Luke 3:21-38
21 When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
23 Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph,
the son of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat,
the son of Levi, the son of Melki,
the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,
25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos,
the son of Nahum, the son of Esli,
the son of Naggai, 26 the son of Maath,
the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein,
the son of Josek, the son of Joda,
27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa,
the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel,
the son of Neri, 28 the son of Melki,
the son of Addi, the son of Cosam,
the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,
29 the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer,
the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat,
the son of Levi, 30 the son of Simeon,
the son of Judah, the son of Joseph,
the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,
31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna,
the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan,
the son of David, 32 the son of Jesse,
the son of Obed, the son of Boaz,
the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon,
33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram,
the son of Hezron, the son of Perez,
the son of Judah, 34 the son of Jacob,
the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham,
the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,
35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu,
the son of Peleg, the son of Eber,
the son of Shelah, 36 the son of Cainan,
the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem,
the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,
37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch,
the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel,
the son of Kenan, 38 the son of Enosh,
the son of Seth, the son of Adam,
the son of God.
“You are my son whom I love, with you I am well pleased”
Are you amazed by the public announcement of the identity of Jesus by the Father in heaven?
Before Jesus started his ministry on earth, he was publicly recognized by his Father in heaven, right after Jesus was baptized by John.
I cannot help but think of how our human relationships on earth usually fail to follow this example. Do we publicly acknowledge the identity of our children without reference to their educational success, their sport performance, their career success, their abilities, their contribution to the community, or their name in the hall of fame?
The loving relationship of God the Father to Jesus was based on “being” rather than “doing.” The Father was “well pleased” with Jesus before he started his ministry.
This is astounding.
This posture is far beyond our human understanding.
We humans will acknowledge our children as beloved and well pleasing when they have do something that pleasing us, something we consider worthy in our cultural lens, like being hardworking, never giving up, grinding through difficulties, being productive, or even having a regular devotional time with the Lord and serving in the church.
Our Heavenly Father loved Jesus—was well pleased with him—not because of what he had done, but simply because he was his son.
God the Father initiated this loving relationship.
Dear brothers and sisters, let’s remember God the Father’s way of relationship. He loved us just as we are. We are his beloved. He is well pleased with us, so he forfeit his son on behalf of our connection with him.
Lord, how deeply have we learned this truth?
Thank You God, You never give up on us. You continue to show your love by reminding us through your powerful, inspiring, living words, by your Holy Spirit leading us into truth, so we can live freely without string attached. We are yours forever. We are your beloved. You have already accepted who we are, and You are well pleased.
Reflection Questions:
- Do you remember a moment when someone acknowledged you? Did your parents ever publicly announce that you are their beloved child? Did you do something that pleased them in order to earn this acknowledgement?
- How do you feel if someone calls you beloved?
- Do you believe that you are God’s beloved son/daughter? If you do, why? If you do not, why?
Author Bio
Kay Tang was a Certified Canadian Counsellor since 2005 to 2023 under CCPA. This was her calling and she extended her love to Jesus by accepting her clients with different background, bringing them to experience the loving relationship with God. Her joy is to see God’s people go deeper and witness God works in different parts of the world.
Luke and Acts taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®
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