St. Mark’s gospel provides a fascinating contrast between the heavenly voice that spoke at Jesus’ baptism with the voice that spoke at the Transfiguration. At the Baptism the voice speaks directly to Jesus. “You are my beloved Son. I am well pleased with you.” It’s almost as if the divine affirmation of Jesus’ identity as the beloved of God is what empowered him to launch out in his public ministry. At the Transfiguration the voice says, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” The message is addressed not to Jesus but to his disciples. It affirmed not Jesus’ identity but his mission as the bringer of God’s word. For Christians, identity and mission are woven into the vocation we share as followers of Christ.
