that they would live in their baptismal identity
- Prayer for those preparing for baptism (catechumens)
- Prayer for the Church’s mission to all nations
Research prepared for the Baptism of Our Lord, January 11, 2026 (Year A). May this study serve the proclamation of Christ crucified and risen.