Let's go to Matthew chapter 3
one more time. Matthew chapter 3, let's read
verses 16 and 17 together. 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. That's special. That is special. Just like when
Moses was told to take his shoes off because he was standing on
holy ground. That's what I feel like every
time I read those two verses of scripture. What we have right here is a
moment between God, the father, God, the son, and God, the spirit,
no one else. God, the father, God, the son,
and God, the spirit. What we have right here is the
glory and the accomplishment of the son. And we have the witness of the
spirit. And we have the announcement
of the father. And when we hear that announcement,
when we hear what the father said in that moment, we could
honestly get lost in the wonder. Of just that simple, simple announcement
when he said, my beloved son, Oh, my beloved son. In those
three words, we hear the love of the father for him. We hear the confidence of the
father in him. We can hear the fact that the
son is the apple of the father's eye. He is the only apple of the Father's
eye. The Son is the only apple of
the Father's eye. Only. And in the Father's announcement
right here, we can hear the glory of the gospel concerning the
Lord Jesus Christ. In this one sentence, God, the
father declared, we just read what the father announced. And
in that one announcement, he declared the fullness of eternal
salvation. The announcement of the father
is the gospel. If anybody ever wonders, what
is the gospel? Just, just tell me plainly, just
put it into plain words. What is the gospel? Well, here it is. The announcement
of the father is the message. It's the message that men are
to preach. And from this announcement, we're
going to get our outline for our message this morning. This
is our outline. He said in verse 17, this is
my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. The word beloved means esteemed. It means dear. It means favorite. That's what beloved means, favorite. It means worthy of love. The father said this. This is my beloved son in whom
I'm well pleased. That's the gospel. That's the
goodness of the gospel. Our outline this morning has
three points. Three very simple points. The first one is, this
is my beloved son. The second one is, in whom? Critical two words right there.
The third one is, I am well pleased. That's beautiful, isn't it? This
is my beloved son in whom I am well-placed. All right, point
number one. The father loves the son. The father loves the son. When we get to point number two,
we're going to see that any center that the father says he loves
is only because of the son. The father loves the son. The son, the father's love has
been given to God, the son, the only begotten of the father,
all of it. He said this, he alone is my
beloved. He is my beloved. The father has made it very clear
where his love lies. where His favor lies. People
say this sometimes. You may have heard people say
this. They'll say, what does God see in me? Well, He doesn't see anything
in me. Nothing good. There's nothing good to see.
I mean, I'm just so, I mean, I'm just, I mean, why, what does
He, nothing. There is nothing good to see
here. His eye is singled in on his
son. The message to God's people is
this, look to Christ, have a single eye on him, him alone, look to
Christ alone. The reason that's the message
is because that's what the father's doing. His eye is singled in on His
beloved Son. He said to the whole world, this
is my beloved Son, my well-beloved, only worthy, favorite Son. Look with me at John chapter
three. John chapter three, verse 35. It says, the father loveth the
son and hath given all things into his hand. Everything, everything. The father said, it all goes
to him. I want him to have it all. Look with me at John chapter
five. John chapter five, verse 20,
it says, for the father loveth the son. I love that. I love
hearing that. I love reading that. The father
loves the son. and showeth him all things that
himself doeth, and he will show him greater works than these
that you may marvel. For as the Father raiseth up
the dead, and quickeneth them, even so the Son quickeneth whom
He will. For the Father judgeth no man,
but hath committed all judgment unto the Son. that all men should
honor the son, even as they honor the father, he that honoreth
not the son, honoreth not the father which hath sent him. The
father loves the son so much. He said, the only way you can
honor me is by honoring my son. honoring him. So many people
in their mind honor the father and the son's kind of there too.
And you know, that's elder brother and mediator and all that's good,
but they're honors to the father. He said, the only way you can
honor me is by honoring my son. That's the only way. He said,
if you don't honor him, you can't honor God. If you don't honor Him, you can't
honor God. There was another time that God the Father spoke
out loud. Only on a few occasions did God
the Father speak out loud for it to be recorded and all the
world to hear. There was another time that He
spoke out loud, and when He did, He said that very thing. If you'll
turn with me over to Matthew 17. Matthew 17 verse 1 it says, And
after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother,
and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, and was
transfigured before them. And his face did shine as the
sun, and his raiment was white as the light, And behold, there
appeared unto them Moses and Elijah talking with them. And you, and through the other
gospels, they expound on that story a little more. And you
know, that's the Mount of Transfiguration. And, and you've envisioned our
Lord standing there just bright as Other places said, so white,
no fuller can white at that white. It's the whitest, brightest thing
you've ever seen. And there was our Lord standing
and Moses and Elijah, and they were speaking of his decease,
which he should accomplish. They were talking about the cross.
