Adopted

“This is My Son, My Beloved, in Whom I delight." Matthew 3:17 (Amp.)

In another version, we find: "Thou art My beloved Son, in Thee I am well-pleased." And in Mark 1:11, “You are My beloved Son. On You my favor rests." I went through different versions because I imagined myself, during my baptism, with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit being present along with my parents and godparents. God looked down and said, "This is my beloved daughter! My favor rests on her! I delight in her! She pleases me well!" Blasphemy? Indeed no!

Jesus paved the way for us to be part of His holy family. We are adopted sons and daughters of God. In Matthew, we see a longer retelling of Jesus' baptism than that we find in Mark. We see that John the Baptist protested strenuously to Jesus' request to be baptized, but Jesus insisted. "This is the fitting way to fulfill all righteousness, to perform completely what is right." (Matthew 3:15, Amp.)

Jesus went into the waters of baptism just like any sinner. He joined with us, sinful humanity, and shared the travails, weakness and death of ordinary human beings. Because of His obedience, the Father was well pleased with Him. In His baptism, the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, were present. In our baptism, Father, Son and Spirit were present as well. We are one family, one church. And when Jesus was baptized by John, even though He did not need it, He was saying to each one of us, I am one with you. I will be with you through thick and thin, I will journey with you, I will see to it that you finish the race. I will do everything, even to dying like a common criminal, so that the good work started in your baptism will be carried to completion (Phil. 1:6). 

Thank You Jesus for everything! You made the impossible possible for us!