

"As Jesus in the Jordan stood And John baptized the Lamb of God, The Holy Spirit, heav'nly dove, Descended on Him from above.
"Then from God's throne with thund'rous sound Came God's own voice with words profound: 'This is My Son,' was His decree, 'The One I love, who pleases Me.'"
How do we identify ourselves to others? In some circumstances we might use a driver's license or a passport, but more often we simply introduce ourselves with our names and perhaps mention our careers. Jesus' identity was revealed slowly throughout His ministry and, at first, only to a few people. Through His words and His works Jesus showed people that He was who He claimed to be, the Son of God and the Messiah. Yet as we see in our hymn, Jesus' divine identity was openly revealed at the very beginning of His ministry, at His Baptism.
John's Baptism was a Baptism of repentance, as people showed their sorrow over sin and their readiness to welcome the Messiah. Jesus did not need to repent, but at the Jordan River the innocent Son of God awaited His Baptism, standing with the sinners He came to save. Then, as "John baptized the Lamb of God," Jesus' identity was revealed with startling clarity as the Holy Spirit descended on Him like a dove. The Father spoke from heaven, "This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17b). Throughout His ministry, Jesus confirmed His identity with His words, His miraculous works and, finally, in the greatest miracle of all. The Father, well-pleased with the humble and willing sacrifice of His Son on the cross, raised Jesus from the dead. In that great miracle, as death was conquered and life restored, the Savior "was declared to be the Son of God" (Romans 1:4a).
While we confirm who we are in many ways, our deepest identity was created in Baptism. We were filled and anointed with the Holy Spirit, who was at work in the water and the Word of God. Baptized in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, we were buried with Jesus, united with Him in His death and raised to new life with Him. We were adopted into the household of God as His own beloved children. Every day we confirm our baptismal identity in the world through our words and our works. Through words of kindness, hope, and witness, through works of love and service, we identify ourselves in the world as children of God, as followers of Jesus Christ. We are the beloved sons and daughters of God, with whom He is, in Christ, well-pleased.
WE PRAY: Heavenly Father, lead me in the power of the Holy Spirit to lead a life that is well-pleasing to You. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler. It is based on the hymn, "To Jordan's River Came Our Lord," which is number 405 in the Lutheran Service Book.
Reflection Questions:
1. What titles do you go by?
2. How is Jesus identified in the Bible?
3. What things can we do by following Jesus' example that will help identify us with Him?
Today's Bible Readings: Job 8-10 Matthew 9:1-17
To Download Devotion MP3 to your computer, right click here and select "Save Link As" or "Save Target As" or "Download Linked File As"