You are my Son whom I love (Luke 3b)

You are my son whom I love

Luke 3:21-38

Key Vere: And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."

Today’s passage is about beginning of Jesus ministry. When one begins something, there are two things to consider; what one begins with and what he wants to accomplish. Whether it is doable or not is always a great concern.  This is all the more so when we are obligated to accomplish what we have begun.

Each of us began our lives with heritage. There was a boy whose father was serving life sentence because his murder conviction. His mother was a drug addict and unable to provide a care for him. So his grandmother took care of him. From the start of his, this boy was born with an insurmountable heritage.

If he cannot overcome the heritage he was born with, then it is sure thing for him to face the same fate as his father. It is an enormous task to overcome the heritage. This was in his being.

There was a girl at the age 5, she came to know that she was not getting as much attention as her friends and she thought that it’s because she was not as beautiful as her friends. This thought continued as she grew up to a mature lady. But such inferiority complex made a deep scar in her heart. This burdened her mind and in all her relationship with others, she considered herself least important among all. Even such thought led her to pessimistic outlook for her life.

We all have some baggage that we are born with. Some we think are good and beneficial and proud of them. But mostly we feel that we are born disadvantaged.

We are all called by God in his grace through Jesus. But often we failed to live up to God. Why? Lack of resource or good heritage is often blamed for such failures. What I mean is that one complains because his parents did not provide enough resources for him to succeed.  One may go further to blame God for putting him such resource poor condition, where he could not do much to make himself out to be something. So it is not uncommon to hear complains like this; I had never had chance to educate myself. I had nothing when I grew up. I do not have such abilities that others have such as smartness, or strong body. These are heritage that we are born with. So, today’s talk is about heritage which comes upon us with enormous power and weight. What are they and how can we overcome predicaments that we are born with? No matter how worse they are eventually we must overcome evils and wrongs and we must win the victory in life. The victory is to be holy and to enter the kingdom of God. 

The focus of today’s passage is about Jesus’ heritage. Simply it is about resources that Jesus had at the start of his ministry.  We will sort out what they were and at the same time we will make attempt to find what it means to us as we begin the similar work as God called us to do.

1.    Jesus was baptized (21-22)

As we learned from the last week message, John’s baptism is for repentance for the forgiveness of sins. So people came to John in their resolution to seek God through repentance. But Jesus was the Son of God and he was sinless. Also he had nothing to repent. But in his will, Jesus began his work as the Savior through baptism by John. His will is well revealed in

Matt 3:14 But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" 15 Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented.

As John said, John had to baptize by Jesus because he was a sinner and Jesus was sinless. But Jesus wanted to fulfill all the righteousness. As we know, all sinners have to go through the baptism of repentance so as to be made righteous. This is a must-step to fulfill righteousness. So Jesus chose to go through this step because he wanted to fulfill righteousness like as other sinners.

This will is to count himself as man in flesh, rather than the Son of God. As we will see in the genealogy, Jesus assumes his mission as a man in sinful flesh. This set the tone of the entire ministry of Jesus. Jesus will go through as a sinner to the way of life. This includes suffering and death. But not like those who rejected God, but by faith in God’s grace and his justice Jesus bet his life, even to the point of death.

This will was revealed more clearly in his prayer on his baptism. Prayer is to God the Father and is to ask God of something or to conform to the will of God. Undoubtedly this prayer was about what Jesus was willing to do or to go through as the redeemer. In this way he sought God’s will in such decision. How did God feel about this?

21-22. When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."(NIV)  

During this prayer, heaven was opened. This was an amazing scene; the blue sky was torn apart and the edge was rolled back. From this opening of heaven came the Holy Spirit like dove and descended upon Jesus. This was a spectacular scene for many who were there.  Just at that time, a voice was heard from heaven.  "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."

This was an awesome voice of God. That voice said to Jesus, YOU ARE MY SON whom I love. With you I am well pleased. Here as we see the focus was ‘you’ i.e Jesus. God the father is talking to Jesus. God is expressing his affection and love and confidence in Jesus, a son born in flesh through Mary. The baptism he went through, his prayer to Him was very pleasing to God the Father. So it is not simply that Jesus was the Son of God in his essence of his being but that Jesus presented himself to God with a clear will and decision God was extremely happy with.

This is the picture of what all true son of God’ should do. What was the decision or mindset of Jesus in these presentations to God the Father?    

In order to find out what God was so happy with, we can search the occasion whereby God expressed such ‘extreme’ pleasure. God did express such joy once more. It was during the transfiguration at a mountain.

