God’s Beloved Son
And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
John the Baptist didn’t feel worthy to baptize Jesus the Christ. He knew that Jesus did not need to repent.
But Jesus convinced him to permit it as an example.
When Jesus came up out of the water, “The heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him” (Matthew 3:16). Through this, God demonstrated the connection between baptism and receiving the Holy Spirit; though, of course, Jesus Himself already had the Holy Spirit.
This voice from heaven also demonstrated the uniqueness of Christ. He was God’s beloved Son—His firstborn Son in whom He was well pleased. Jesus never sinned and always sought to do the will of the Father. He set us the perfect example of how to please God.
For more about baptism, see our section on “Baptism.” For more about Jesus Christ, see the section on “Who Is Jesus?”
