As Jesus pops out of the waters of the Jordan River after John baptized Him, He sees heaven open above Him and the Holy Spirit descending in bodily form upon Him like a dove. Suddenly and powerfully, the Father’s voice thunders out of heaven, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:22b, NKJV).
Then, Jesus ascends the holy mountain, taking Peter, James, and John with Him. While He prays, the appearance of His face is altered; His robe becomes white and glistening as two men (Moses and Elijah) speak with Him about His departure He will soon accomplish at Jerusalem. A cloud comes and overshadows the disciples and they are afraid, as a voice comes out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” (Luke 9:35b; see also Luke 9:28-35; 2 Peter 1:17, 18).
Finally, and for all eternity, the Father spoke once more into the abyss of damnation where Jesus lay dead and said, “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You” (see Acts 13:30-33; Hebrews 1:1-5; Psalm 2:7). Suddenly, the Holy Spirit came, like at the re-creation of the earth in Genesis 1, and Jesus was born a new creation! Redemption sounded! Jesus rose in the power of the Holy Spirit to ascend and sit at the right hand of God in heavenly places, “far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come” (Ephesians 1:19-21).
The Father’s voice– the Holy Spirit calling forth Jesus–is calling us forth into Christ Jesus! It’s sonship: in submission, dependency, and expectancy! Holy Spirit is the Father’s blessing to sanctify, transform, and resurrect us in the sound of the Father’s voice. Jesus, the object of all affection, love, and acceptance, now includes us in His love, acceptance and resurrection by faith. Is that good news, or what? I’ll say it again: Jesus now includes us in His love, acceptance, and resurrection by faith! So, as we believe, we too in Christ are given sonship in Christ’s fullness. This is such rich inheritance and promise; we could take a lifetime and still not fully plumb the depths of Jesus’ immeasurable gift to us!
In Christ, we are beloved sons and daughters. We really do bring much pleasure to the Father. How? By believing in the testimony God has given of His Son (see 1 John 5: 9-13). We please God with faith (see Hebrews 11:6). We can grow our testimony in learning to hear under Christ; we do this by accepting the testimony of Christ and agreeing with Christ’s life in us now that we live by faith (see Galatians 2:20).
And we can hear the Father calling us into Resurrection Life: “Today I have begotten you…”. It happens with a thunderous roar at times, or a soft whisper. It happens as we soften our hearts, even after years of struggle and wandering. It happens as we hear His voice to follow Christ Jesus into the fullness of salvation, in the power of the Holy Spirit. So much is yet to be discovered and enjoyed, so we press on, that “we may lay hold of that which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of us” (see Philippians 3:12).
Here is another “That.” “That” for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of us: The prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (see Philippians 3:14). “This is that” (Acts 2:16). Prophecy fulfilled, that for which Christ Jesus has laid hold of me. Our future in Christ.
Beloved, we are in a glorious moment in sovereignty where Holy Spirit is being poured out to make Jesus famous! He is here to reveal Christ in us, the hope of glory, to show us all that the Father has for us who love Him. He is so good! Holy Spirit is here to testify of Jesus Christ, the glorified Son of God, and the life that we now have in Christ (see Colossians 1:27; 1 Corinthians 2: 9,10; John 15:26; Galatians 2:20).
This is that! And we are in that moment of movement, of outpouring, of announcement in GLORY! Receive the Holy Spirit’s filling today and hear the Father say…, “You are My beloved son!”
