The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Matthew 3:13-17, “Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan

coming to John, to be baptized by him. 14 But John tried to prevent

Him, saying, ‘I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come

to me?’ 15 But Jesus answering said to him, ‘Permit it at this time;

for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then he

permitted Him. 16 And after being baptized, Jesus went up immediately

from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the

Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon Him, 17 and

behold, a Voice out of the heavens, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son,

in whom I am well-pleased.’”

Baptism is a momentous event! John the Baptist, the six-months

older cousin of Jesus, had come out of the wilderness and was

baptizing people “as they confessed their sins” (v. 6). During one

of these events, Jesus came on the scene and persuaded John to

baptize (immerse) Him. It is noteworthy that Jesus confessed NO

SIN, inasmuch as He had committed no sin. And as He arose from

the water He saw the Holy Spirit descending upon Him and heard

the Voice of the Father introducing Him: “This is My beloved Son,

in whom I am well-pleased.”

Here we have a picture of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

And the crowning aspect is the Voice of the Father as He introduced

His Son, Jesus, to the world-at-large. It is always a joy to introduce

someone in whom we have confidence. This is my wife; these are

my children; these are my grandchildren. I always rejoice in sharing

their abilities and achievements. Yes, it is pride; but it is the right

kind of pride. When the Father spoke of being “well-pleased” with

His Son, He was emphasizing Jesus’ absence of any confession of sin.

It was indeed a unique emphasis. I cannot say of my relatives, past

or present, that they have never sinned. Nor can they say that of me.

Pride in introductions always emphasizes the best in another. And

what really matters to all of us is whether the Father is well-pleased

with our lives. He can be if we confess our sins every day and live

in accordance with His Word. May the LORD so enable us to live for

Him that He can introduce us to others as His own.

May the LORD hear and answer our prayers for each other,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”