This is My Beloved Son

All throughout God’s Word there are statements that leave a lasting impression on the mind and seem particularly powerful. Of these statements, there are few that come to mind. David’s statement, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”, certainly falls into this category (1 Sam. 17:26). Years later Elijah made a powerful statement as well when he said, “How long will you falter between two opinions?” (1 Kings 18:21). When we arrive in the New Testament, Peter made a memorable statement with the words, “There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Truly, there is no shortage of unforgettable and powerful statements within the sixty-six books of the Bible, but perhaps one the greatest proclamations ever given was by God Himself on the mount of transfiguration. In Matthew 17:5 God said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” At first glance, the verse is not very long, and it may not seem like anything extraordinary, but there is much to be learned from this Divine statement. Having said that, let us consider three things that this statement teaches us about Jesus.

The first thing we notice from the Father’s statement is that it is an allegation of the Jesus’ deity. God begins His statement with the words, “This is My beloved Son”. That phrase no doubt is familiar as the Father spoke those exact words when Christ was baptized (Matt. 3:17). Certainly, if the Bible says something once it is important, but if Scripture repeats itself, we really need to pay attention. With that in mind, we’ve got to ask ourselves the question, “Why did God feel the need in His infinite wisdom to make this statement twice?” And friends, the answer quite simply is this, God wants mankind to know beyond a shadow of a doubt, Jesus of Nazareth, the carpenter’s son, is the Son of God! When God made that proclamation in the wilderness at the baptism of Christ, and on the mount of transfiguration, He did so, that both those of the day, and the readers of His Word might recognize and believe Jesus is God’s Son (John 8:24). From this statement we learn about Jesus’ deity.

The second thing we notice from the Father’s statement is that it is an affirmation of Jesus’ perfection. God continues His proclamation with the words, “In Whom I am well pleased.” When you think about it, the only thing that has ever made God angry is sin. In the days of Noah, God was sorry that He made man because of sin (Gen. 6:5, 6). When Achan took of the accursed things, God was angry (Jos. 7:26), and when Christ returns, God will pour out His wrath on those who have lived lives of sin (2 Thess. 1:8). Truly, the only thing that have ever caused God to be displeased and angry is sin. So, how is it God can say of Jesus, “I am well pleased”? God can make that statement because Jesus is the only man of an accountable age, past, present, or future Who committed no sin (Heb. 4:15). From this statement we learn about Jesus’ perfection.

The final thing we notice from the Father’s statement is that it is an authorization of Jesus’ word. God concludes His proclamation with the words, “Hear Him!”. The context of Matthew 17 makes these two words all the more significant because of the company that Christ is with. Jesus is on the mountain with Moses and Elijah, the representation of the Law and the prophets, and God says we need to hear Christ! We need to hear Christ because He has the words of eternal life (John 6:68), we need to hear Christ because we are going to be judged on His words (John 12:48), and we need to hear Christ because His last will and testament has gone into effect (Heb. 9:16, 17). From this statement we learn about the authorization of Jesus’ Word.

Without a doubt, there are many memorable and significant statements contained within the Word of God, but one that rightly deserves our attention is, “This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!”