Friday 9th January
Read Matthew 3:16-17
“As soon as Jesus was baptised, 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. 17 And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’” (NIVUK)
Immense, the amount of ink spilled by humans trying to work out who Jesus is and was. We electronically contribute to that vast ocean today. But rather than speculate we will examine God’s word on the matter – both previously written and immediately spoken. For Matthew provides us with Father, Son and Spirit united in acknowledgement of who Jesus is.
The first thing the ‘voice from heaven’ says is ‘This is my Son’. This creates somewhat of a problem for a reader or listener paying close attention to the narrative. We have been told at length that Jesus is Mary’s son, in the line of David and Abraham, and deliberately adopted by Joseph (Matthew 1). We have also been told that He is the future King of Israel despite being born in a lowly house, sought out by the wise when the heavens themselves marked His birth (Matthew 2). What does it mean when a voice from heaven claims paternity over this human? Those hints of divine conception scattered through the text coalesce with this divine declaration.
For God has spoken of Him previously. The threefold declaration as to who Jesus is draws on three passages. The first is the royal psalm of David, capturing all that Matthew has outlined already…
“The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
the Lord scoffs at them.
5 He rebukes them in his anger
and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,
6 ‘I have installed my king
on Zion, my holy mountain.’
7 I will proclaim the Lord’s decree:
He said to me, ‘You are my son;
today I have become your father.
8 Ask me,
and I will make the nations your inheritance,
the ends of the earth your possession.” (Psalm 2:4-8) (NIVUK)
A human and divine King before whom we should bow and worship.
