Matthew 3:16, commentary and pictures

As He came up straightway out of the water after His baptism by John in the Jordan at the beginning of His public ministry, He knelt praying on the bank and heaven was opened to Him with light from the throne, and the Spirit of God descended in bodily dove-like form of pure light and rested upon Him while the Father's voice declared Him the beloved Son in whom He is well pleased. Though wholly sinless He was baptized not for personal guilt but to fulfill every requirement of the sinner, taking the steps of repentance, faith and baptism as second Adam, representative and head of the race, and as the example for believers to follow. That descent was His anointing by the Holy Spirit with power for His mission, for Messiah means anointed, fulfilling prophecy at about thirty years of age in A.D. 27 at the close of the sixty-nine weeks. In accepting the Son the Father pledged acceptance and love to the whole human family through Him, joining humanity to divinity with His human arm embracing the fallen race and His divine arm reaching the throne, and restoring communication broken by Adam's fall so heaven is directly accessible. Heaven opened to His prayer stands open to the prayers of all who believe in His name, so their petitions ascend through Him as Advocate and Intercessor with the fragrance of holy incense, and the Holy Spirit abides with the obedient to give daily light and strength to overcome as Christ overcame.

Baptism Setting and Sequence

At the start of His public ministry His first act was to go to the Jordan and be baptized by John, and immediately afterward He came up straightway out of the water. The heavens were then opened to Him, and the Spirit of God descended like a dove and rested upon Him as the distinct sign identifying Him as the Messiah whom John was to present as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The voice from heaven that followed identified Him as God's beloved Son in whom God was well pleased. The Spirit who descended then led Him into the wilderness to face temptation, having fitted Him for that fierce trial.

Kneeling on the riverbank in prayer immediately after coming up out of the water, He prayed for fallen humanity and for strength to fulfill His mission. That prayer embraced every believing son and daughter of Adam with unprecedented breadth, while His face and form glowed with the light of the glory of God and beams of glory streamed forth. Heaven opened in answer, with God's glory like a dove of burnished gold descending upon His head and encircling Him as an emblem of His meekness and lowliness.

The Father answered with encircling light and a dove-like form of pure light descending upon Him, and though the divine presence rested on the assembly only a few in the crowd discerned the vision. Those who had not turned to God in faith failed to recognize the revelation of God's glory or hear heaven's witness, while to some the Saviour's presence brought peace, joy, comfort, encouragement, and blessing. Some saw His face transfigured in heaven's light and heard God's voice, a heavenly appearance that later contrasted with His pale, worn, and emaciated look when that glory was gone as He entered the wilderness.

Satan was present on the ground, heard the voice resounding through heaven and echoing through earth like thunder, and saw lightnings flash from cloudless heavens with the brightness of the Father's glory overshadowing the form of Jesus and pointing Him out in the crowd. He knew for a certainty that unless he could overcome Christ there would thenceforth be a limitation of his power, and this aroused his most intense hatred. The opening heavens and the voice addressing Jesus as beloved Son was an open declaration from the throne that heaven was now more directly accessible, and it broke and struck like a death-knell his hope of permanent separation between God and man.

At that time John was directing the people's faith away from himself toward the One who was to come. Newly made disciples were present and saw wonderful things that convinced them that Jesus of Nazareth is the long-looked-for Messiah of whom Moses in the law and the prophets wrote. This occurred during about two months when He was separated from His mother before the marriage at Cana, and before His temptation in the wilderness.

Opened Heavens and Dove

The Spirit of God came down in bodily form like a dove, a dove-like form of pure light that descended, lighted and remained upon Him. Angels hovered over the scene while God's glory shone around Him, marking His baptism with a divine manifestation. That resting and remaining was the promised sign by which He was identified as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, the promised Saviour.

The glory was like a dove of burnished gold hovering over Him and resting upon Him from the threshold of heaven and from God's throne. It encircled His head, enshrouded Him in light, and flashed forth from heaven in answer to His prayer. The light that rested on Him is a pledge that prayer reaches God and is accepted in heaven, and will fall on all who pray for help against temptation.

