Jesus’ humbleness

The public ministry of Jesus begins with Him being baptized by John. This baptism was a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. However, why did Jesus who is without sin needed to receive this baptism? (1) It was a sign of His affirmation and acceptance of John’s message. (2) It signified His identification with sinners as the Savior of humanity. (3) This fulfilled the will of the God the Father. The root of sin is “doubt and rebellion against God.” The opposite of sin is “trust and obedience to God.” Through this baptism, Jesus demonstrated perfect trust and obedience to God. Trust and obedience are born out of love. In fact, Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Let us examine whether there is love for God within ourselves today.

Voice from the heavens

This baptism involved the Triune God. (1) The one being baptized is the Son, Jesus. (2) Upon Him, the Holy Spirit descended from heaven like a dove. In those times, the Jewish people understood the Holy Spirit in the image of a dove, so the Spirit took the form of a dove to make it understandable to them. The Holy Spirit empowered Jesus for His public ministry. (3) The heavenly Father spoke from the heavens. The Jewish people referred to short words of God as “Bat Kol.” In this scene, such “Bat Kol” descended. “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well pleased.” This voice alludes to passages such as Psalm 2:7 and Isaiah 42:1, affirming that Jesus is both the Son of God and at the same time the suffering servant. God the Father showed that the entire plan of salvation for humanity rests on Jesus’ shoulders. Are you hearing the voice of God saying, “I am well pleased with you”? Anyone who decides to live according to God’s plan should be able to hear this voice.