And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
As Jesus came up out of the water after being baptized by John in Jordan, the heavens opened with the Spirit descending like a dove upon Him and glory shining around Him, followed by the voice from heaven, immediately before the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness for forty days of temptation. The voice publicly identifies Jesus, though clothed in humanity and bearing the sins of the world, as God's beloved Son, confirming His divine identity and close relation to the Father. It declares the Father's pleasure, approval and acceptance of Him, attested by the opened heaven and descending glory. The declaration gave Jesus assurance to sustain Him through suffering and the wilderness temptation and to strengthen Him for His mission, so He did not need to prove His sonship to Satan. In accepting His beloved Son, God accepts humanity exalted through Christ, so the words embrace all who believe in Him and extend assurance of God's love to every believing soul.
Baptism Setting and Witness
Mark 1:11 belongs to the beginning of the gospel, when Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in Jordan, and coming up out of the water saw the heavens opened and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him, followed by the voice from heaven, immediately before the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness for forty days tempted by Satan with the wild beasts while angels ministered to Him. Though sinless and needing no repentance, He at His baptism identified Himself with sinners. That baptism was not a confession of personal guilt but began the work He undertook on behalf of sinners and set an example for them, and the account itself does not explain the heavenly voice's words.
Bowed on Jordan's banks after coming up out of the water, Jesus pleaded with the Eternal for strength to endure conflict with the fallen foe, praying as humanity's representative as His mission was soon to begin. The Father answered with the opening of heaven and the descent of glory. The opened heavens with the Spirit descending like a dove and divine glory and light shining around Jesus, together with the voice, gave evidence of His divine character. This was the promised sign to John that identified Jesus as the Messiah, the Saviour, and the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, enabling John to present Him to the people. The scene directed faith to the One who was to come on a great occasion for those looking for and expecting Christ.
The baptism began His public ministry and marked His anointing with the Holy Spirit and power for His work of doing good. Immediately afterward the Holy Spirit led Him into the desolate wilderness, having fitted Him for the fierce temptations He would face. There He would bear forty days of fasting and suffering and the threefold test of temptation in behalf of those He had come to redeem before beginning His mission. With its opened heavens and divine glory the heavenly witness was greater than John's testimony, and Jesus' works also bore witness that the Father had sent Him. Yet the Pharisees did not hear the voice or see the Spirit descending like a dove.
Beloved Son Declared
At the Jordan the voice from heaven publicly identified Jesus as God's beloved Son and the Son of the Infinite Father and Eternal. Though clothed in humanity and bearing fallen human nature and the sins of the world, He was thereby confirmed in His divine identity and close relation to the Infinite Majesty. The opening of heaven with descending heavenly light in the form of a dove and the shining of divine glory attested that divine character. The declaration also identified Him as the Head of the kingdom Satan sought to overthrow and the One Satan would personally tempt.
In the same utterance the Father declared His pleasure, approval, and acceptance of Christ as the One in whom He was well pleased. That approval was borne witness to by the opened heavens and the descent of divine glory, making it a greater witness than John's testimony, while Jesus' works also bore witness that the Father had sent Him. By thus speaking publicly in Christ, the Father testified to Jesus' divinity and showed that the connection between God and humanity broken by sin was restored, so that God now communicates with humanity in Christ.
The proclamation at the baptism was the first of two times the Father audibly proclaimed Christ as His Son, at the baptism and at the transfiguration. A third speaking just before His betrayal also witnessed to Him as Son. At the crucifixion that voice from heaven was silent, with no testimony heard in His favor while He suffered abuse and mockery alone at the hands of wicked men.
Assurance for Mission and Believers
The words from heaven gave Jesus assurance sufficient to sustain Him through suffering and through the temptation in the wilderness. That assurance strengthened Him for His mission as He began His arduous public work. He therefore did not need to prove His sonship, identity, authority, power, or Messiahship to Satan in answer to Satan's challenge to His identity. Satan already had sufficient evidence of His authority and exalted station, but refused to submit to it.
The words were given to inspire and encourage faith in those who witnessed the scene. Remembered together with the descending dove, they witnessed that Jesus of Nazareth was the Promised One. That memory sustained John the Baptist's faith in Christ when he was in prison amid disappointment and temptation to doubt. It held him alongside the memory of Jesus' spotless purity, the power of the Holy Spirit that had rested upon John in Jesus' presence, and the testimony of the prophetic scriptures.
In accepting His beloved Son, God accepts humanity as exalted through Christ. Christ stands as humanity's representative bearing the sins of the world. The declaration confirms that God accepts humanity in and through the merits of His Son. Its words embrace those who believe in Him, and its assurance of God's love extends to every believing soul.
