“When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’”
Matthew 3:16–17

The Lord Jesus identified Himself with the baptism of John the Baptist, which was a baptism of repentance, proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” Our Lord had no need of repentance; however, He identified Himself with it in order to “fulfill all righteousness” (Matt. 3:15). This act clearly identified the Lord Jesus with John and affirmed the message of the kingdom.

This baptism marked the beginning of the public ministry of the Lord Jesus, much like the priests and the holy things in the Old Testament, which were consecrated with oil for sacred purposes (Ex. 30:25–30). The Lord Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit. We not only see the entire Godhead at the baptism of the Lord, but we also hear the heart of the Father concerning His beloved Son.

The Father had observed the private life of the Lord Jesus for thirty years. The curtain is briefly pulled back when Mary and Joseph could not find Him. At only twelve years of age, we hear the heart of the Lord Jesus when He says, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49). He came to do the will of Him who sent Him (John 4:34; 5:30; 6:38). He is seen not only as the eternal Son but also as the perfect Servant. The Father could say, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased,” or, as another translation renders it, “in whom I have found My delight.”

We also hear this expression, “My Beloved,” connected with the ministry of the Suffering Servant as presented in Isaiah 42–53. We see Isaiah 42 quoted in Matthew 12:18, where once again we hear the heart of the Father: “Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit upon Him.”

Here in our verses, we have the first of three occasions on which the Father speaks from heaven. The other two are at the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt. 17:5) and just before the Cross (John 12:28).

Anchor For Today:
The message to each one of us is this: the Father has found His delight in the Son, and now He invites us to behold Him.