Matthew 3:17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
This voice will be heard again in Matthew 17:5 on the Mount of Transfiguration which will be the text for the Sunday before Lent. Here it is at the beginning of Jesus ministry, just before he goes into the wilderness and is tempted. The voice from heaven is actually speaking to the folks around Jesus using the third person, not directly to Jesus as Mark and Luke tell it using the second person (“You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” Mark 1:11). In either case there is a connection with Isaiah. In 42:1 of that book we find “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations.” Was Jesus and the gospel writers hearing achos of this verse? The gospel writers believed that Jesus was the special person indicated in the Old Testament to complete God’s plan for humanity. They point it out in many different ways. Why did they think this? What do you think about it?
Logan Memorial Presbyterian Church 