The dove-like form is a fitting emblem of His meekness and lowliness, representing His meekness and gentleness. It bespeaks a gentle character ever touched by children's sorrows, drying their tears and cheering them with tender sympathy. In that manifestation God accepted humanity as exalted through the excellence of His beloved Son.

Heaven was opened while He prayed on the bank of the Jordan as He began His public work and mission. Direct light of the Father's glory descended upon Him in dove-like form. That visible descent attested His divine character and confirmed the witness to Him as the Messiah and Son of God.

Father's Witness to Messiah

The descent of the Spirit in dove-like form was the promised sign by which John recognized Jesus as the Messiah, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, the promised Saviour. The glory encircled the Son of God and rested upon Him as a visible sign of His divine character, enabling John to present Him to the people. That sign assured John he was right to recognize Christ as the Son of God, confirmed his witness, and made his testimony true. Jesus underwent baptism not to signify repentance for sin but to fulfill every requirement made of the sinner.

A voice from the highest heaven then declared Him God's beloved Son in whom God is well pleased. The glory rested on Him like a dove of burnished gold while light from God's throne encircled Him, and heaven declared His sonship, majesty, and close relation to the Father. He is thus proclaimed the Son of the Eternal, and this testimony confirmed that the Father had sent Him. The Spirit then led Jesus into the wilderness to face temptation.

This public recognition gave infallible confirmation and evidence of His identity, mission, divine authority, and sending by God. The divine testimony identified Jesus as the Messiah John had proclaimed and gave the people evidence of His identity and authority. The heavenly demonstration was given so the surrounding multitude would recognize His holy mission as the promised Messiah, Saviour, Redeemer, and Deliverer. To admit John's baptism was from heaven and still deny Jesus is inconsistent and without excuse, for the sight made John's testimony true that Jesus is the Messiah who takes away the sin of the world.

The baptism was the first of three occasions when God's voice testified to Jesus, the others being the transfiguration and near the close of His ministry shortly before His betrayal. It marked the commencement of His ministry and publicly testified that He was the Son of God. That prior testimony meant Satan's demand that Jesus prove His sonship was a test of God's word, and He did not need to seek further proof by acting outside God's will.

The witness was given to inspire faith in those who saw and heard it. It assured Jesus of His sonship with the Eternal though clothed with humanity, bearing the sins of the world and taking fallen human nature. It was given to sustain Him in His arduous work and to strengthen Him for coming conflict with the fallen foe. Yet only a few in the crowd discerned the vision, though the divine presence rested on the assembly, and those who had not turned to God in faith failed to recognize the revelation of God's glory or hear heaven's witness. To some, however, the Saviour's presence was revealed and brought peace, joy, comfort, encouragement, and blessing, while few recognized His mission and accepted salvation.

Sinless Representative and Example

Jesus was wholly righteous, sinless, and had never committed any sin, yet He received baptism on behalf of others and left it as an example for everyone to follow. His baptism did not signify repentance for personal guilt or confession of His own sin, but was undergone to fulfill every requirement made of the sinner. In this He identified Himself with sinners, took the steps they must take, and became sin for the human race so that His righteousness could be credited to humanity.

He acted in behalf of the human race as the second Adam whose trial would affect humanity, and as humanity's representative and head. He took the steps in conversion required of every sinner to be saved — repentance, conversion, faith, and baptism — and thus entered into covenant relation with God. Heaven was opened to Him at the beginning of that relation when, after coming up straightway out of the water, He knelt on the bank of the Jordan and prayed. His prayer embraced every son and daughter of Adam who would believe in Christ as a personal Saviour and take those requisite steps, cleaving the way through the dark shadow Satan has thrown across the pathway to the throne of the infinite God and laying hold of almighty power so believers are accepted in the Beloved.

