Baptism of Jesus Day
Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI
Biblical Authority Ministries, January 12, 2026 (Donate)
How many people realized that yesterday was a Christian
holiday? It was the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus, often called the Feast
of the Baptism of the Lord or Baptism of Jesus Day. This holiday is
a time to remember when Jesus Christ was baptized by John the Baptist in the
Jordan River. This event is recorded in all four Gospels, Matthew 3, Mark 1,
Luke 3, and John 1, and it marks the beginning of Jesus public ministry.
This holiday is the first Christian holiday after the Twelve
Days of Christmas (Twelfthtide) end on January 6th. It is always the
Sunday that follows Epiphany (the Twelfth and final day of Christmas). Obviously,
it is a day to remember and honor Jesus’ baptism.
Although Jesus was without sin, He submitted to baptism to
fulfill all righteousness. In doing so, He connected Himself with sinful
humanity and foreshadowed His role as the sin bearer for mankind.
At His baptism, the heavens were opened, the Holy Spirit
descended upon Him like a dove, and the voice of the Father declared that this
was His beloved Son in whom He was well pleased. This moment provides one of
the clearest biblical revelations of the Triune God, with the Father speaking,
the Son being baptized, and the Holy Spirit descending—one God, three persons of the Godhead.
Theologically, the Baptism of Jesus Day points
forward to the gospel itself. It shadows His substitutionary work on the cross,
where He would fully take their punishment—cleansing them—and it sets the stage
for His teaching, miracles, death, and resurrection. With John’s testimony
about Christ, it reveals that Jesus is the promised Messiah and publicly
inaugurates His ministry.
Historically, the feast has ancient roots in the early Church. The Baptism of Jesus Celebration was originally celebrated as part of Epiphany (which is discussed by Church fathers in the AD 300s; see: John Cassian, Conferences of John Cassian, Chapter 2, Of the custom which is kept up in the Province of Egypt for signifying the time of Easter, AD 360-435). In Eastern Christianity, Epiphany traditionally focused primarily on the baptism rather than the visit of the Magi.
Over time, Western Christianity developed a clearer
distinction between the Feast of Epiphany and the Feast of the Baptism of the
Lord, which is now commonly observed on the Sunday following Epiphany.
Today, the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus serves as a
reminder of who Christ is and why He came. It calls believers to reflect on
their own baptism, not as a means of salvation, but as a testimony of
repentance, faith, and identification with Christ. Above all, the feast directs
attention to the glory of God revealed in Jesus Christ and the beginning of the
work that would ultimately bring salvation to the world.
Bodie Hodge, Ken
Ham's son in law, has been an apologist since 1998 helping out in various
churches and running an apologetics website. He spent 21 years working at Answers
in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding
news anchor for Answers News. He was also head of the Oversight
Council.
Bodie
launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal
website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken
on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and
universities. He is married with four children.
