‘This is’, or ‘You are’?
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Matthew 3:17 X Mark 1:11, Luke 3:22
In the NKJV, Matthew 3:17 reads like this: “And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased’.” And Mark 1:11 reads like this: “Then a voice came from heaven, ‘You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased’.” Luke also has “You are”. So what did the Voice actually say? In a manner similar to what happened on the Day of Pentecost, I conclude that each hearer received his own interpretation, or message. Matthew records the event from John's perspective: he heard, “This is…” Mark and Luke record the event from Jesus' perspective: He heard, “You are…” At Pentecost, with over a dozen languages being spoken at once, even if one of them was yours, it would require a personal miracle in your ear to enable you to extract your message from the welter of sound.