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Pledge of Our Acceptance, May 30
And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the
water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the
Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: and lo
a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am
well pleased.
Matthew 3:16, 17
.
What does this scene mean to us? How thoughtlessly we have read
the account of the baptism of our Lord, not realizing that its significance
was of the greatest importance to us, and that Christ was accepted of
the Father in man’s behalf. As Jesus bowed on the banks of Jordan and
offered up His petition, humanity was presented to the Father by Him
who had clothed His divinity with humanity. Jesus offered Himself to
the Father in man’s behalf, that those who had been separated from God
through sin, might be brought back to God through the merits of the divine
Petitioner....
The prayer of Christ in behalf of lost humanity cleaved its way through
every shadow that Satan had cast between man and God, and left a clear
channel of communication to the very throne of glory....
The voice of God was heard in answer to the petition of Christ, and
this tells the sinner that his prayer will find a lodgment at the throne of the
Father. The Holy Spirit will be given to those who seek for its power and
grace, and will help our infirmities when we would have audience with
God. Heaven is open to our petitions, and we are invited to come “boldly
unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help
in time of need.”
Hebrews 4:16
.
With all our sins and weakness we are not cast aside as worthless. “He
hath made us accepted in the beloved.”
Ephesians 1:6
. The glory that
rested upon Christ is a pledge of the love of God for us. It tells of the
power of prayer—how the human voice may reach the ear of God, and
our petitions find acceptance in the courts of heaven. The light that fell
from the open portals upon the head of our Saviour, will fall upon us as
we pray for help to resist temptation. The voice that spoke to Jesus says
to every believing soul, “This is my beloved child, in whom I am well
pleased.”
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