Collect

Father in heaven, who at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed him with the Holy Spirit: Grant that all who are baptized into his Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly confess him as Lord and Savior; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting.  Amen.

Isaiah 42:1-9 . . . the mission of the Lord’s servant, the one whom God has chosen to bring forth justice and salvation

Psalm 29 . . . God is like a mighty thunderstorm

Acts 10:34-45 . . . Peter recognizes that good news, which Jesus began to proclaim after his baptism, now extends to all people.

Matthew 3:13-17 . . . the story of Jesus’ baptism

Sermon . . .

Dr. Jim Somerville, Pastor of Richmond’s First Baptist Church and Co-Founder of A Sermon for Every Sunday, summarizes the account of Jesus’s birth according to the gospel of Matthew. Then he focuses on verse 17 of today’s passage, “And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’” At this point, Jesus has done nothing to please or displease God. Yet God still chooses him, his beloved son, to fulfill God’s mission. Have you ever thought of yourself in light of today’s passage? Listen as Somerville explores how our identity is found in Christ’s identity as God’s chosen, beloved son of God