Fr. Foeckler’s Lecture Note- Jan 11th, 2026

Jan 11, 2026 Sunday

The Baptism of the Lord

The baptism of the Lord is the conclusion of the Christmas season. Also introduces of the public times of the Lord, entering Ordinary time. The special connection between Christmas and Baptism. Incarnation, God became man. God became like us in everything. Only one person of the Trinity became man.

4 benefits of Lord became man. We know the circumstance

1. Redemption and Reconciliation. He took our sins, reason to be called Savior. He took on human flesh to die, as the ultimate sacrifice to satisfy divine justice and reconcile humanity with God. God loved us so much, He sent us His only Son to save us.
2. Revelation of God’s Love. God wanted relationship with each one of us.  God became like us so we can become like Him..
3. Model of Holiness. Jesus provides a perfect, tangible example of how to live, love, and act, serving as a model for human behavior and sanctity.
4. Partakers in Divine Nature: The Son of God became man to enable humans to become children of God, elevating human nature and allowing us to share in the divine life.  We are sons and daughters by adaption through grace. He’s gonna inherit the kingdom, and we will inherit it, too. God dwells in us, as we dwell in God.

Epiphany

What happened in the baptism. It’s the baptism of repentance, forgiveness of sins.

It is sacramental, not sacrament itself. In 7 sacraments, they work themselves. John’s baptism is sacramental.

All 4 evangelists talked about this baptism of Jesus.

Gospel

Matthew 3:13-17

Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan
to be baptized by him.
John tried to prevent him, saying,
“I need to be baptized by you,
and yet you are coming to me?”
Jesus said to him in reply,
“Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us
to fulfill all righteousness.”
Then he allowed him.
After Jesus was baptized,
he came up from the water and behold,
the heavens were opened for him,
and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove
and coming upon him.
And a voice came from the heavens, saying,
“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

In Christmas, God became like us in everything except sin. In baptism, God acted as if he became even like us, even like sinners, identifying himself as a sinner. He was not a sinner, but He said, let it be for now. He takes all of our sins to the cross, as a redeemer. After baptized, he went to desert and fight agains devils. Jesus became a fighter as a sinner to protect us. 40 days and 40 nights, fasting, in agony, Jesus was just like us.

He submerged into the water, which symbolizes the death and resurrection.

The dove from Noah’s arc. the dove came in with an olive branch. Flood water means death in all creature, but the olive branch means life that came back. Dove came in again in the Jesus’s baptism.

Jordan River is in the south east of Jerusalem. Jordan River is on the boarder of Jerusalem and other countries. That’s where the Elijah was taken into heaven. Elijah was taking his cup, pour in water, left his cloak on the ground, taken up to heaven alive in a whirlwind with a chariot of fire. Elisha, another prophet, also was walking with Elijah, when Elijah was being taken up to heaven. A Chariot of fire and horses of fire separated them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind.

2 Kings 2:11 states that “Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.” First Maccabees 2:58 adds, “Elijah because of great zeal for the Law was taken up into heaven.”

By baptism, the heaven is open to us is symbolized. Symbolically, by the dove.

And the voice sounded, this is my beloved Son, whom I well be pleased.

Compare this to the story with Abraham. God has promised him that his sons will be flourished. Issac was his only, beloved son. God has told Abraham to sacrifice his son, and he didn’t hesitate. When Abraham was about to stab Issac, only then God stopped him, and blessed him and all his offsprings.

Unlike Abraham’s, God’s son was killed.

Church’s mission is to baptize.

Jesus is NOT a sinner, but He identify Himself as a sinner. This is the central theme of the Passion of Jesus.

St. Peter has two keys, one for the heaven, the other for our land.

St Matthew 16:18, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church”.

Jesus giving the keys to Peter (Matthew 16:19) signifies the establishment of the Papacy, granting Peter supreme authority, stewardship, and governance over the Church on earth.

Jesus named St. Peter, Cephas, which means “rock”.

One of the Israel’s king giving the key to another minister. It’s metaphorical.

The keys in art is an artist’s rendition, but the concept is in the church. In the medieval times, the Pope was never considered a king. His power was always considered spiritual. When a king was coronated by Pope, the king is ruling secular land, and the Pope is representing God’s spiritual power. The “keys of the kingdom of heaven” represent Peter’s responsibility to open the doors of the Church to all people and guide them toward salvation, acting as a steward rather than a barrier.