God's Holy Fire: 'Delight of the Father's Life'

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

The moment Jesus came up out of the baptismal waters, the skies opened up and he saw God's Spirit — it looked like a dove — descending and landing on him. And along with the Spirit, a voice: "This is my Son, chosen and marked by my love, delight of my life."
— Matthew 3:16-17 MESSAGE

Key Thought

This moment is one of incredible holiness and transcendence. The Father looks down and delights in the Son. The Spirit descends from the Father to rest on and in the Son (Luke 4:1). The Father's words are crucial for Jesus as he prepares to battle the evil one in the wilderness as he is tempted after fasting for 40 days (Matthew 4:1-11). As incredible as Jesus' baptism is, we also share in this moment of God's assurance at our baptism. We are baptized in the name and by the authority of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19-20) and receive the Spirit to live in us (Acts 2:38-39). We also share with the Son in his death, burial, and resurrection for us (Romans 6:3-6). The Holy Spirit works the miraculous in us (1 Corinthians 6:11) as we are reborn (John 3:3-7) by our faith in God, who raised Jesus from the dead (Colossians 2:12; Titus 3:3-7). We are born from above through the miraculous working of the Holy Spirit (John 1:12; John 3:3-6). By faith, we also know just what God thinks about us: We are his children, chosen and marked by his love, the delight of his life!

Today's Prayer

O Father, thank you! Thank you for the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. I believe he died for my sins and was raised so I could be made perfect and righteous in your sight. Thank you for the cleansing and transforming work of the Holy Spirit. Thank you for the example of Jesus, who though perfect and not in need of repentance or baptism, was baptized anyway to fulfill all righteousness. And thank you, dear Father, for your words to Jesus when he was baptized. Through them, I know that my baptism brought you joy and delight. I thank you for these gifts, in Jesus' name. Amen.

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Illustration

Illustration of Matthew 3:16-17 MESSAGE — "This is my Son, chosen and marked by my love, delight of my life."

About This Devotional

God's Holy Fire is a daily devotional about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

The Thoughts and Prayer for God's Holy Fire are written by Phil Ware.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked MESSAGE are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

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