Jesus Is Baptised

“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!” — Matthew 3:17

When Jesus was about thirty years old, He left Nazareth and came to the River Jordan, where John was baptising people. Jesus came to be baptised too.

But John tried to stop Him. “I need to be baptised by You,” John said, “and You are coming to me?”

John knew that Jesus had never done anything wrong. Everyone else came to be baptised because they were sorry for their sins. But Jesus had no sins to be sorry for.

“Let it be so for now,” Jesus replied. “It is right for us to do this, to do everything God wants.” Jesus was choosing to stand with sinful people, right alongside them in the water. So John agreed, and baptised Him.

As soon as Jesus came up out of the water, the sky above Him opened. Jesus saw the Spirit of God coming down like a dove and resting on Him.

And a voice came from heaven: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!”

That was God the Father speaking.

Think about this moment. Jesus, the Son, was standing in the river. The Holy Spirit was coming down on Him like a dove. And God the Father was speaking from heaven. There is only one God. But in this one moment we see God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, all together.

And listen to what the Father said. “This is My Son. I love Him. I am so pleased with Him.” Jesus hadn’t preached any sermons yet. He hadn’t done any miracles. But the Father loved Him and was delighted with Him.

When we trust in Jesus, God makes us His children too. And He loves us, not because of what we do, but because we belong to Jesus.

After this, Jesus began His work. He was about to start teaching and healing and showing everyone what God is like.

Read it in your Bible: Matthew 3:13–17; Luke 3:21–23

Dear God, thank you that you love your Son, Jesus. Thank you that when I trust in Him, I become your child and you love me too. Amen.