There are passages in the Bible that should cause Christians to be especially glad. Many of them are ones that cause us to rejoice in God’s grace or be comforted by His shepherd-like care. But there are also moments where God decides to show the nature of who He is more clearly than other parts of Scripture; where God pulls back the clouds, so to speak, to give a glimpse of who He is for our joy.
One of those moments is Luke 3:21-22:
Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
Now there are plenty of moments in the Bible where people recognize Jesus for who He is and call Him Lord or even the Son of God. But notice here that this is God identifying who Jesus is. “You are my beloved Son.” And the Holy Spirit descends upon the Son.
Now we shouldn’t rush over passages like these too quickly. This isn’t simply a passage where Jesus gets baptized, as if He’s just graduated from high school and the Father shows up to say something nice. There’s something wonderful here that every Christian should stop and notice.
You see, Christians believe in one God. But God is not simply an ultimate personality or one great man, but God is actually three persons. He’s not three gods, but one God in three persons; the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
And what’s unusual—but wonderful—about this passage is that all three persons are on active display here. The Father speaks, the Holy Spirit descends, and the Son is baptized and identified. These moments in Scripture are not as common and we should not rush past them.
Let me try to give a picture of what I mean. In the Spring, as you walk through a park the grass is green, the flowers are blooming, and the trees are getting their color back, but for good portions of the Spring season, it’s cloudy and rainy. You don’t quite see the beauty that’s really, truly there. But when the sun comes out and shines on everything, you see the gush of color. You see Spring! You see the green! And when those moments come, you pause and you take in all that is exposed.
In the same way, as you read the Bible, God is always there, showing himself—never fully, but truly. But there are moments in Scripture, like Luke 3:21-22, where God shows us a greater picture—a clearer picture—of who He is. He sheds light on what is not always seen clearly. And when we see it, we should pause.
This is our God—The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.