We Are Baptized Into Christ

Speaker: Archbishop Loren Thomas Hines

January 12, 2026

in Life Worth Giving

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January 11, 2026

Readings: Isaiah 42:1-9
Acts 10:34-38
Mark 1:7-11

1st Sunday of Epiphany 2026 – Abp.Hines

The Season of Epiphany means, God is with us. Christ’s presence with us is of vital importance: Many of us may not have understood this phrase but He goes wherever we go. He is with us anywhere. Our task is to worship Him because we are a special breed to Him since the beginning of time. God blessed man to be in charge of His creation, but man failed when he succumbed to Satan’s wiles, and sin entered. Satan was now the ruler of the world. But God loved man so much that He sent His only Son to save us. Christ became flesh, was born of Mary. He was all in all a human being, and for 30 years, He was trained in the things of God. He was personally trained by His parents on earth, Joseph and Mary.

When Elizabeth, Mary’s cousin was six months pregnant with John, Mary who herself was pregnant with Jesus, visited her. When Elizabeth saw her, the baby inside her womb leapt for joy. God’s plan was perfect. Both John and Jesus were first born. John who was six months older was to prepare the Way of the Lord. He preached about the need for repentance and to be baptized in the river Jordan. He preached in the wilderness. He was a simple man who ate locusts and honey. Jesus, likewise, was born in simplicity. There was no room at the inn for Him. In his early years, He was eating curds. Both men lived humbly and simply. When it was time for Jesus to be baptized, He went to see John in the River Jordan. John was apprehensive and felt that Jesus should be the One to baptize him, but He said to John, “this is the time.” He may be the Son of God, but He was flesh. He must have really felt that God was telling Him this was the right time for Him to submit to God and be baptized. And so, when He went into the water and came out, heaven burst open. Then God spoke, “You are My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” A dove descended and rested on His shoulder, symbolizing the presence of the Holy Spirit. John had told the people that He was going to baptize them with water. But there was One coming who was going to baptize them with the Spirit. It was going to be a sign of our covenant with God. Jesus made a choice. He chose to make a commitment with God. He did this to fulfill His righteousness. The multitude witnessed these signs from heaven. They saw the dove; they heard God’s voice. And God, proclaiming Jesus as His Son further said, “Listen to Him.” When Jesus took the penalty of sin and death upon Himself on the cross, He also said “the things I have done, you will also do.” Being made like Him, we have the potential. But in our finite minds, we think that these things are impossible.

It’s sad that the church has somehow slid back from baptism. It used to be that baptism was done in the river so that the water is flowing. There is immersion involved. Isaiah 11:12 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. Isaiah 42:1 “Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations.” If we have the Holy Spirit in us, we need to set aside the impossibilities. It’s time we begin to understand and believe that we can, instead of we cannot. If we observe the things that are going on all over the world, all the evil that’s taking place, we need to be ready. We read the Scriptures, but we are just reading the stories. We need to meditate and absorb what God’s instructions for us are. Jesus was a normal 30 year-.old man being baptized. But after coming out of the water and hearing God proclaiming Him as His Son while also receiving the power of the Holy Spirit, His life changed. Romans 6:4 “Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” We should not be idle Christians. We should be used by God.

Epiphany