His baptism gives believers an example to follow in becoming children of God and heirs of heaven, as they repent, believe, confess their sin, and identify themselves with Christ's followers through baptism. Though sinless, He prayed after rising from the water as the believer's example, relying on God and asking His heavenly Father for support and strength. That prayer marked the beginning of His public work as Messiah and a new era in His life, as He faced difficult duties, suffering, death, and conflict with the fallen foe while knowing few would recognize His mission and accept salvation.

Praying in human nature on the riverbank for fallen humanity, He prayed for the strength humanity needs to fulfill His mission and to overcome. As humanity's representative He took hold of divine power and brings moral strength to people, and the opened heaven with the Father's approval answers that prayer by showing victory over every temptation however severe is available to everyone through Christ's merits and victory. His baptism was part of His coming to earth to give humanity another trial, so that through His victory people may overcome temptation, including temptation involving appetite, and break free from enslaving habits and indulgence in perverted appetite.

Humanity Accepted and Reunited

The opened heavens and the Spirit descending like a dove marked the Father's acceptance of the Son, and in accepting Christ the Father gave a pledge of love to the whole human family that through Christ they also may be accepted. The voice declaring Him the beloved Son in whom God is well pleased shows God sending His Son into the world, and that declaration reaches everyone who receives and believes in Jesus. Christ took human nature, fought humanity's battles against Satan, and stands as humanity's substitute, so prayers offered through faith in Him are accepted by God. Those who receive His Word intelligently and understandingly will see the salvation of God.

Christ joins humanity to divinity so that people may share the benefit of His infinite sacrifice and be accepted in Him. His human arm embraces the fallen race while His divine arm reaches the throne of God, uniting earth with heaven and bringing fallen humanity back into favor with God. At the Jordan He prayed as humanity's representative, and the opened heaven and the Father's words of approval assure that God accepted the fallen race through Him as its representative and granted it a second trial. Though sinless He became sin for the race so that His righteousness could be credited to humanity, and through His character and merits the gulf made by sin is bridged and humanity is joined to God. In this manifestation God accepts humanity as exalted through the excellence of His beloved Son, and heaven is open to people with its light shining upon them as it did upon Him.

The baptism marked the resumption and restoration of communication between God and humanity broken by Adam's fall. Heaven became more directly accessible to humanity, God drew people more fully and into closer union with Himself through Christ in human nature, and gave power to overcome Satan's devices, for which purpose Christ came from the royal courts to earth. God had formerly communicated with humanity through Christ, but now with Christ in human nature He communicated with humanity in Christ. The opening was a communication from the throne signifying this access, with the brightness of the Father's glory overshadowing the form of Jesus and pointing Him out in the crowd.

Through Jesus as Advocate, Substitute, Surety, and Intercessor, heaven is connected with earth and people have access to God when they meet the conditions of His word. As humanity's Surety and Substitute the Son prayed on behalf of people and God answered His petition, therefore human petitions are heard in heaven. His prayer broke through Satan's dark shadow and opened the way for fallen people's prayers to reach God, while Christ presents their petitions to the Father and the Holy Spirit pleads within them. Prayer reaching God's sanctuary and throne is answered for humanity, for Christ's righteousness gives prayers the fragrance of holy incense as they ascend to God, bringing grace, power, light, and hope and access to divine power even to the weakest and most oppressed believer. God accepts prayers offered through Jesus' name, and continued earnest prayer in faith brings the light and strength needed each day to withstand Satan's changing temptations amid growth and new trials.

The glory flashing from heaven's threshold at Christ's baptism is revealed to every earnest seeker coming in God's appointed way. Christ's prayer was offered for the people He represented and embraces every person, His appeal to divine power assures that prayers for help against temptation are heard, and the light that rested on Jesus will fall on those who pray for that help. Through that prayer each one is accepted in the Beloved, and Christ has pledged Himself to keep all who look to Him and trust in Him with abiding faith. His connection with the Father and divine power enabled Him to uphold God's law, and through Him humanity can be joined to God. Believers should therefore expect large things, live earnest persevering lives, and place themselves under God's molding hand to be made vessels unto honor.

