Mark 1:9-11: One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, "You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy." Other translations say, “In whom I am well pleased”.
Why was The Father so pleased with Jesus? Was it because of His obedient life? or because of His willingness to fulfil His mission to rescue lost souls? I would suggest that Jesus pleased His Father in every way but that God loved Jesus so dearly simply because He is His Son.
Let us take a moment to get our eyes off ourselves and think about Jesus; not what He has done for us, but Who He truly is. He is The Eternal Son of God. He is The One who pleased The Father. He is The One who lived an obedient life and who showed love, even to the greatest of sinners. He is wise as He deals with the trick questions of His enemies. He is powerful and one who spoke with great authority.
If you were to meet Him today, if He went to your church, would you want to be His friend? If there was nothing in it for you, would you want to get to know Him better and learn from Him? Would you be drawn to Him? Would you enjoy His companionship? Would He be accepted into your circle of friends? Would you invite Him out for coffee?
Go on, re-visit the gospel narratives and read about Jesus, and ask yourself what is He like and what do you think of Him? Does your heart, like the Father’s, fill with joy because of Him?