Matthew 3:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

NIV: And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.'

NASB: and behold, a voice from the heavens said, 'This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.'

CSB: And a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased."

NLT: And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.'

KJV: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

NKJV: And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Perhaps as an act of obedience to God, or as foreshadowing of His sacrificial death, Jesus asks John the Baptist to baptize Him in the Jordan River (Matthew 3:13–16). In the moment that Jesus resurfaces, He sees the heavens open and the Holy Spirit descend "like a dove," to rest on Him in a bodily form (Luke 3:22).

It is unclear if only Jesus and possibly John the Baptist saw the action in the heavens and the arrival of the dove-like Holy Spirit (John 1:32). It seems clearer that all who were present at Jesus' baptism heard the voice of God, however. Matthew quotes God's voice as saying, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."

All three members of the Trinity are involved in this moment. God the Son, in human form, is joined by God the Holy Spirit in dove-like form, while the voice of God the Father calls down from heaven. This is one of the most potent examples of the mystery of the Trinity in the Bible.

What God says in this moment makes the claim of the Bible crystal clear: Jesus is the Son of God. This firmly confirmed to all who heard it that Jesus is the Messiah, sent by God to fulfill the prophecies and begin to establish His kingdom on earth.

The tenderness of God the Father toward Jesus reveals His character. He describes Jesus as beloved and says that He is well pleased with Him. God's love, even for His own Son, is central to who He is. It also adds heartbreak to the sacrifice God is making in offering the life of Jesus for the sins of humanity.

Matthew 3:13–17 describes Jesus' baptism by John the Baptist. Jesus arrives at the site of John's baptismal ministry somewhere along the Jordan River. John resists, but Jesus insists that His baptism is meant to fulfill all righteousness. As Jesus emerges from the water, He sees the heavens open, and the Holy Spirit descends to rest on Him in a dove-like form. The voice of God the Father declares that Jesus is His Son and that He is pleased with Him. Jesus' ministry is both confirmed and revealed on earth.

Matthew introduces John the Baptist as a fulfillment of Isaiah 40:3. He is the voice crying in the wilderness as he prepares the way for the Lord. John calls the crowds who travel to hear him to repent from their sins. The kingdom of heaven is close! He also warns of God's judgment, specifically on Israel's spiritually-barren religious leaders. Finally, the Messiah he has been speaking of arrives and insists that John baptize Him. When he does, the heavens break open, the Holy Spirit comes to rest on Jesus, and the voice of God the Father says Jesus is His Son and that He is pleased with Him.

Matthew's story of Jesus jumps forward several decades from the moment when His family settled in Nazareth. This passage finds John the Baptist preaching about repentance in the wilderness and baptizing those who are willing. Crowds come from all around to hear John preach in the look and style of Elijah, including Israel's religious leaders. John warns them of God's coming judgment on those who do not truly repent. Jesus arrives and insists that John baptize Him. As Jesus emerges from the water, the heavens break open, the Holy Spirit descends to rest on Jesus in dove-like form, and the voice of God declares that Jesus is His Son. After this baptism, Jesus will be led into the desert to be tempted by Satan, in chapter 4.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.