This is my beloved son

See my comments at the very bottom...something about that dream led me to this blog.

In Matthew 3 we have the following exchange between John, Christ and the father.
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"

15 Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented.

16 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 lighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

I used to think that God was saying this as a follow-up to what had just occurred. I am now wondering if God was saying this as the omnipotent one who knew what Jesus would endure the next 40 days and the next 3 years. Encouraging words from a father "you can do it son", encouraging words from The Father "I know you will do it Son."

"I am well pleased" - Jesus will be in face to face confrontations with Satan and will prevail.

"I am well pleased" - Jesus will spend 3 years teaching disciples to spread the word of God's love, entrusting the eternal message to man.

"I am well pleased" - being a man, loving life, feeling pain; will willingly go to the cross-suffer-die to redeem mankind.

"I am well pleased" - the plan from the beginning of time is fulfilled in Christ.

As a son I longed to please and get the praise of my father. As a child of God I want to be pleasing to The Father. "I am well pleased", amazing words, amazing love, amazing grace.

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Last night I had a dream where my father (who has been gone for 18 years) was driving and my brother and his four girls and me and my two boys were all in the car with him. It all seemed so natural. I know I moved my legs in my sleep trying to hit the imaginary brake to get my dad to slow down as he was driving in my dreams. The conversation seemed so real. In my dreams I could still see his face and still hear his voice and in my dreams he was able to interact with my boys, his grandsons that he never got to meet here in life. Dreams can be wonderful and dreams can bring an occasional tear. I still love you too dad, very much.

In Him,

David