Read: Matthew 3:13-17
Behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (v. 17)
For more than three decades now, I’ve kept a small piece of paper tucked between the pages of my Bible. Its edges are worn, and its ink has been rain-spattered. But I keep it because it’s one of the only handwritten messages I still have from my father. After I spoke in church one day when I was a teenager, Dad passed me a note saying I’d done a good job. I haven’t heard his voice in years, but I hang on to that note.
Don’t we all long to hear a word of approval from our fathers? After his baptism, Jesus heard an audible voice from his heavenly Father. This is my Son. I love him. I am pleased with him. What an affirmation this was for Jesus as he embarked on his ministry.
The miracle of Jesus’s life given for us is that these words now belong to us as well. When we belong to Christ, we are adopted as sons and daughters of God. Our heavenly Father now sees us in just the same way that he sees Jesus, the Son of God.
On this Christmas Day, take a moment to receive the gift of approval from your heavenly Father. He speaks these words now over you. You are my child. I love you. I am pleased with you.
As you pray, ask God to fill you with the knowledge that you are loved.
About the Author
Sarah Sanderson is the author of The Place We Make: Breaking the Legacy of Legalized Hate. She lives with her husband and their four teenage children in Oregon.
