Matthew 3:13-17
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.
16 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. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son,whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
Who do you think you are?
Have you ever had someone ask you this question? Perhaps when you upset them in some way or acted in a way that they thought was inappropriate. It is interesting that we realise that identity and behaviour are interlinked. Who you think you are will determine what you think you can do.
In this passage Jesus is baptised and as he enters the water, the Heavens open and the Spirit of God descended upon him like a dove. The words that were spoken over him were, ‘This is my Son, whom I love.’ God revealed Jesus’ identity and why he would live the way that he did. Every part of his ministry, his boldness aagainst fierce opposition and tenacity in the face of challenge, it all flowed from this foundational truth.
It is interesting that Jesus’ identity did not come from inside him. We are told that if we search deep enough that we can determine who we really are. I saw a bizarre interview recently with a woman who believe that she had the soul of a wolf and would lap water from a bowl. She said that she knew deep inside that this was true. Who could argue with that? If our identity is something we feel, then no one can tell us otherwise. This is silly, of course, and most people do not think that they are an animal but we do determine that we are something. We identify with our emotions, or our addictions, our behaviours, or even our traumas. We feel something and determine that it is true because we feel it. That belief shapes our lives in profound ways.
Jesus’ identity also did not come alongside him. Later in his ministry he asks people who they think that he is. However, this was not for his benefit but theirs. If you get your identity from other people’s ideas of you, it is a fragile and insecure foundation to build your life upon. Maybe some one spoke something over you and those words echo through your life. You are a loser. You are stupid. You have no future.
Jesus did not look inwards or across, instead he looked upwards. His identity came from the voice of God. God has no need to lie, he has no need to manipulate you and he knows you better than anyone. When he looks at you he says these words.
This is my son / This is my daughter. Who I love. I am delighted in you.
These are the words that we can build our lives upon as well. God delights in you. The more deeply that we realise the truth of these words and allow them to enter our hearts. The more that we build our lives upon them, the more that they will be the central identity that shape our activity.
Take a moment to pause and close your eyes. Hear the Holy Spirit speak those words over you. Hear the truth of them, the weight within them and the love that God has for you.
You are my child. I love you. I am delighted in you.
Whatever you face as you go about your day, before you have done anything good or bad, this is what God says over you. Your identity does not change based on your performance. However, the more that you walk in your identity the more that you will feel peace in your life, like when two objects move at the same frequency. Harmony. You are a child of God and he is watching you and delighting in you.
