You Are My Beloved

Gospel

THE HOLY GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST

ACCORDING TO MATTHEW

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him.

John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfil all righteousness." Then he consented. And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him 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, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased."

MATTHEW 3:13-17

Sermon: The Rev. Dr. Maryann Amor

This small bottle contains water from the Jordan River. In a simple but powerful way, it brings what we read in the Gospel into real life, grounding the story in a specific place. And today, as we hear this Gospel, we find ourselves beside that same water—the same river that fills this bottle.

There, by the Jordan river, we find John, standing in the midst of the flowing water. Jesus approaches. The two speak. Then John lowers Jesus into the water. When Jesus rises, we hear God’s voice, spoken aloud to everyone gathered on the shore: “This is my Son, the beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

Initially, we might think this moment matters most because of what John does for Jesus—the act of baptism itself. But there is more happening than a single ritual.

In this scene, God speaks. And we, standing, today, with the crowd who witnesses it, hear God’s words as revelation. This is an epiphany. God reveals something about Jesus: that this man, who enters the water just like everyone else that day, is beloved of God—God’s own Son. And this revelation is meant to change us.

Matthew’s Gospel is deeply concerned with God, though that may not be obvious at the beginning. God does not walk through the story delivering long speeches. Instead, God works quietly in the background—through dreams, angels, and characters’ obedience—God guides the events of the story. But here, at the Jordan, God breaks the silence. For the first time in Matthew’s Gospel, God speaks aloud.

We might wonder why this moment—Jesus’ baptism—is when God chooses to speak. For Matthew, Jesus is a Jewish man, one who, like other Jews of his time, is called to communal and national repentance. Scripture tells us again and again that the people rebelled against God, failing to live into the covenant they were given.

John’s baptism, then, is not about individual remission of sins. It is a public act—a call for the people to turn back to God together, to recommit themselves to the God of Israel. Immersion in water becomes a sign of that turning.

Jesus participates in this moment. As a faithful Jewish man, he joins the others. And in doing so, he shows obedience to God. He publicly aligns himself with what matters most—not status, not success, not recognition—but faithfulness to God alone.

And it is precisely then that God responds. God speaks so that everyone can hear: Jesus is not just another man in the water. He is God’s Son. He is beloved. And God is pleased.

So we have to ask: do God’s words mean anything for us as we hear them today?

The season of Epiphany is about revelation—about God showing us who Jesus truly is. On the final Sunday of this season, Transfiguration Sunday, God will speak again, repeating these same words. Once more, we will be reminded that Jesus is God’s Son and that God loves him.

But does this matter when we leave this place? When we step back into our daily life?

What stands out most in this moment is not what Jesus has done—but what he has not yet done. He hasn’t healed anyone. He hasn’t preached or taught. He hasn’t called disciples or challenged authorities. He hasn’t proven himself useful, impressive, or successful. The only thing Jesus does is step into the water. He joins the crowd. He places himself in God’s hands. And then God speaks.

God’s love does not come after Jesus proves himself. It comes before everything else. God’s love is not a reward for good behaviour; it is the foundation on which everything is built. And this is where the story meets us.

We live in a world that constantly tells us our value is tied to what we produce, what we accomplish, how useful or impressive we are—even how faithful we are, how well we know the Bible, how much we pray. It’s easy to start believing that we have to earn our worth, even with God.

But the God who speaks in today’s Gospel speaks to us as well. God names us beloved—claimed—not because of what we have done, but simply because we belong to God. Before we have proven anything at all, God’s love is already given. And this is such an easy truth to forget.

When we forget that we are beloved, we tend to live defensively. We cling tightly to what we want. We become frustrated when things don’t go our way. We hold onto anger, resentment, or fear, because it feels like everything depends on us.

But when we remember who we are—when we trust that our lives are already held by God—we are changed. We are freed. Freed to let go of old grievances. Freed to be generous rather than anxious, gracious rather than reactive, hopeful rather than cynical. Not because life suddenly becomes easy, but because our worth is no longer at stake.

This is how Jesus lives. His ministry flows out of this moment at the Jordan. Before he heals, before he teaches, before he confronts injustice or calls disciples, he knows who he is: God’s beloved Son. That identity becomes the ground beneath everything he does. And the same is true for us.

From the waters of the Jordan, Jesus goes out into the world to begin his ministry. And we are sent out too—not to prove ourselves to God, to the church, or to the world, but to live as people who already know they are loved.

So when we leave this place today, we do not go alone, and we do not go empty-handed. Like this small bottle of water from the Jordan, we carry something with us—a reminder of who God says we are. God’s words still echo over us: You are my children, you are my beloved. With you I am well pleased. This is Jesus’ identity. This is our identity. And throughout this season of Epiphany, God will keep revealing it to us—until we are ready to live as if it were true.

Amen.