God's Beloved Son Matthew 3:17

Matthew shared how John the Baptist was baptizing people in the Jordan river and telling them about the one who was coming. He then wrote, “Then came Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbade him, saying, I have need to be baptized of you, and do you come to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becomes us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him”, and in chapter three and verse seventeen of his book, Matthew shares how, “a voice from heaven” came where we read:

And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

The verse reads, “And lo a voice from heaven, saying, ...” Matthew began with the words, “and lo” which means “and behold and see”, “a voice” or “a sound or tone of uttered word”, “from heaven” which means “out of the vaulted expanse of the sky where the clouds and tempests gather and where thunder and lightning are produced”, “saying” or “uttering, declaring and proclaiming”. Matthew shared how after Jesus was baptized and the Holy Spirit descended like a dove, a “voice” came out of the sky declaring what is about to be said.

The verse goes on to say, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Matthew continued with the words, “this” which means “the certain One before John the Baptist and the people who was just baptized” “is my beloved Son” or “is God's esteemed, dear, favorite and worthy of love male child and offspring”, “in whom” which means “within which” “I am well pleased” or “God takes pleasure in, is favorably inclined and approves”. Matthew shared how the “voice” from the sky declared Jesus to be God's “favored” Son with whom God took pleasure in and approves.

When we consider Matthew's words in this verse, we see how God Almighty was involved in Jesus' “baptism” through the declaration of His identification with Him and His approval. This finds all three of the members of the trinity involved in Jesus' “baptism” - Jesus, the Holy Spirit and the Heavenly Father. God desires to “save” every person who will repent of their sins and turn to Him. By the demonstration of “baptism” Jesus found the approval and favor of both the Holy Spirit and the Heavenly Father, and this “beloved Son” is the “Savior” of the world. All who are wise shall think this through and yield their lives to the “saving grace” of the only One who is able to call Himself – God's “only begotten Son”.

Next time we begin a new chapter and will see how, “Jesus” was “led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil” so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.