“When all the people were being baptized,
Jesus was baptized too.”
(Luke 3:21-22)
Reflection:
John the Baptist preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As people came to him to be baptised in the Jordan River Jesus, the sinless, came too.
In His baptism Jesus sealed His complete identity with those whom He came to save – all of humankind. He consecrated Himself to complete and total obedience to God the Father who had sent Him. He stepped into His eternal identity of ‘the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.’ Like Isaac He formally began His journey with His Father to the mountain on which He would be sacrificed. He offered Himself as the one and only eternal sacrifice. He knew what He was doing.
When He was born the world around Him was largely ignorant of the momentous event. Now as He stepped out Himself the world around Him was again unaware of what was happening. However Someone watched. And as He sent His Spirit He said with what must have been great pride and terrible pain,
“You are my Son, whom I love;
with you I am well pleased.”
(Luke 3:22)
Jesus identified Himself fully with us. As we identify ourselves fully with Him through faith we are drawn into a new relationship with God as His sons and daughters. How wonderful that we too may hear these special words spoken over us in love as the Father sends His Spirit to bless us.
“You are my son/daughter, whom I love;
with you I am delighted.”
Response:
Allow yourself to receive and own your new true identity in Christ
Prayer:
Father as You blessed Your Son Jesus so too bless me, and continue to bless me, with the wonderful truth of my relationship with You. Amen.
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The Soaring Eagle 