“and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.””
Luke 3:22 NIV
http://bible.com/111/luk.3.22.niv
“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 NIV
http://bible.com/111/mat.3.16-17.niv
“At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.”
Mark 1:9-13 NIV
http://bible.com/111/mrk.1.9-13.niv
“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.””
John 1:29-34 NIV
http://bible.com/111/jhn.1.29-34.niv
How crazy would it have been to be there when Jesus came up out of the Jordan River on that day? Would we have also seen the heavens opened up as John and Jesus did? Would we have also been allowed to hear the thunderous voice of the Lord God as Jesus did? Or was that a quiet confirmation of who Jesus is that God allowed to be heard by Jesus? John’s testimony is that he also saw the Spirit come down as a dove and remain on Jesus. Mark’s gospel says, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” The Father God tells and affirms to His Son “You are my Son, I love you. You please me.” Then at once the Spirit sends Jesus to the wilderness.
The order of events here is very important. Jesus was sent into the wilderness after He had received confirmation of who He was. That affirmation gave Jesus the courage to go off into the wilderness. Man if I were about to take on a 40 day fast, going without food for forty days, I would definitely need some encouragement also. Jesus knew who He was. He knew where He had come from. But the voice of His Father booming from heaven gave Him that extra boost of confidence He needed for the wilderness.
The word please is the Greek word “eudokeo”. It means well-pleased with an exclamation point! Some synonyms for the word please are “satisfying and enjoyable” then add an exclamation point to those! Father God was telling His Son, “You fill me with joy!” Jesus’ first act before beginning public ministry was an act of obedience to Father God. He humbled himself and was baptized by someone He created. Jesus came humbly and as a servant to show us the way to the Father, and the Father says, “That completely pleases me!”
We all need that affirmation don’t we? That little somethin somethin that tells us we are valued as a person? So many people in our lives are suffering identity crisis, i.e. The high school star athelete who goes to college and suddenly nobody knows his name; the busy mom who now has a quiet house because of her empty nest; or the oilfield worker who looses his job because the price of oil has dipped so low his company can no longer afford to keep him on; and the list goes on and on, and it is long and distinguished. I have suffered an identity crisis a time or two in my life. Trust me at times you feel like you are free falling through your days. I know my cure for my identity crisis though. KNOW WHO I AM IN CHRIST!
Look at the definition of crisis:
cri·sis
ˈkrīsis/
noun
a time of intense difficulty, trouble, or danger.
“the current economic crisis”
synonyms: emergency, disaster, catastrophe, calamity; More
a time when a difficult or important decision must be made.
“a crisis point of history”
synonyms: critical point, turning point, crossroads, watershed, head, moment of truth, zero hour, point of no return, Rubicon, doomsday; informalcrunch; climacteric
“the situation had reached a crisis”
the turning point of a disease when an important change takes place, indicating either recovery or death.
When you are in a crisis you are at a critical point, a time when things must turn around or you can’t go on, zero hour, or the point of no return. My turning point in an identity crisis: Know who God says I am.
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
1 Peter 2:9 NIV
http://bible.com/111/1pe.2.9.niv
I am royalty! I am a child of the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS! I am chosen by God! I am holy and set apart! I am God’s special possession! He has a purpose for my life! I am suppose to declare the praises of God! Because He called me out of darkness, (He called me out of the dark days of not knowing who I am or what I am suppose to do!). He has told me to be “the light on the hill”. He has told me to be “the salt of the earth”. That is who I am and that is what I am suppose to do!
““You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:13-16 NIV
http://bible.com/111/mat.5.13-16.niv
Are you suffering from identity crisis? Have you forgotten who you are and what you are suppose to be doing? If you are a follower of Jesus go re-read 1Peter 2:9. Then listen to that thunderous voice of Father God tell you, “I have chose you! You are my special possession!”
We all need to find our true identity in Christ. Only when we know we are Children of God can we ever be able to survive our wilderness wanderings!