Gospel in Art: Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

Baptism of Christ by Andrea del Verrocchio and Leonardo da Vinci, painted 1472-1475. © Uffizi Gallery, Florence

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 11 January 2026
Matthew 3:13-17

At that time: Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptised by him. John would have prevented him, saying, 'I need to be baptised by you, and do you come to me?' But Jesus answered him, 'Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness.' Then he consented. And when Jesus was baptised, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, 'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.'

Reflection on the painting

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Our painting depicting the baptism, was painted between 1472-1475 in the studio of Andrea del Verrocchio, with the help of his pupil Leonardo da Vinci.

The angel to the far left is painted by the youthful Leonardo. If you look up close, you will notice the face is painted by a different hand compared to the rest of the painting.

The two angels to the left of the river Jordan are in a kneeling position. One (Leonardo's angel) is holding Jesus's garment, and the other is shown with hands folded; both are depicted in front of the palm tree, symbolic of salvation. Early Christians already used the palm branch to symbolise the victory of the faithful over enemies of the soul, as in the Palm Sunday festival celebrating the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Furthermore, the palm tree symbolises salvation because it grows tall and flourishes even in harsh conditions.

Saint John the Baptist is holding a staff with a gold cross at the top as he pours the river water on Jesus's head. There is an inscription on the scroll that John has by his hand which includes the first two words of a passage from John 1:29, "ECCE AGNUS DEI QUI TOLLIT PECCATA MUNDI" ("Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world"). God's hands can be seen in the heavens, at the very top of the painting, sending down the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove.

Today's Gospel contains three quotations. The first has John being uneasy about baptising Jesus; the second is Jesus' explanation about why John should go ahead and baptise him; and the third is the voice from heaven. All three are present in this magnificent painting.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's Reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/matthew-3-13-17-2026/