“You Are My Beloved Child”
October 11th, 2008 | by Ed |There were two occasions during the life and ministry of Jesus when God the Father spoke directly from heaven. Do you know what they were? Both occasions were just before Jesus was about to face His greatest trials. Those two occasions were:
- Jesus’ Baptism — Just before He faced the temptation of the devil, and
- Jesus’ Transfiguration — Just before He faced the cross.
As Jesus faced the two greatest trials of His life, what was it that the Father said to Him on both occasions?
“This is my Beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”
What gave Jesus the confidence and strength to face the assault of the enemy was the assurance that He was the Beloved Son of His Father and that His Father was pleased with Him. If Jesus needed this reassurance, how much more do we need to be reassured of God’s love and favor.
This Sunday, I’ll be continuing my series entitled Living in the Overflow of God’s Love. The title of my message is Living as the Beloved of God. Do you believe that you are deeply loved by God and that when God thinks of you, it brings delight to His heart? Most Christians believe that God loves everyone, but they have a hard time believing that God loves them.
As we walk through the stories of the baptism of Jesus and the transfiguration of Jesus, we’re going to diiscover some valuable insights and applications. We’re going to be reassured of the Father’s love.
And we’re also going to learn the answers to questions you never even thought to ask, such as:
- What day did Noah’s ark land on the mountains of Ararat, and why is that important?
- At His baptism, why did the Spirit descend upon Jesus in the form of a dove?
- Why was Jesus baptized “for the repentance of sins,” when He had no sins to repent of?
- Why were Moses and Elijah at the Mount of Transfiguration?
- Did you know: At the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter answers a question that nobody asked, and then, not knowing what to say, says something so dumb that God interupts him while he speaking?
Most importantly, you’re going to learn how much God loves you, and that there is nothing you cannot face when you know that you’re the beloved of God. I can’t guarantee that the heavens will be torn open, but many of you will hear the Father speak to your heart:
“You are my beloved child, in whom I am well-pleased.”