As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Matthew 3:16 – 17

In the first chapters of his Gospel Matthew wrote about the birth and childhood of Jesus, a story that is both gratifying yet upsetting – birth in Bethlehem, fierce anger of Herod and others, fleeing to Egypt, returning with parents to Galilee, etc.  That is troubled reading.

Then we come to this picture – Jesus, now a thirty-year-old man appears where his cousin John is baptizing, at the River Jordan.  There heaven introduces Jesus, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”  This is not the voice of Mary or Joseph, or Matthew or John the Baptist.  It is God almighty speaking!  Not an angle!  But God himself!  This was a dramatic scene – a dove flitting down and settling on Jesus’ shoulder as God introduces Jesus – HIS SON.

This is one of my favorite scenes in all of Scripture.  “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”  God loves Jesus and invites us to join him in holy worship of Jesus, the Christ, his son, our Savior and Lord!  Bend the knee and open the heart.  He is Jesus!