11 January 2026 – Baptism of Christ

In the baptism of Christ by John in the river Jordan, there are three illustrations of divine  gentleness. When Jesus and John meet at the Jordan, John is unsure that he should baptise Jesus. In fact, he thinks that Jesus should baptise him!

Jesus responds to his perplexity in a gentle way. He simply says, ‘Let it be so now.’ His response is enfolded in grace. He is not saying that John’s instincts were wrong nor is He insisting that His way is  right.  He leaves the door ajar with that little word ‘now’ as in ‘Let it be so now.’

The second is the picture of the dove  and its descent. ‘Suddenly, the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.’

‘Spirit of God as strong as the wind, gentle as is the dove.’  We sing  the children’s hymn to that gentlest of folk tunes, ‘The Skye Boat Song’. Once again, the gentleness of the snow-white dove touches the One whose spirit is gentle too!

The third is the Word which is spoken by the voice from heaven. ‘This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’ Or in the words of the prophet Isaiah, ‘in whom my soul delights’.

There’s joy here and a lightness of touch. It’s a winning combination which is attractive to the listener. We are drawn towards this gentle voice which speaks so reassuringly about being loved.

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