The celebration of the Baptism of the Lord, observed on the first Sunday after Epiphany each year, serves three principal functions in the Christian year.
The first is to relieve the Feast of Epiphany (January 6) from what had become too many observances at once. Over the years, Epiphany (January 6) became observed as a commemoration of the arrival of the Magi and the significance of that event, the baptism of Jesus, and the marriage feast at Cana where Jesus changed the water into wine. As part of the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), the Catholic Church determined it was better to keep Epiphany itself (January 6) focused on the coming of the Magi.
The second is to allow Epiphany to become reconnected to Christmas Season. The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) recognized that many of the early churches had observed Epiphany as part of the Christmas Season. Restoring it as the final observance of Christmas Season, instead of also observing celebration of the baptism of Jesus on that day, would give Christmas Season a more substantial conclusion. This is why Christmas Season has been thirteen days, not twelve, since these reforms were initiated in Catholic and Protestant calendars. For United Methodists, this went into effect with the adoption of The United Methodist Book of Worship in 1992.
The third is to begin the season of Ordinary Time after Epiphany and give that season its a distinctive focus. The Second Vatican Council gave Epiphany and Baptism of the Lord its own day of emphasis and a prominent role within its season.
United Methodists and many other Protestants worldwide follow the Revised Common Lectionary and its calendar, completed in 1992. The Consultation on Common Texts developed the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) for ecumenical use by adapting the post-Vatican II Catholic lectionary and calendar. In the RCL calendar, Baptism of the Lord is both inaugurator of the Season after Epiphany and also a “bookend” for the season. The feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, observed the Sunday before Ash Wednesday, is the concluding bookend for the season. (Trinity Sunday and Christ the King/Reign of Christ Sunday function in a similar way for the Season after Pentecost).
The two bookends, Baptism of the Lord and Transfiguration of the Lord, stake out the beginning and the culmination of the Christian life, from baptism to glorification. The gospel readings for the Sundays between are stories of Jesus with his disciples in the early part of his public ministry. Taken together with their bookends, the season presents an opportunity for congregations to invite non-Christian friends or family to discover what discipleship to Jesus involves, and, if they choose, continue into a process of intentional formation as his disciples (catechumenate) during Lent.
Baptism of the Lord Sunday is thus more than simply a commemoration of an event in Jesus’s life nearly 2000 years ago. It also the springboard for a congregation to engage in evangelism by inviting others to “come and see” what life with Christ may be like. On this day, the baptized recommit themselves to live out the baptismal vows alongside seekers listening to Jesus to find out what following him may mean for them.
Burton Edwards serves as Lead for Ask The UMC, the information service of United Methodist Communications. He is also a member and former chair of the Consultation on Common Texts and member of the writing team for Journey to Baptismal Living, an ecumenical consortium (Protestant and Catholic) providing training and resources to help congregations prepare persons for baptism and a life of Christian discipleship.
