Matthew 3:17 NKJV

And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

God demonstrated everything we need to know about being a great Father in this one small verse. He did three incredible things in these eleven priceless words. 

The last two days have been very impactful to me as a Father. It began Sunday morning when Pastor Joseph Prince shared a revelation that I had never associated with a scripture, which I will show you later. Then last night I had a chance to reminisce with my oldest Son about my father, who passed away before he ever got a chance to know him. And to know my Dad was to love him. Not so much that he was the epitome of a father, far from it, but that he was always authentically himself, whether you liked it or not.

Those two things help me really appreciate this text. Jesus was entering the ministry for which He was sent here. Here our Lord, the son of the Most High God, came to earth to fulfill a purpose that would eventually set us all free. Now, that task would not begin until he turned 30. So he dwelled here for 30 years before doing anything associated with the reason He was sent (a whole other sermon, some other time). Yet now, the time has finally come. Is it time to get started? That is where God steps in.

1. God Affirms His Child: The word Affirm is a verb meaning to state something positively, assert as true, or confirm/ratify a judgment. It is used to express strong confidence in a fact, uphold a lower court’s decision, or make a solemn declaration. God takes possession of His son in a day and age where a “fatherless child” is very often the norm. God is letting His son know: I take possession; I gladly accept ownership; You are indeed (let there be absolutely no doubt) my child. But God does not stop there; He lets Jesus know that He is loved. The word ” beloved ” means dearly loved, cherished, or held in high affection. God let His child know that He is cherished, appreciated, precious, and special. What child does not want to know that they are beloved? But God didn’t stop there; He let Jesus know that He is well-pleased with Him. The term means being very happy, highly satisfied, or expressing high approval of a person. Affirmation at its very highest. God affirms His Child, letting Him know that He is His, He is loved, and He is approved. That should be every father’s goal, because it is every child’s need.
2. God affirms His Child without any performance attached: Before Jesus does anything associated with His purpose for being sent, God affirms Him. God did not wait until Jesus died on the cross for all of our sins to affirm Him. God the Father’s affirmation came with no strings attached. Jesus did not have to perform in order to be approved by God, loved by Him, or cherished. Oh, how I want to be cherished; someone deeply loved, valued, and nurtured with affection and tender care. What person does not want to feel that from their loved ones? And Jesus did, without having any performance attached to it. What this affirmation does is instill a sense of self-worth, resilience, and confidence. This is empowering, as seen when Jesus was led to the wilderness and tempted by Satan. Satan attempted two things to trick Jesus, and they are very similar in how he attacks us. He questioned Jesus’ identity and tried to get him to tie his performance to his worth. “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” If you are the Son of God, question His identity and remove the word beloved, which is how God affirmed Him—also, telling Jesus to turn the stones into bread to prove His sonship. Satan often tries to steal our identity and kill our understanding of God’s love by tying it to our performance. 
3. God Affirms His Child publicly: God affirmed His Son in public, in front of everyone. There is something to be said about a father affirming his son in public. Although the people could not hear what God said, they heard thunder and knew that it was God. I imagine a scene at a local baseball field, where a young kid strikes out and loses the game. The kid is sad and dejected, barely able to lift their head. Then the father comes over, bends down, and begins speaking directly to his child. We cannot hear what he says, but the child’s head immediately rises, a big smile comes to their face, and they have a completely different countenance. Does it matter what was said? No!! What matters is that the kid was affirmed, and it changed everything. 

God affirmed Jesus publicly with no strings attached. The truth we need to take from this is: 

1 John 4:17 NKJV

Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as He is, so are we in this world.

Just as Jesus is, so are we in this world. Just as God affirms Jesus, so are we in this world. Just as Jesus is well-pleased (God), so are we in this world. Let’s learn from God our Father. Affirm those you love, and be open to receive affirmation from others.