Verse four, then answered Peter and said unto Jesus, Lord, it
is good for us to be here. If thou wilt, let us make here
three tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for
Elijah. Peter, bless his heart, it says
in another place that he was so afraid he didn't know what
to say. Sometimes it's best to just don't say anything. But
he said, Lord, if it's okay with you, This has been amazing. This has been wonderful to see.
We'll make three places of worship, three tabernacles, one for you,
and we'll make one for Moses, the law, and we'll make one for
Elijah, the prophets. And when he said that it says,
God, the father cried out loud. Absolutely not. Absolutely not. No flesh is going
to glory in His presence. no other flesh, but him alone. Verse four says, then answered
Peter and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here.
If thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles, one for thee
and one for Moses and one for Elijah. While he yet spake, behold,
a bright cloud overshadowed them and behold, a voice out of the
cloud, which said, This is my beloved son, in whom I'm well
pleased, hear ye him." Worship Him. Bow down to Him
alone. Verse six, and when the disciples
heard it, they fell on their face and were sore afraid. And Jesus came and touched them
and said, arise and be not afraid. And when they had lifted up their
eyes, they saw no man save Jesus only. And that is the will and
purpose and desire of the father for his children. It's that they
might see and hear and bow down to and worship Christ alone. And if that's his will and purpose
and desire, then that's what's going to happen. He said, every
knee is going to bow and every tongue is going to confess that
my son is Lord. In Isaiah 42 verse one, he said,
behold my servant, look at him, my servant, my son. He said,
whom I uphold, whom I have raised up. highly lifted up and exalted. He said, mine elect, I choose
him. I choose him. He said, I have
put my spirit, I've put my blessing, I've put my approval on him. That's the spirit came down and
lighted on him. He said, he is the one that's
going to bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. And the father
said, he is not going to fail. He shall not fail. He's going
to accomplish what I sent him to do. The father said, this
is my beloved son. Look to Him. Hope in Him. Because the gospel, the good
news of salvation is only found in Him. Only in Him. In the Father's announcement,
He revealed the gospel to us. He declared where salvation is
found. He said, this is my beloved Son. And then He said, In whom? In whom? I pray the Lord will bless two
words today. I pray that God, by His Spirit,
will come down and bless two words to our heart. In whom? I pray that someone
will have their eyes opened. I pray it's me. In whom? Oh, the depth of those two little
words in whom, in whom that's where every blessing from the
father is. That's where all of the love
of the father is in whom go with me to Romans chapter eight. Romans 8 verse 1 says, There
is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus,
who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. That means
they're not trying to walk by the deeds of the flesh and be
perfect before God. They don't see salvation being
in them. They see by the Spirit of God
revealing it to them. They see salvation being in Him. There's no condemnation to them
which are in Christ Jesus. Why does being in Christ Jesus
free sinners from condemnation? Why does being in Christ free
sinners from condemnation? It's because verse 39 right here
says, that's where the love of God is. Look with me at verse,
look at verse 38. He said, I'm persuaded that neither
death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers,
nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth,
nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the
love of God. Where is it? Which is in Christ
Jesus, our Lord. That's where all of God, the
father's love for his people is. What was that love for his
people? What did he do? What did his
love do? Look right here at verse 32. He spared not His own Son. Let's go back to point number
one and describe the Father's love for His Son. The Father
loves His Son. His Son. And what did He do? He spared not His own Son. His own well-beloved Son, but
delivered Him up for us all. The love of the Father for His
people is found in the fact that He spared not His only well-beloved
Son for them. God the Father placed all of
His love and all of His mercy and all of His forgiveness in
the sacrifice of His Son. Nowhere else. I mean nowhere
else. Only in the sacrifice of His
Son. And He said that sacrifice is
not going to be shed in vain. I did not shed that in vain. If a man is going to have life,
He's going to have to have that life in and through the sacrifice
of my Son. It's not going to be by His own
works. It's not going to be by His own
worthiness. It's going to be by the offering
of my Son alone. The Father said, He that hath
the Son hath life. And he that hath not the Son
hath not life. This is my beloved Son. In whom? In Him. It's all in Him. Nowhere else,
no thing else, no one else. In Him. Look with me quickly
at Ephesians 1. Ephesians 1 verse 1, Paul, an
apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God to the saints which
are at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus, grace be to
you and peace from God our Father. and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places."
