Skip to main content

Patterns


And a voice from heaven said,
“This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17) 

And a voice came from heaven:
“You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:11)
 
        One of the things I have learned in reading novels set in the past is the fact that sons and daughters of a marriageable age were often introduced to the public as adults. This is the source of our word "debutant." I don't know for certain that this custom came from a classical (Greco-Roman) source, but the classical world had a similar custom, in which a young man "became" a son upon his introduction to society as a son. At that point, he gained full rights as a son.
           The visits from the shepherds and wise men told at Christmas time were special invitation announcements. This scene seems to me to be God's first Big Reveal of His Son to the world in general. The pronouncement  brings to mind Genesis 1:4, 1:10, 1:12, 1:18, 1:21, 1:25, 1:31. In those verses, God looks at what He has created and notes that they are "good." He is pleased with them. Now, at long last, He was not just pleased, but well-pleased with His Son. The term translated "well-pleased" is also translated "delighted." It also seems appropriate that this announcement follows the pattern established at the Burning Bush. There, God reveals Himself as "I Am." Here, we move from first Person ("I am") to second Person ("you are") or third person (He/This is.)
       There are other patterns here. 1) When the Jews were brought out of Egypt, they passed through the Red Sea (baptism) and went into the wilderness, ultimately for 40 years. When the Jews entered the promised land, they went through the Jordan. Then they were in a land that they spent years trying to conquer. 2) After Saul was anointed (sprinkle baptism?) as king, he went off with some prophets. "The Spirit of the LORD will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person."(I Sam 10:6)  After David was anointed as king, "...from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power." (I Sam 16:13).


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The List

              Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,   through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;   perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)           Think about it. We have been justified. At least, we could be justified if we stopped insisting that our justification be based on our merits. We have peace with God, or could have peace if we stopped throwing temper tantrums. We have gained access into grace i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Listen!

  While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5)            Do you like roller coasters? I don't. You spend forever climbing a hill. You get to the top and have half a second, then you race down to a low point. Sometimes the racing down involves tying your insides into knots. At the bottom, you either have to be dragged up another hill or you get off the ride. Peter's life was a roller coaster from the time he met Jesus. There would be miracles, and then Jesus would teach things that didn't always make sense, and then they'd go out and perform miracles, and return to be taught. Peter was praised for giving the right answer to "Who do you say that I am?" Jesus said that said answer came from God. Peter was at the top of the hill.            ...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Way, The Truth, and The Life

              Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me . (John 14:6)           If “I am the gate of the sheep…I am the good shepherd” from chapter 10 is a double whammy, this verse is a triple whammy. And its first victim is the notion that any other so-called god was acceptable or the same as Jesus. He, and He alone is the way, the truth, and the life, and the only way to get to the Father. There is no other Savior, or Redeemer, according to Jesus. Now, to be fair, other religions will claim that their religion or god(s) are the only way. That is the nature of gods and of religions. If this and that are equally good and agree on what’s necessary, then this and that are the same thing, so there’s no need to from the other to one. If that’s the case, then why speak against the other or promote the one? There’s a song I’ve been listening to i...
Post a Comment
Read more