Soon after Jesus told his 12 disciples that he would suffer and die, their mind was gripped with fear and uncertainty. So, Jesus took three of his disciples to the mountain and there he was transfigured in glory. He was accompanied by Moses and Elijah. At that time, God appeared in his glory and said the same thing;

Matthew 17:5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!"

At this time the focus of message was toward his disciples. But the happiness of God was the same as the one with what God expressed at Jesus’ prayer at the baptism. So we can fairly accurately assert  that Jesus made a similar resolution at this time of baptism, i.e. to go the ways that sinner should go through by faith. In this way Jesus identified himself with sinners so that he may give his life as ransom for sinners and to assure to his disciples that the way of cross was the way of life.

If we simplify this; Jesus made a decision to give his life as a sinner; a decision to give his life as a ransom for many. This began at the beginning of his ministry and this will continued through the entire ministry. This was fulfilled through his death and resurrection. In this way Jesus was and was to become God’s son in full quality and worthiness. Also, the father expressed his love. This love is not simply because God is his father but because the Father was extremely happy on what Jesus was about to do. God did not say such word of commendation to any other men in the Bible.

As we will see in genealogy, the emphasis is on ‘son’. Men were created to be sons of God. But they rebelled and rejected to be sons of God. But Jesus, a son of man, became the Son of God in full worthiness. This worthiness was demonstrated from the beginning of Jesus work.

At such moment of decision, the Holy Spirit came down and accompanied him. Also God the Father expressed his utmost joy and happiness in what Jesus decided to do, i.e to take the way as a sinner.  So it is clear that it was not the sole decision or will of the Son, but the triune God was all in this goal. So the decision to give his life as a ransom for all sinners was the eternal purpose of God. In such decision, God, the Father, expressed twice that Jesus is really His son. God was extremely pleased with him in what he was about to do.

Full support of the Father God and the Holy Spirit bore remarkable significance for Jesus. Giving one’s life as ransom for others was not an ordinary task. The support of the Holy Spirit as well as the support of the Father God was essential necessity. Actually throughout Jesus’ ministry, Holy Spirit and God the Father were with Jesus. When his disciples failed to know this, there came a serious problem;

When the disciples became keenly aware that Jesus was determined to go through suffering and death, Philip asked this question, ‘Show us the Father and that will be good enough for us.’ (John 14:8) This question was prying into the will of God the Father regarding his son Jesus’ decision to suffer and die. Is God the Father with Jesus’ decision to suffer or not? We can flip this question, ‘Is Jesus really the Son of God the Father?’ Jesus’ answer was unambiguity clear;

 10 Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. (Joh 14:10-11)

What is the decision that you have made? In that decision what are you looking ahead? Is the decision one that God was happy with? What is the life that God was happy with? It was the life to give and to serve! This is the way of life, that Jesus began his ministry.

2.    Jesus begins his ministry at the age 30.

Jesus began his ministry at the age of thirty. Luke records Jesus’ genealogy at this time—the time when he was about to start his ministry or just before he began his ministry.  Jesus’ genealogy was provided as the situation or condition before Jesus began his ministry. It is places as the context of the beginning of Jesus’ work of salvation. In this outlook this genealogy can be understood better.

One’s genealogy may provide a positive credential as well as a negative credential to the person. There are two different kinds of genealogy of Jesus: one in Matthew1 and in the other in Luke 3. As we compare these two, we have more understanding on what Luke meant to say through his record of Jesus’ genealogy.

a.    Matthew records Jesus’ genealogy from Abraham. It is descending order. In descending order, the ancestors are important than the descendant. So the key emphasis is on the fact that what the Ancestors achieved came down on their son. Since it is from Abraham, the focus is the particular promise of God to Abraham and to David his succeeding descendants reaching to Jesus. What God did to the ancestor proves that Jesus is the Son of God, messiah. So this genealogy meant to give Jesus a positive credential as the Messiah.

b.    Luke records of Jesus’ genealogy in ascending order. In this ascending order, the genealogy start from Jesus and the emphasis is on the son. What all the ancestors had done come upon the son so that the son may look forward to do what was imposed upon by his ancestors. So what the ancestors did came upon Jesus as the burden or substance that he had to work with. There are two themes. The first one is a burden of sin that came down to entire human history from Adam. It is spread throughout the genealogy. The second one is a burden of carrying God’s promise, which was barely survived in the blood line. This promise left unfulfilled up to Jesus and a strong demand for fulfillment was laid upon Jesus. .

