Jesus Is Baptized
Month 5: Jesus — God With Us · Bible Story
Today's Scripture
Read together: Matthew 3:13-17
13 At that time Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?” 15 “Let it be so now,” Jesus replied. “It is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness in this way.” Then John permitted Him. 16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. Suddenly the heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and resting on Him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!”
Memory Verse
“And a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!””— Matthew 3:17 (BSB)memorize this week
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Psalm 3; Psalm 4; Psalm 12; Psalm 13; Psalm 28; Psalm 55
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time.The Heart of It
When Jesus was about thirty, He walked down to the Jordan River and asked John to baptize Him. John was stunned. He needed Jesus, not the other way around! But Jesus said it was right "to fulfill all righteousness" (). Jesus had no sin to wash away. He stepped into the water to stand with us. He began His ministry the same way He would finish it. He joined Himself to the people He came to save. From His very first public step, Jesus was saying, "I am God with you."
Then something amazing happened. As Jesus came up from the water, heaven opened. The Spirit of God came down like a dove and rested on Him. And the Father's voice thundered from the sky: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." In one breathtaking moment we see all three Persons of the one true God. The Son was in the water. The Spirit was descending. The Father was speaking. This is the Trinity revealed at the river. And before Jesus had preached a single sermon or healed a single sick person, the Father already loved Him and delighted in Him. The Father's pleasure came first.
Around the Table
When Jesus went under the water and came up, God said, "This is My boy, and I love Him!"
Let's do it: Give a big hug and say, "God loves Jesus — and God loves you!"
At Jesus' baptism the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit were all there at once — one God, three Persons.
Let's talk: Can you name where each One was? (Voice, water, dove.)
The Father said He was "well pleased" before Jesus did any miracles. Love came before works.
Let's go deeper: God's love comes before your performance, not after it. How does it change you to know that?
💬 Conversation Starter
What's something a parent says to you that makes you feel really loved?— The Father said the best words ever to His Son. And He says you're loved in Jesus too.
🛡️ Defending the Faith
Some say the Trinity is a made-up idea. But Jesus' baptism shows all three Persons of the one God together in a single scene. The Father was speaking, the Son was baptized, and the Spirit was descending (). We don't invent God. We listen to how He has shown Himself. ()
For Dad · Go Deeper
Notice the order at the Jordan. The Father declares His delight before Jesus' public ministry begins. Acceptance precedes achievement. Many fathers carry the unspoken belief that affection must be earned, and we hand that script to our kids without meaning to. But the gospel rewrites it. In Christ, the Father says over you what He said over Jesus. You are beloved, accepted, and pleasing. Your obedience flows from that word, never for it. Lead your home as a son who is already approved, not a servant still auditioning for the part.
Draws on: Paul Tripp, New Morning Mercies.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You for sending Jesus to stand with us in the water. Thank You that You loved Him. And in Him You love us too. Fill us with Your Spirit like You filled Him. In Jesus' name, amen."
Before I do anything, the Father already loves me in Jesus.