matthew 3:16 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: - Free Bible Online
matthew 3:16 And after being baptized, Jesus went up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, [and] coming upon Him,
Descent of the Spirit upon the Baptized Redeemer (Mt 3:16, 17).
16. And Jesus when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the
water--rather, "from the water." Mark has "out of the water"
(Mr 1:10).
"and"--adds Luke
(Lu 3:21),
"while He was praying"; a grand piece of information. Can there be a
doubt about the burden of that prayer; a prayer sent up, probably,
while yet in the water--His blessed head suffused with the baptismal
element; a prayer continued likely as He stepped out of the stream, and
again stood upon the dry ground; the work before Him, the needed and
expected Spirit to rest upon Him for it, and the glory He would then
put upon the Father that sent Him--would not these fill His breast, and
find silent vent in such form as this?--"Lo, I come; I delight to do
Thy will, O God. Father, glorify Thy name. Show Me a token for good.
Let the Spirit of the Lord God come upon Me, and I will preach the
Gospel to the poor, and heal the broken-hearted, and send forth
judgment unto victory." While He was yet speaking--
lo, the heavens were opened--Mark says, sublimely, "He saw the heavens
cleaving"
(Mr 1:10).
and he saw the Spirit of God descending--that is, He only, with the
exception of His honored servant, as he tells us himself
(Joh 1:32-34);
the by-standers apparently seeing nothing.
like a dove, and lighting upon him--Luke says, "in a bodily shape"
(Lu 3:22);
that is, the blessed Spirit, assuming the corporeal form of a dove,
descended thus upon His sacred head. But why in this form? The
Scripture use of this emblem will be our best guide here. "My dove,
my undefiled is one," says the Song of Solomon
(So 6:9).
This is chaste purity. Again, "Be ye harmless as doves," says
Christ Himself
(Mt 10:16).
This is the same thing, in the form of inoffensiveness towards men. "A
conscience void of offense toward God and toward men"
(Ac 24:16)
expresses both. Further, when we read in the Song of Solomon
(So 2:14),
"O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rocks, in the
secret places of the stairs (see
Isa 60:8),
let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy
voice, and thy countenance is comely"--it is shrinking modesty,
meekness, gentleness, that is thus charmingly depicted. In a word--not
to allude to the historical emblem of the dove that flew back to the
ark, bearing in its mouth the olive leaf of peace
(Ge 8:11)
--when we read
(Ps 68:13),
"Ye shall be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her
feathers with yellow gold," it is beauteousness that is thus
held forth. And was not such that "holy, harmless, undefiled One," the
"separate from sinners?" "Thou art fairer than the children of men;
grace is poured into Thy lips; therefore God hath blessed Thee for
ever!" But the fourth Gospel gives us one more piece of information
here, on the authority of one who saw and testified of it: "John bare
record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove,
and IT ABODE UPON HIM." And
lest we should think that this was an accidental thing, he adds that
this last particular was expressly given him as part of the sign by
which he was to recognize and identify Him as the Son of God: "And I
knew Him not: but He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said
unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending AND REMAINING ON HIM, the same is
He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw and bare record that
this is the Son of God"
(Joh 1:32-34).
And when with this we compare the predicted descent of the Spirit upon
Messiah
(Isa 11:2),
"And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him," we cannot
doubt that it was this permanent and perfect resting of the Holy Ghost
upon the Son of God--now and henceforward in His official
capacity--that was here visibly manifested.
JFB.
Questions Related to this Verse
Where in Scripture does it mention The baptism of the Holy Spirit?Where In Scripture Does It Talk About The Holy Spirit?
Where in Scripture does it imply the Trinity?
Where In Scripture Does It Say That The Holy Spirit Is Given Unto All Men?
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