“And it happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him. And there came a voice from Heaven, saying, You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Mark 1:9-11
Though Jesus was Himself holy and without the need for repentance and cleansing from sin, yet He was baptized of John in the Jordan “to fulfill all righteousness” (Mt. 3:15).
When He had been baptized and came “up out of the water … the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove [descended] upon Him. And there came a voice from Heaven, saying, You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
This, of course, is proof that Jesus is the Son of God, Jehovah God Himself, come into this world a man to redeem us. As John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from Heaven like a dove, and He abode on Him. And I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water, that One said to me, Upon whom you shall see the Spirit descending, and remaining upon Him, He is the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. And I saw and bore record that this is the Son of God” (John 1:32-34).
And God the Father testified from heaven of Jesus, saying, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
The Bible says: “This is He who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ, not by water only, but by the water and blood. And the Spirit is He who bears witness, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that bear record in Heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in the earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood; and the three are to the one. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater. For this is the witness of God which He has testified about His Son” (1 John 5:6-9).
This same Jesus, who is both true man, taking our place under the law of God, and true God, as witnessed by the Father and the Spirit at His baptism, took our sins upon Himself and suffered our punishment that we might have forgiveness and a place in God’s eternal kingdom.
What does God say of Jesus, the Son? “And this is the record, that God has given to us everlasting life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:11-12).
Eternal Son of the Father, we Thank You for redeeming us by Your holy life and innocent sufferings and death. Grant us faith in Your holy name. Amen.
[Scripture quoted by permission from Green's Modern King James Version (MKJV) Copyright 1993 by Jay P. Green Sr., All rights reserved.]
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