c.    Matthew records the genealogy through Joseph and up to Abraham. It is strictly on God’s promise to Abraham and to David, how it reached to Jesus. It is a clear reference to his right to inherit Abraham’s blessing and David's throne. Since it is through Joseph who was only Jesus’ step farther and no actual blood relationship, it is to give ‘title deed’ to Jesus as the bearer of God’s promise and the promised Messiah. This is a specific genealogy because it looks only at ‘particular’ aspect or period of Jesus’ heritage, i.e fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham. .

d.    Luke records Jesus’ genealogy from Jesus to Adam and to God. It is believed to be through Mary, who gave birth to Jesus.  So this is literally genealogy in blood, inheriting all human characteristics in flesh.  In this, all humanity from Adam converges on Jesus in his humanity. So Jesus is the one who takes up the entire burden of what humanity had done either by sin or by God’s promise.
Sinfulness of Adam continued to all of his descendants and it reached to Jesus. Jesus takes the burden of this in order to work out the salvation of man.
Genealogy of Adam continued to Abraham and from Abraham to Jesus, the promised lines is kept in the blood line. But it ends in Mary.
The promise given at the time of fall of Adam was left unfulfilled (Gen 3:15). A specific promise given to Abraham and David was left unfulfilled. In this way both promises left unfulfilled and it reached to Jesus, with an enormous burden to fulfill both.

e.    Both of these promises; the promise given at the time of fall of man (Gen 3:15) and promise given to Abraham. These two promises are anticipated to be fulfilled in Jesus, a son of man, born of Virgin Mary. All failed to be the sons that God would be very pleased with. But Jesus began with such heritage in flesh and was demanded to succeed in full obedience to God the Father so that he may become truly the Son that God was very pleased with. This entire life began with the decision at the time of baptism.  

One step back, we can look at how men handle such burdens. As we have seen in the history of Israel, men have tried with these two and failed utterly. The current situation of Israel speaks powerfully about that failure.

Can Jesus, the Son of God, who has full approval of God the father and the Holy Spirit do accomplish the mission that men failed?  Can he overcome all humanity in sin and do what all men have failed to do? If Jesus succeeds, then he is making a new history. He will be a new father, and opens a new life as God’s children. As we know Jesus certainly did succeed and became a new father of all that believe.

Truly Jesus made this possible through his suffering and death in full obedience to the Lord. In this way he became the true son of God with whom God was very pleased with. In this way he became a new Adam, a new progenitor for all who believe and become children of God.

We are his sons in following Jesus who succeeded to be the Son of God overcoming all heritage of sinful men. We are to follow him from the beginning of his decision to be baptized; a will to give his life; to walk the way of sinner would and should go. Surely God will provide eternal life in and through Jesus.

What he had achieved is so remarkable and Peter wrote in this way about what Jesus imparted to us through his success in meeting God’s purpose with these two burdens in his hands.

2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

God has given us divine power through the knowledge of Jesus. This power and knowledge are sufficient for us to be and to live as God children.

Today's passage is about what Jesus had at the beginning of his ministry.

1.    We mentioned that with baptism, Holy Spirit came upon him and Father God gave him a full approval of Jesus decision and will.

2.    The heritage that burdened him contains two things; sin and God’s promise of salvation.

With these two Jesus succeeded in his work as the Savior and as the Son of God. Eventually this earned him resurrection and is now sitting at the right hand of God.

What does it mean to us? Are we equipped with these as Jesus was? Yes. Since we have begun the walk with Jesus, Holy Spirit is with us. Also in our being contains an enormous history of sin and failures in sin and we are born with heritage that are insurmountable to sinful mind.  But along with these we have great promise of God in Jesus who went ahead of us and now sitting at the right hand of God.

Like this, as Jesus began with these two, so we do have these two. But for us, we have one more; Jesus our Lord through his sacrifice has imparted his great power for us so that we may overcome the power of sin. So no matter how worse history we are born with, in Christ we can and will succeed with Jesus. In Him we are victors.

I saw many dug-out tunnels in Cappadocia, Turkey. Those were underground hideouts during the first few centuries when Roman persecution was most intense. Literally they were living under the threat of life every day. Many were put to death when they were caught, either by fire, or by beasts, or by executions. Yet they kept their faith and won the victory. What was the source of their strength or power?

Jesus made the first victory over all sinfulness and death. Since then many have followed him and won the victory in life. So it says:

Hebrews 12:2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

We are called the sons of God whom God is very pleased with! Jesus, the son God was most pleased with, began his life with decision to give his life as a sinner. This is the way to victory. May God bless us in such decision!