If God spoke out loud to you right now, what do you think He would say? Today we find out, because right before Jesus starts His ministry, the voice of God the Father speaks from heaven for everyone to hear. It is a moment that shows kids something every one of us needs to know: God's love does not have to be earned.
What happened when Jesus was baptized?
John had been baptizing crowds of people in the Jordan River, and Jesus came to be baptized too. While He was praying, heaven opened, and the Holy Spirit came down on Him in the form of a dove. Then a voice spoke from heaven and said, You are My Son, whom I love, with You I am well pleased.
Why did Jesus get baptized if He never sinned?
Baptism is usually a sign that someone is turning away from sin and toward God, but Jesus never sinned, so He did not need that. Jesus was baptized to step into the story of His people, identifying Himself with the humans He came to rescue. By being baptized, He was saying, I am in this with you, fully present and fully human, right in the middle of things.
What does it mean that the Father was pleased with Jesus before His ministry even started?
At the moment of His baptism, Jesus had not healed anyone yet, taught any crowds, performed any miracles, or even called His disciples. And already the Father said, You are My Son, and I am pleased with you. That means the Father's love for Jesus was not based on what Jesus was about to do. It was based on who He was.
What does this mean for kids?
It is a little like a parent watching their child walk out on stage for a school play. The parent's face lights up, not because the child has already done something amazing, but simply because the child is theirs. That is a small picture of what happened at the Jordan River. God loves you the same way, not because of your performance and not because of anything you do, but because you are His. You do not have to earn God's love. It is a free gift.
Talk about it as a family.
What do you think it means that God's love comes before the work, not because of it? Have you ever felt like you needed to earn someone's approval? What would it look like to live knowing you are already loved by God?
A prayer to pray together.
Father, thank You that You loved Jesus before his ministry began, not because of what he did, but because of who he is. Help us to know that Your love for us works the same way. Help us to live from the place of knowing we are loved, not trying to earn Your love, because Your word says You have already given it. Thank You, Father. Amen.
Coming up next. Next time on Hearing Jesus for Kids, Jesus goes into the wilderness alone for forty days and is tested in three different ways.
Episode Reference: Luke 3:21-22
