This Is My Beloved Son
Matthew 3:13-17
Jesus came to John the Baptist in the River Jordan requesting baptism. Jesus was perfect and did not need to be baptized, but He chose obedience and showed us the way we should follow. Immediately following His baptism, Heavenly Father spoke from heaven, “This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased,” and the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove.
In this intimate moment, with each member of the Godhead present, John must have felt such honor to be a part of this experience. He held proper authority to baptize and had spent his life bearing witness of the Messiah. He is privileged to hear Heavenly Father’s voice and feel the witness of the Holy Spirit that this is the Christ.
It is in following the example of Jesus Christ that we find joy now and hope for eternal life in the life yet to come. Jesus shows us the way in all things as He did in being baptized by immersion by one holding proper authority.
This painting is meant to renew our desire to follow the example set by the Savior. He is the light, and He leads the way. The depiction is of the moment immediately following the baptism of Christ in order to capture when each member of the Godhead is present. The Father declares that Jesus is His Son. The Savior acts in obedience and sets the example for us. The Holy Spirit testifies of Christ.
