Read Luke 3:21-38. You can skim the names if you like! The point of this passage is all about IDENTITY! Jesus goes public with who he really is. John the baptist has been preaching about a messiah. The nation of Israel has been long waiting for God to send his deliverer. When Jesus allows himself to be baptized by John, he is in essence going public with the fact that he is the messiah (God's anointed one to save). Jesus' father - our father, doesn't miss this important moment in his son's life. He not only is there but adds the encouragement, "You are my son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." Sometimes we need to hear our father remind us of who we are and how he feels about us! 

Luke finishes the chapter 3 with a detail description of who Jesus is by laying out his family tree. So in effect, John says "this is God's savior" by baptizing Jesus. God the father affirms this by his encouraging words. And as if to say, "if you don't believe me yet" Luke adds a history of Jesus' blood line to prove it as well. Jesus is who he said he is. He did come from heaven. He did fulfill all prophecies. Erase all doubt!

questions

1) How public are you with your faith?

2) After this passage Jesus will go into the desert to be tempted for 40 days. How might the verses you just read prepare Jesus for such a test?

3) Have you ever had doubts about who Jesus is? Can you see how studying the word can help erase doubt?

prayer

Thank you father for sending your son. Thank you for understanding the people back then and us today need reassurance to strengthen our faith about Jesus' identity. Open the eyes of our heart to see who Jesus really is and what he really wants to do in our life. And father let me not be ashamed today of my faith. Let me be willing to go public with my faith like Jesus modeled.