Where? In Christ. Verse 4, he said, "...according
as he hath chosen us." Where? in Christ. He said, Behold my
servant, my elect. I choose him. Elections only
in him. When did he do that? Verse 4 says he did it before
the foundation of the world, before any children were born,
had done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according
to election might stand. Verse 4 says, According as He
hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having
predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to
Himself according to the good pleasure of His will, to the
praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted. Where? In the Beloved. in the Beloved. Verse 7 says,
In whom? In whom? We have redemption through
His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches
of His grace. It's all in Him. Our acceptance
with the Father is all in the Son. It's all in Christ. And
God the Father said, In Him, Everything that happens in him,
I'm well pleased with it. I'm well pleased. If it's in
him, I'll accept it and I'll be well pleased with it. I've
told you this illustration so many times, but this is too good
of an example of our acceptance with the father being in the
son to not tell the story again. Back in the Civil War, this is
a true story. Back in the Civil War, there
was a Union soldier who got word that his mother was dying and
he wanted to go see her before she died. And he was close to
the White House and the only way he could go was if the
president gave him leave to go see his mother. So he went to
the White House and went up to the front door of the White House,
and there were guards stationed there. And they said, what is
your business? What are you here for? And he
said, I'm here to see the president. And he explained, I've gotten
word that my mother is extremely sick. I need to see her before
she dies. And the only way I can go is
if the president will grant me leave to go see her. And I just need to come in and
ask him that. And they said, well, you can't come in. And
he said, I have to, I have to come in. And they said, you're
not coming in. We're under orders. No one comes in who is unauthorized
to come in and you're not authorized to come in. And he begged with
him. He pleaded with him. He said,
you don't understand. They said, no, you don't understand. No
one comes into this building without authorization. And so
after a while, the man went and sat on the front steps of the
white house. He just put his head in his hands.
He just started crying. And a little boy was walking
by, and he looked at that man crying, and he sat down on the
steps next to him, and he said, what's wrong, sir? And the soldier
said, you wouldn't understand. And he said, well, tell me anyway,
what's wrong? And the man explained to him
that he'd gotten word that his mother was dying, and the only
way he could go see her before she died was if the president
granted him leave to go. And he said, I can't get in to
see the president. And the little boy said, well,
I'll take you in. And the man said, what? He said,
come on, stand up, let's go. So they got up and they walked
up the front steps of the White House. And that little boy walked
straight through the front door. And that man followed him right
in. And they went down the hall past another set of guards. That
little boy walked right up to a door and turned the handle,
and they walked into the Oval Office. And at his desk, there
sat President Abraham Lincoln. And the President looked at that
little boy and said, What can I do for you, son? And the little
boy said, Dad, this man needs to see you. That little boy's name was Tad
Lincoln. the son of the president. And
that soldier was accepted in the Son. Outside of the Son,
no acceptance. No one comes in. But in the Son,
and with the Son, that man got exactly what he needed. Exactly
what he needed. God the Father's announcement
to sinners Here's the beauty and glory and kindness of the
gospel. God the Father's announcement
to sinners, His announcement of hope and mercy and forgiveness
and salvation is, this is my beloved Son. In whom, in Him, I'm well-pleased in what He has
done, in who He is, and in what He has done for sinners. In Him, I'm well-pleased. Don't turn to this, but Isaiah
42, 21, it says, the Lord is well-pleased for His righteousness
sake. the righteousness of God Himself.
His name is Jesus Christ. Well-pleased for His righteousness
sake, He will magnify the law and make it honorable. In Christ,
everything is honorable. The law satisfied, justice is
satisfied, and the Father is well-pleased. Let me leave you
with this article here that was written by a preacher many years
ago, Brother Jack Shanks. He said, You say you are unworthy
of the least of God's mercies? Aren't you glad Christ is worthy
and that the redemption He accomplished was for the unworthy? You say
you have no goodness or merits to claim? Aren't you thankful
God accepts sinners based on the goodness and merits of His
Son? You say the law affords you no
hope. Right you are. But the gospel
declares that the mercy and grace of God is freely given to sinners
because of the doing and dying of His dear Son. This is the
only salvation worth having and the only one worthy to be proclaimed,
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. That's wonderful,
isn't it? This is the only salvation worth
having and the only salvation worthy to be proclaimed. God
the Father said, this is my beloved son. In him, I'm well-placed. Amen. All right.