These are the words God the Father spoke over Jesus during His baptism in the Jordan River. But it isn’t just a nice phrase or a happy sentiment that was shared during a historical event 2,000 years ago. These words hold immense significance in each and every one of our lives, pointing toward our deepest identity as beloved sons and daughters.
The Lord loves to reveal Himself and deeper realities through images and stories, and when we take a closer look at the account of Jesus’ baptism in Matthew 3:13-17, there are three wonderful details that help us understand the magnificence of what took place during our own baptism.
First, as Jesus emerges from the waters, we behold “the heavens were opened [for Him].” (Mt 3:16) This image of the heavens being open points back to two significant moments in the Old Testament: Moses leading the chosen people out of Egypt through the parted Red Sea (Ex 14:21-22), and God parting the Jordan River so the chosen people and the Ark of the Covenant could cross into the promised land on dry ground. (Jos 3:14-17)
In the same way, at the moment of our baptism, God breaks wide open the heavens on our behalf, freeing us from the slavery of sin and making it possible for us to spend eternal life with Him in heaven, our promised land.
Next, we see “the Spirit of God descending like a dove [and] coming upon Him.” (Mt 3:16) When we are baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, we become living temples, and the Blessed Trinity comes upon us, making His dwelling within us.
And then God the Father speaks: “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Mt 3:17) The two words “beloved” and “Son” stand out to me. Notice that He speaks these words before Jesus does any public work or ministry. God the Father is showing us that our belovedness does not come from what we do, but from who we are — we are His. He also calls us sons and daughters because, through our baptism, we are radically changed — now having a share in Christ’s divine nature, we become heirs to the kingdom of God.
Isn’t it magnificent? And all of this takes place through the totally unmerited and free gift of grace through baptism.
One of the reasons I love infant baptisms is because they remind us of how free this gift really is. All a baby can do is babble and receive — a newborn is completely dependent. And it is the delight of the Father to come to us in our littleness, our “undeserved-ness,” our dependence to offer us everything He has. Just as a baby is born into this world, through baptism, we are born again into the spiritual life. And it changes everything.
During this second year of TILMA, my seven-year pastoral plan on evangelization, I’m excited to delve deeply into each of the seven sacraments with you, both here in my magazine columns, as well as through a diocesan synod on the sacraments, which you can learn more about at tilma.dphx.org as the year unfolds. Through this exploration of the sacraments, we’ll discover in a special way the Father’s love for us through each one, and the immense impact they have on our lives.
As we begin this deep dive into the sacramental life, I encourage you to take a few moments to reflect on your own baptism — the totally unmerited and gratuitous gift that brought you into communion with God. Ask the Holy Spirit to descend upon you anew as you hear the Father speak once again your deepest identity over you: “You are My beloved one, with whom I am well pleased.”
