The Lord’s Message:  This Is My Beloved Child

The Lord’s Message:  This Is My Beloved Child
Date:  January 11, 2026
Where:  Tilghman Methodist Church
Scripture Reference:  Matthew 3:13-17

            When you read the Gospels, you will find that not every event of Jesus’ life is recorded in all four gospels.  But when an event such as what Kathy has just read is recorded, then we better pay very close attention.  You will find the baptism of Jesus is recorded in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.  Even though this event was about Jesus being baptized, could this event be about our baptism?  Why does Jesus need to be baptized?  Both of these questions will be answered by God’s Message to us this morning.

            Let us pray.

            Last week, we studied the wise men coming to see Jesus.  Jesus at that time was about two or three years old.  Now Jesus is 30 years old.  The Gospel writers record very little of Jesus’ life from the time that Jesus goes back to Nazareth from Egypt when He is about 5 to 6 years old until He is 30 years old and comes to the Jordan.  Only the Book of Luke mentions anything about Jesus growing up and that is after Jesus is 12 years old when the family returns to Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover.  After the feast, Joseph and Mary head back to Nazareth thinking that Jesus is with some of the other family members only to find out that He is not with them.  They frantically rush back to Jerusalem and find Jesus in the temple engaged in teaching the religious teachers.  It is recorded that “everyone was amazed at His understanding and His answers.” This event closes in Luke 2:51-52 with “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men.”  This is the last recording of Jesus’ early years and the last mention of His earthly father, Joseph.  All four gospels will focus on the last three years of His life, the ministry which He was born to complete. 

            Let us open our Bibles to Matthew 3:13. This can be found on page 1499 in your Pew Bible.  Jesus is coming from that uncelebrated and forgotten town of Nazareth to the Jordan River.  Not just to any part of the Jordan River, but to the very part where John the Baptist is baptizing people.  At this point in His life very few people know that He is the long-awaited and highly prophesied Messiah.  He is a nobody.  As a matter of fact in Luke 3:21, it says that “When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too.”  This was all part of God’s plan to save us.  Jesus identified with us.

When John looks in the face of his Savior, your Savior, and my Savior, Jesus, John says in verse 14, “I need to be baptized by You and do you come to me?”  Days earlier in John 1:29,  John had told his disciples that Jesus was the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.    Jesus never sought the limelight; it was about being obedient to God the Father.

            This is the righteousness which Jesus is referring to in verse 15.   Jesus chose obedience over any kind of personal satisfaction or glory.  I love how the Apostle Paul describes Jesus in Philippians 2:5-8.  Jesus became like one of us, a baby. Jesus identified with us as a sinner, even though He never committed one sin.  He died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. After hearing this, John consented.   

            John baptized Jesus in the waters of the Jordan River.  It is recorded in verse 16, that when Jesus came out of the water, Heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit of God descended in a form that appeared to be a dove.  In verse 17, God the Father speaks and says, “This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.”  Here, we have the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all involved in Baptism of Jesus.  Jesus the Son is being baptized.  The Holy Spirit comes down from Heaven.  God the Father speaks from Heaven.  God is fully involved in Baptism. 

Now, I want you to close your eyes and picture yourself in Jesus’ place.  You are being immersed in the Jordan River.  God’s love is flooding over you.  You come out of the water.  The Holy Spirit comes down on you. God speaks from Heaven and says this is my daughter or son, whom I love with you I am well pleased.  Open your eyes.  How are you feeling?  Trusted.  Wanted. Loved.  2 Corinthians 5:17.   My friends, do not believe the lies of this world.  Those lies come from the father of all lies, the devil.  God says you are His child, you are wanted, you are trusted, and you are loved.   

            This place, I believe has deep Biblical and spiritual significance.  I believe that this is the place where Joshua and the Israelites crossed over to the promised land.  In Joshua 3:14-17, the Israelites crossed over the Jordan River during flood stages to enter into the promised land.  Once the Israelites cross the Jordan River, they are home.  They have entered the promised land. 

            After we accept Jesus into our hearts, we must make a public confession of this new acceptance.  That is made through Baptism.  Baptism is a sacrament.  Sacraments are outward signs of the invisible grace of God working in our lives.  Most churches observe two sacraments Baptism and Holy Communion.  You will be given an opportunity is a short while to come forward to remember your Baptism. 

            One final note that I would like to say is that Jesus’ baptism marks the beginning of his ministry to bring salvation for all.  He will no longer be an unknown from an uncelebrated and forgotten town of Nazareth, but in three short years, He will be known as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the World.  For that I am, and I hope all of you are, truly thankful for Jesus. 

The Baptism of Jesus was necessary to show Jesus’ obedience to the will of God, for Jesus to identify with sinners, and to inaugurate His earthly ministry. When we are baptized, we bear public witness that our old life of sin has died, and we are now are identified as a child of God. We have crossed over to a new life.  Caution:  baptism does not save us.  Jesus completed the work of salvation on the cross.    Baptism is a public confession that I have accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior.  Many of us were baptized as an infant.  In this case, our parents are making a confession to raise us to know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.  Confirmation is where we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. 

So, let us continue to listen to God and do His will.  Amen.