Fathers Say…ಮಾದರಿ

I Am Well Pleased

In Matthew 3:17, we read that immediately following Jesus’ baptism by John, a voice was heard from Heaven that said, “this is My Son, whom I love, and with Him I am well pleased.”

Now, that’s some pronouncement!

That passage says something extraordinary about the nature of God the Father. It says that God was “pleased”. What do you think happens when the Creator of the universe feels pleasure? That stops me dead in my mental tracks to ponder the significance of God being pleased.

And what He was pleased about? His Son, that’s what!

I know how I feel when my child does something I’m pleased with. I can relate to that.

Now, there may even be something deeper here.

John 3:16 may be the most familiar verse in the Bible, but it’s not just about salvation or eternal life. If we stop there, we miss the additional significance of this verse. A more careful study reveals two things about the nature of God’s love toward His children.

First, love gives. “For God so loved the world, He gave.” To best express itself, love must give. Love is not love if it’s self‐contained. Jesus warns us that hoarding things for ourselves is not just selfish, it’s completely unlike God. If we seek to become more like Him, we must give. And when we give of ourselves, we mirror the action of God the Father who also gave of Himself because His nature demanded it. God loved His creation to such a degree that He was willing to sacrifice a part of Himself to reclaim it.

Second, love saves. Godly love implicitly reveals that there’s a value to saving something. The degree of how much we are willing to give or sacrifice underscores the importance we attach to the object of that salvation. To that end, God relinquished His Son—an almost unfathomable thought—which indicates the degree of love He had for the world. And for me. And for you.

God’s love gives and saves. Ours should do similarly for our children.

Question: Has your child ever heard you say, “In you I am well pleased!” If not, get to the phone or in front of your child now and make that statement!