Day 1 — What We Believe: The Core of the Christian Faith
Today’s Passage: Matthew 3:13-17
You stand on the muddy banks of the Jordan River. John the Baptist calls the nation of Israel to repent. Crowds step into the water to confess their sins. Then Jesus of Nazareth arrives. He has no sins to confess. He steps into the river to identify completely with the humanity He came to save.
As Jesus comes up from the water, the physical world parts to reveal a spiritual reality. At the Jordan, the one God shows Himself as Father, Son, and Spirit. You see the clear evidence of the Trinity working together in perfect unity to accomplish human redemption.
Context The Baptism of Repentance
John’s baptism served as a public declaration of a changed mind. Jewish people ordinarily required Gentiles to be baptized when converting to Judaism. John demanded that Jewish people themselves undergo this baptism. His demand showed that physical ancestry could never make someone right with God. Jesus submitted to this ritual to validate John’s ministry and to inaugurate His own public mission.
Matthew 3:13-15 (BSB)
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.
John recognizes the identity of Jesus. He knows Jesus is sinless and needs no repentance. Jesus insists on the baptism to fulfill all righteousness. He steps into the place of sinful humanity. He commits Himself to the Father’s plan. He acts as the perfect substitute, keeping every requirement of God’s law on your behalf.
Matthew 3:16 (BSB)
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.
The physical barrier between heaven and earth parts. The Spirit of God descends visibly. He takes the concrete form of a dove. This is a historical moment witnessed by the crowds present. The Holy Spirit rests on Jesus, empowering His human nature for the three years of ministry, miracles, and suffering that lie ahead.
Word study "beloved", agapētos (Matthew 3:17)
Greek: ἀγαπητός (agapētos), pronounced ag-ap-ay-TOS. Strong’s G27. This word describes a unique, deeply affectionate relationship. It is the exact word God used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament when He told Abraham to offer his beloved son Isaac. The Father declares His eternal, unbroken love for the Son before Jesus ever preaches a sermon or performs a single miracle.
Matthew 3:17 (BSB)
¹⁷ And a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!”
The Father speaks audibly from heaven. He gives verbal confirmation of the Son’s identity. Here you see all three persons of the Godhead present at the exact same moment. The Son stands in the water. The Spirit descends from the sky. The Father speaks from above. They are distinct in their persons, yet entirely united in their nature and purpose.
Study notes United in Essence
Jesus later makes a clear, undeniable claim about His divine nature, showing that while the Father and Son are distinct persons, they share the exact same divine essence.
"I and the Father are one.”" John 10:30 (BSB)
The doctrine of the Trinity stands as the living reality of the God who saves you. The Father sent the Son. The Son accomplished your salvation. The Spirit applies that salvation directly to your life. Take a piece of paper today and write a short, specific sentence of thanks to each person of the Trinity. Write one sentence to the Father for His rescue plan, one to the Son for His physical sacrifice, and one to the Spirit for His daily presence in your life. You relate to one God, and you experience His grace through all three persons.