As Jesus came up out of the water after being baptized by John in Jordan, the heavens opened with the Spirit descending like a dove upon Him and glory shining around Him, followed by the voice from heaven, immediately before the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness for forty days of temptation. The voice publicly identifies Jesus, though clothed in humanity and bearing the sins of the world, as God's beloved Son, confirming His divine identity and close relation to the Father. It declares the Father's pleasure, approval and acceptance of Him, attested by the opened heaven and descending glory. The declaration gave Jesus assurance to sustain Him through suffering and the wilderness temptation and to strengthen Him for His mission, so He did not need to prove His sonship to Satan. In accepting His beloved Son, God accepts humanity exalted through Christ, so the words embrace all who believe in Him and extend assurance of God's love to every believing soul.
Baptism Setting and Witness
Mark 1:11 belongs to the beginning of the gospel, when Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in Jordan, and coming up out of the water saw the heavens opened and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him, followed by the voice from heaven, immediately before the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness for forty days tempted by Satan with the wild beasts while angels ministered to Him. Though sinless and needing no repentance, He at His baptism identified Himself with sinners. That baptism was not a confession of personal guilt but began the work He undertook on behalf of sinners and set an example for them, and the account itself does not explain the heavenly voice's words.
Bowed on Jordan's banks after coming up out of the water, Jesus pleaded with the Eternal for strength to endure conflict with the fallen foe, praying as humanity's representative as His mission was soon to begin. The Father answered with the opening of heaven and the descent of glory. The opened heavens with the Spirit descending like a dove and divine glory and light shining around Jesus, together with the voice, gave evidence of His divine character. This was the promised sign to John that identified Jesus as the Messiah, the Saviour, and the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, enabling John to present Him to the people. The scene directed faith to the One who was to come on a great occasion for those looking for and expecting Christ.
The baptism began His public ministry and marked His anointing with the Holy Spirit and power for His work of doing good. Immediately afterward the Holy Spirit led Him into the desolate wilderness, having fitted Him for the fierce temptations He would face. There He would bear forty days of fasting and suffering and the threefold test of temptation in behalf of those He had come to redeem before beginning His mission. With its opened heavens and divine glory the heavenly witness was greater than John's testimony, and Jesus' works also bore witness that the Father had sent Him. Yet the Pharisees did not hear the voice or see the Spirit descending like a dove.
Beloved Son Declared
At the Jordan the voice from heaven publicly identified Jesus as God's beloved Son and the Son of the Infinite Father and Eternal. Though clothed in humanity and bearing fallen human nature and the sins of the world, He was thereby confirmed in His divine identity and close relation to the Infinite Majesty. The opening of heaven with descending heavenly light in the form of a dove and the shining of divine glory attested that divine character. The declaration also identified Him as the Head of the kingdom Satan sought to overthrow and the One Satan would personally tempt.
In the same utterance the Father declared His pleasure, approval, and acceptance of Christ as the One in whom He was well pleased. That approval was borne witness to by the opened heavens and the descent of divine glory, making it a greater witness than John's testimony, while Jesus' works also bore witness that the Father had sent Him. By thus speaking publicly in Christ, the Father testified to Jesus' divinity and showed that the connection between God and humanity broken by sin was restored, so that God now communicates with humanity in Christ.
The proclamation at the baptism was the first of two times the Father audibly proclaimed Christ as His Son, at the baptism and at the transfiguration. A third speaking just before His betrayal also witnessed to Him as Son. At the crucifixion that voice from heaven was silent, with no testimony heard in His favor while He suffered abuse and mockery alone at the hands of wicked men.
Assurance for Mission and Believers
The words from heaven gave Jesus assurance sufficient to sustain Him through suffering and through the temptation in the wilderness. That assurance strengthened Him for His mission as He began His arduous public work. He therefore did not need to prove His sonship, identity, authority, power, or Messiahship to Satan in answer to Satan's challenge to His identity. Satan already had sufficient evidence of His authority and exalted station, but refused to submit to it.
The words were given to inspire and encourage faith in those who witnessed the scene. Remembered together with the descending dove, they witnessed that Jesus of Nazareth was the Promised One. That memory sustained John the Baptist's faith in Christ when he was in prison amid disappointment and temptation to doubt. It held him alongside the memory of Jesus' spotless purity, the power of the Holy Spirit that had rested upon John in Jesus' presence, and the testimony of the prophetic scriptures.
In accepting His beloved Son, God accepts humanity as exalted through Christ. Christ stands as humanity's representative bearing the sins of the world. The declaration confirms that God accepts humanity in and through the merits of His Son. Its words embrace those who believe in Him, and its assurance of God's love extends to every believing soul.