Jesus Baptized and a Descending Dove Matthew 3:16

Matthew shared how John the Baptist was baptizing people in the Jordan river and telling them about the one who was coming. He then wrote, “Then came Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbade him, saying, I have need to be baptized of you, and do you come to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becomes us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him, and in chapter three and verse sixteen of his book, Matthew shares about how, “Jesus...was baptized” and John the Baptist saw “the Spirit of God descending like a dove” where we read:

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

The verse reads, “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water:” Matthew began with the words, “And Jesus” which means “Jehovah is Salvation and is “the Son of God, the Savior of mankind and God incarnate”, “when” or “at the time and moment” “he was baptized” or “Jesus was dipped repeatedly, immersed and submerged ”, “went up straightway” which means “ascended and rose immediately” “out of the water” or “from the water in the Jordan river”. Matthew shared how John the Baptist stopped resisting Jesus and baptized Him, and as soon as Jesus came out of the water another event occurred.

The verse goes on to say, “and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him.” Matthew continued with the words, “and lo” which means “and behold and see”, “the heavens” or “the region above the sidereal heavens and the seat of order of things eternal and consummately perfect where God dwells and other heavenly beings ” “were opened” which means “were opened up” “unto him” or “to John the Baptist”, “and he saw” which means “and John the Baptist noticed, perceived, discerned and discovered” “the Spirit” or “the third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit who is coequal and coeternal with the Father and the Son” “of God” which refers to “the Godhead bodily and trinity” “descending” or “coming down” “like a dove” which means “as it had been and were a bird like a dove”, “and lighting” or “and showing itself, finding it's place and resting” “upon him” which means “on Jesus”. Matthew shared how “heaven” opened up after Jesus was “baptized”, and the Holy Spirit of God came upon Him in the form of a “dove”.

When we think through Matthew's words in this verse, we see how Jesus complied with God's directive for Him to be “baptized”, and after convincing John the Baptist it was necessary, John “baptized” Him. Immediately afterward the heavens above opened up for John the Baptist to see the Holy Spirit “descend” upon Jesus in the form of a peaceful “dove”. This was God's order, and because He desired to “save” mankind, every detail was perfected by Jesus. God loves people, and His desire is for them to be with Him eternally. Jesus' identification with man in “baptism” is another demonstration of the goodness and intention of God to be the “Savior of the world”.

Next time Matthew shares how there was, “a voice from heaven” so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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