January 12, 2023 — Well-pleased with Jesus?

“Do you remember what God the Father said when Jesus was baptized?” Stan asked me one morning while we waited for breakfast.

“Kind of,” I replied. “Didn’t He say something about being pleased?”

“He did,” Stan said.”God the Father said that He was well-pleased with His Son. It seems to me that it’s to be the same thing with me.”

“What same thing?”

“I am to be well-pleased with Jesus,” Stan replied. “And my life is to manifest that I am well-pleased with Him.”

“How’s that supposed to happen?” I asked.

“Well,” Stan replied, “in the first place I have to know Him. If I don’t know Him there’s no way for me to know whether or not I am well-pleased with Him. God the Father knew Jesus and I am to know Him.”

“How do you do that?”

“Through reading and studying God’s word, the Bible,” Stan replied, “by listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit who is in us to help, and by praying and asking for God’s guidance.”

“Then what?”

“Be a disciple,” Stan replied.

“By getting self out of the way,” I said, “along with taking up what He has to be taken up? And then by following? Is that it?”

“That’s it,” Stan said with a smile. “Seems to me that’s the only way to know and to live a life that reflects that I am well-pleased with Him.”

“Well-pleased with Jesus,” I repeated. “Seems to me that if I’m well-pleased with Jesus maybe I will also be pleasing. You think that’s true?”

“That’s another subject for another day,” Stan replied, “First things first. God the Father said He was well-pleased with His Son. That’s the way I’m supposed to go!”

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Bible verses to consider:

And it came about when all the people were baptized, that Jesus also was baptized, and while He was praying, heaven opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “Thou art My beloved Son, in Thee I am well-pleased.” Luke 3:21-22.

This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; hear Him! Matthew 17:5.

And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.” Luke 9:23-24.

And this is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent. John 17:3.

Prayer: Thank you, Father, for giving your only begotten Son so that all who believe can have life with you on both sides of eternity: life eternally in your presence when it’s time, along with the eternal life of knowing you and Jesus while you keep me here. Please help me to know you and Jesus as deeply as possible. I confess that too often I do not make the effort to know you and Jesus. Please forgive the foolishness of trying to live this life without knowing you and Jesus. Help me to follow every step of your lead so I do know you and Jesus and I am well-pleased, along with being well-pleasing. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Think on this: Are you well-pleased with Jesus in the sense that you have accepted His finished work on the cross and know you will spend eternity in God’s presence when it’s time? If no, why have you not accepted God’s free and gracious provision through the One in whom He was and is well-pleased? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing with knowing all there is to know in being well-pleased with Jesus? What does it look like to you to be well-pleased with Jesus? If you sense the need for change, how is that going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?