Beloved Identity
As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’ Matthew 3:16–17
One of my godsons went through a time when he would greet his family by boldly declaring, “I’m the Yellow Power Ranger!” Not long after, he entered another phase, lowering his voice as deeply as a little boy could and announcing, “I’m Optimus Prime.” Two of his favorite superheroes.
Like most children, he was trying on identities, borrowing strength, courage, and confidence from something bigger than himself. It was playful and innocent, but it points to something deeply human in all of us. From our earliest days, we are asking the same question, even if we don’t yet have the words for it: Who am I?
That question doesn’t disappear as we grow older. It simply becomes quieter and more complicated. We look for identity in our roles, our successes, our failures, our relationships, or the expectations placed upon us. We “try on” titles and labels, hoping one of them will finally tell us who we are and assure us that we matter.
Into that longing speaks the scene of Jesus’ baptism:
“As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’” (Matthew 3:16–17)
This moment is astonishing. Jesus had not yet performed a miracle or preached a sermon. Before public ministry, before acclaim or rejection, the Father names His identity: Son. Beloved. Pleasing.
Even more remarkable is that Jesus chose to be baptized at all. He had no sin to confess, no need for repentance, yet He stepped into the water anyway. In His baptism, Jesus identified fully with us. He stood where sinners stand. He entered our story, our brokenness, our questions of identity. And as He did, heaven opened.
Here is the good news for us: when Jesus identifies with us, we are given His identity. In Christ, we no longer have to borrow worth or courage from temporary things. Our truest name is spoken over us by God Himself: beloved child. Through Jesus, we are claimed, loved, and delighted in—not because of what we’ve done, but because of whose we are.
The question “Who am I?” finds its answer not in what we achieve, but in who Jesus is—and in His choice to stand with us, for us, and in our place.
Gracious Father, thank You for sending Your Son to identify with us fully. When we search for our worth in so many places, remind us that our true identity is found in Christ. Help us to live as Your beloved children, resting in Your love and delight. Amen.