God's Favorites

May 17

Read: Mark 1:1-13, Col. 3:1-4

God’s Favorites

“You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” - Mark 1:11

I am not sure what Jesus expected to happen when he was baptized by John. Jesus knew the Father was calling him to do it (he never did anything unless the Father told him to) but I am not sure if he knew the sort of turning point it would be. It was, after all, billed as a “baptism for the forgiveness of sins”… and Jesus had no sins so he might have thought it was a little weird. I wonder if he thought a tiny sin had slipped by and now he had to get dunked by John !?! *No matter what, Jesus was obedient and went to the “voice in the wilderness” to be baptized.

When he comes out of the water, there is quite a ruckus. Imagine Jesus emerging from the water to be greeted by a dazzling light show, a thundering voice from God, and a bird flying towards him. Pretty crazy huh? It is for sure a fulfillment of prophecy from the OT, but there is more at stake here. (cf. Isa. 42:1) The Father needed Jesus - The Son - to know that he was deeply loved and that he was pleased with him. This term “well pleased” has in it’s Greek meaning the idea of “favor” and/or being “favorably inclined towards one”. God was telling Jesus that he was “his favorite”… that his favor reacted upon Jesus! You cannot enter into fruitful ministry apart from this truth, and if you are not convinced of it then you will be a slave to performance and insecurity until it becomes true to you. Jesus needed this moment to prepare him for the ministry that was ahead of him. The Father needed The Son to know he was beloved and favored, something that is crucial to hang on to when someday you will hang on a cross and face rejection by humanity.

But what about us? How does God feel about you and I? If Jesus is his favorite, what does that mean for the people of God? The scriptures tell us that “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Col. 3:33) The truth is that WE are in Christ as the sons and daughters of God. Whatever is true about Christ is true about US in Christ. God is saying these very same words to you and I today and everyday. God the Father needs you to know that “you are my beloved, and in you I am well pleased… my favor rests upon you… you are my favorites.” We cannot enter into the life and ministry God has for us free of guilt, shame, coercion, and insecurity until we embrace this truth. When God cracks open our lives like the heavens after Jesus’ baptism, he bursts in with the Holy Spirits who lands on us like a dove, and he declares to us - “You are beloved”. (Henri Nouwen wrote a pretty famous little book about this idea called “Life of the Beloved” that is worth a read.)

This phenomenon was not just an “idea’ or “notion” that Jesus experienced… it was a real event. God shows his favor and love towards his Son in all different ways - Jesus HEARS the Fathers voice, he SEES the heavens opened wide, he FEELS the dove as it lands on him. God is showing us we are beloved in the same ways. Notice how the very next thing is Jesus being sent to the wilderness and tempted? This is not “punishment” or some sort of “penalty” for Jesus. God is “pleased” with him. This is actually a part of the ministry the Lord has for Jesus. We need to be reminded of this daily. We are not sent to the wilderness nor are we tempted because God is angry with us, quite the opposite actually - He does this for his “favorite” people so that they are strengthened, empowered, and refined. This was true for Jesus and it is true for us. Remember these truths that we have in Christ today:

God likes you. Not only does he love you… but he likes you as well.

You are “beloved”.

You are God’s favorite. (Because you are in Christ, and Christ is God’s favored one!)

These truths we carry with us into the wilderness, into temptation, into ministry, and into LIFE. Love you guys. - JDP