Luke 3:22, commentary and pictures

At about thirty years old Jesus came to the Jordan, was baptized by John, and after rising from the water prayed as He began His public work as the Messiah. As He prayed heaven was opened, glory and light from God's throne surrounded Him, the Holy Spirit came down in bodily form like a dove shining as purest light like burnished gold and remained upon Him, and the Father's voice from heaven named Him the beloved Son in whom God is well pleased. This attests His divinity as Son of the Infinite Father, identifies Him as the promised Messiah and Deliverer, and reveals Him as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Praying in sinless humanity as humanity's representative and substitute, He sought a witness that God accepts humanity in His Son, and the opened heaven and approving voice show God accepted and exalted humanity in Him and restored communion between heaven and earth. His answered prayer on the riverbank shows that humble, earnest, believing prayer reaches God, and that God gives His Spirit to abide in the obedient faithful to give light and strength to resist temptation and overcome as Christ overcame.

Baptism Setting and Witnesses

The scene belongs to the proclamation to Israel by John the Baptist, to which many gave heed and many sacrificed all in order to obey. Multitudes followed John from place to place, and not a few cherished the hope that he himself might be the Messiah, while as the people turned to him he sought every opportunity to direct their faith to Him who was to come.

Jesus in Nazareth recognized that call as the sign that His time had come, turned from daily toil, bade farewell to His mother, and followed His countrymen to the Jordan to be baptized. John was His cousin, yet they had no direct acquaintance, having lived in seclusion in widely different surroundings at Nazareth and in the wilderness of Judea, so no charge could be made that they conspired together. John knew the events marking Jesus' birth, His boyhood visit to Jerusalem, and His sinless life, and believed Him to be the Messiah, but Jesus remaining for years in obscurity with no special evidence of His mission gave occasion for doubt and left John without positive assurance. It had been revealed to John that the Messiah would seek baptism at his hands and that a sign of His divine character should then be given, by which he would be enabled to present Him to the people, and he waited in faith for that revealed sign.

At about thirty years old Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan, and after rising from the water He prayed bowed on the riverbank, which was His inauguration and the opening beginning of His public work as the Messiah. That public recognition came as He prepared to begin His mission, with the Spirit descending upon Him and the voice from heaven identifying Him as God's beloved Son in whom God is well pleased. Immediately afterward He was led into the wilderness, where the Holy Spirit fitted Him for fierce trial and He fasted forty days and forty nights and faced Satan's temptations on behalf of those He came to redeem. The heavenly word sustained Him through that suffering and fasting, and many who witnessed the attestation expected an immediate wonderful demonstration of convincing power.

Though solemnity rested on all as the people stood silently gazing upon Christ, few of the throng except John discerned the heavenly vision. Satan was among those who saw and heard the Father's glory overshadowing Jesus and testifying to His divinity. The Pharisees heard not the voice and saw not the Spirit of God as a dove hovering over the Saviour, even though that witness was greater than the witness of John. The declaration by God Almighty Himself is the infallible testimony of the Highest Authority to Jesus as the Son of God and long-looked-for Deliverer, and all who witnessed it were amply convinced.

Dove, Voice, and Glory

Heaven itself was opened above the Jordan, and the Father Himself answered from the throne. Divine glory and heavenly light from God's throne descended and surrounded Jesus, bathing His form in the light that surrounds God's throne. His upturned face was glorified beyond any human face as that glory rested upon Him.

Upon the Saviour after His prayer descended the Holy Spirit in bodily shape like a dove, resting and remaining upon Him. It appeared as a dovelike form of purest light, shining like burnished gold. That descent in dove-like form came in answer to prayer, with God's glory shining around Him.

The dovelike form was a fit emblem and symbol of Him as the meek and lowly One. It represented His meekness and gentleness.

A voice came from the open heavens declaring His close relation to the Father and to the Infinite Majesty. It named Him the beloved Son in whom God is well pleased, expressing the Father's pleasure in Him and acceptance of Him. This was God publicly bearing witness to Jesus and affirming Him as the Son of the Infinite Father.

The dove was the sign God had promised John, by which he could know with certainty and recognize Jesus as the Lamb of God, the Saviour who takes away the sin of the world, and as the Messiah. It had been revealed to John that the Messiah would seek baptism at his hands and that a sign of His divine character would then be given by which he would be enabled to present Him to the people. The memory of the voice and the dove afterward helped John hold fast to faith.

Christ's Identity and Mission

The opening of heaven and the descent of heavenly light and glory upon Jesus in the form of a dove, together with the voice from heaven and the anointing with the Holy Spirit and power, attested His divine character and divinity. The glory of the Father overshadowed Him as He bowed in prayer on the riverbank, and the voice of Jehovah declared His close relation to the Father and to the Infinite Majesty as the Son of the Infinite Father and Son of the Eternal, in whom the Father is well pleased. This manifestation identified Jesus as the promised Messiah and Deliverer and Son of God, giving His disciples clear testimony to share and strengthening the case that He is Israel's promised Messiah. The declaration by God Almighty Himself is infallible testimony to the long-looked-for Deliverer that amply convinced all who witnessed it.

The same heavenly sign revealed Him to John as the Lamb of God, the Savior who takes away the sin of the world. The descent of the Holy Spirit in the shape of a dove and its resting upon Him, with God's glory shining around Him and the Father's voice declaring Him the beloved Son, was the promised sign by which John could know with certainty and recognize Jesus.

The public proclamation of Christ as God's Son at His baptism was one of two such heavenly identifications before the crucifixion, the other being the transfiguration. The voice from heaven accompanied by the manifestation of heavenly glory proclaiming Christ to be the Son of the Eternal marked Him as head of the kingdom Satan sought to overthrow.

Acceptance and Heaven Opened

On the bank after rising from the water Jesus poured out His soul in prayer in sinless humanity as humanity's representative, asking for power to overcome human unbelief, to break the fetters with which Satan has bound men, to conquer the destroyer in their behalf, for support and strength for the trials and responsibilities and hardship and death ahead, and for a witness that God accepts humanity in the person of His Son. The opened heaven and God's approving voice were the answer to that prayer.

Though the sins of a guilty world were laid upon Him and He had humbled Himself to take fallen human nature and be clothed with humanity, the Father Himself answered from the throne and directly assured Him by His own voice of His sonship with the Eternal. In Him, through the excellence of the beloved Son and through His merits, God accepted humanity as exalted. The opened heaven and approving voice therefore assure that God accepts humanity through the merits of His Son.

Through Jesus as humanity's representative heaven is opened to people and earth is connected with heaven. Christ is humanity's substitute and surety, opening access to God, so that although sin separates people from God they can through His merits be connected with God again, be comforted with hope, and be enabled by His glory and power to overcome sin if they meet the conditions in His word. Prayerful communion and reconciliation between God and humanity come through Christ's righteousness and remain open to humble, believing people.

Direct communion between heaven and earth, cut off since Adam's sin, was restored, so that whereas God had before communicated with humanity through Christ, with Jesus come in the likeness of sinful flesh the Father Himself now communicated with humanity in Christ, showing that God's abhorrence of evil had not brought eternal separation. The opened heavens and the Spirit's descent are the token of that restored communication, which through Christ remains open, with angels carrying the prayers of the needy to the Father and bringing to people hope, courage, health, and life.

The descent and the voice were given to inspire and strengthen faith in those who witnessed the scene and to strengthen and sustain Jesus for His demanding and arduous mission. That heavenly word declaring Him the beloved Son in whom God is well pleased sustained Him through the suffering and fasting and temptation in the wilderness into which the Holy Spirit fitted Him and led Him at the beginning of His mission. It was sufficient assurance of His identity and authority and exalted station, so He did not need to prove His Messiahship or use divine power for Himself to prove His identity to Satan, who already had sufficient evidence of who He was.

Prayer and Believers' Example

Jesus prayed after rising from the water at the opening of His public work as the Messiah, seeking support and strength from His Father in His sinless humanity as He faced the trials and responsibilities ahead. His life of faithful work had already been an example from childhood through manhood, and His prayer shows believers their need to seek God's help. He sought the Father before beginning that work knowing that hardship and death lay ahead.

The blessing of God rested upon Him in answer on the banks of the Jordan, so that all who come to God and offer prayer as Christ did will have God's blessing resting upon them. When He prayed heaven was opened, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him like a dove and remained and abode upon Him, and God gave His approval. That opening of heaven shows that humble, earnest, believing prayer can reach God and bring God's blessing, and that prayerful communion with God is open to humble, believing people. Communication and reconciliation between God and humanity are established and come through Christ's righteousness, and as humanity's representative His reception of the Spirit and God's approval assures that God accepts humanity through His Son.

God gives His Spirit to communicate with people and to abide and remain in the hearts of the obedient and faithful. Those who seek it receive light and strength to resist temptation and to overcome as Christ overcame. The heavenly light and voice at His baptism were given for humanity's benefit, bringing comfort and hope, for although sin separates people from God, through Christ's merits they can be connected with God again. As humanity's substitute and surety He opens access to God and shows that people can be accepted in Him, and His glory and power enable them to overcome sin.