Anointing Prophecy and Strength

Matthew 3:16 records the anointing of Christ for His mission, when God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and with power as He bowed in prayer by the river. The title Messiah means Anointed, and its fulfillment came when the Spirit descended upon Jesus at His baptism. In A.D. 27 at His baptism the prophecy that the first sixty-nine weeks would reach to the Messiah was fulfilled by that anointing descent of the Spirit upon Him.

Baptized at about thirty years of age, His coming up from the water at the Jordan was His inauguration and dedication to His appointed work. The heavens opened and the Spirit descended upon Him in dove-like form appearing like burnished gold, and with the Almighty’s testimony identifying Him as the Son of God and long-awaited Deliverer this heavenly sign placed the seal of divinity upon Christ as He began His work, without human agency. In Him dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, so that human authority and agency were set aside beside Him. That baptism did not lead at once to public display of power but was followed by His forty-day fast and Satan’s temptations.

The descent marked God’s recognition of Him as He began His work and mission, with the Spirit of God descending upon Him like a dove as He came up from the Jordan. This visible manifestation from heavenly glory attested His divine character and close relation to the Father. Together with the heavenly voice declaring Him the beloved Son in whom God was pleased, it witnessed that He was the Son of the Eternal and the Promised One. It came as He endured the trials of His mission and directly preceded His testing in the wilderness and His encounter with Satan.

The opened heavens and descending dove, together with the words spoken from heaven, were precious evidence and assurance that the Father approved His steps in the plan of salvation where He stood as humanity’s substitute and surety. They assured Him that God would unite heaven’s power with His work on earth to rescue people from Satan’s control and accepted His effort to link earth with heaven and finite humanity with the infinite God. These assurances sustained Jesus through His sufferings and conflict, so He did not need to prove His divine power to Satan.

The Holy Spirit who rested upon Him fitted Him for the fierce temptations that followed and led Him into the wilderness. The glory and splendor reflected from God’s throne that had illuminated His countenance and shone upon His face at His baptism were gone when He entered the wilderness to bear the world’s sins and sorrow. This richest blessing and great honor, a more than usually clear revelation of God’s presence and compassion and love, a witness to acceptance and a commission to a special work, came immediately before severe trial, showing that special revelation often precedes great trial to prepare God’s people, yet a storm of temptation nearly always follows honor and blessing to darken the soul and cause doubt of God’s goodness. Such blessing must not lift anyone in self-estimation but must lead to walking humbly with God, exalting God, drawing near by prayer and fasting, and overcoming in Christ’s strength because He was tempted in all points as His followers are and has conquered for them with the weapon, It is written, for there is no conquest without combat.

Prayer Access and Response

After rising from the water Jesus prayed to His Father for support and strength for the duties, suffering, death and conflict with the fallen foe that lay before Him, and that prayer marked the beginning of His public work as Messiah and a new era in His life. Though sinless He prayed as the believer's example in reliance on God, knowing few would recognize His mission and accept salvation.

As humanity's representative His prayer passed through Satan's hellish shadow and the darkness cast across the human path, broke through to God and cleared the way so that the prayers of His followers cleave through that same shadow and enter the sanctuary above. His prayer was offered for fallen people, and because it reached heaven and was answered, prayer itself is shown to reach God and to be accepted there. The light and glory that rested on Jesus as a dove of burnished gold will fall on those who pray for help against temptation, and God supplies through Christ's victory and merits the strength to overcome however severe the temptation.

Heaven opened to His prayer represents heaven open to humanity's prayers, the same open door that no man shuts, with its gates ajar and its glory imparted to Christ and to all who believe in His name. Jesus took the steps in conversion required of every sinner — repentance, faith and baptism — and kneeling on the bank in covenant relation with God He was enshrouded in light while the Father declared pleasure in Him, and that flashing glory from heaven's threshold is revealed to every earnest seeker who comes in God's appointed way fulfilling every requirement. His experience is the example for followers: the Holy Spirit who descended like a dove and remained with Him communicates with and abides and remains in the obedient and faithful, giving daily fresh light and strength to resist Satan and to overcome temptation as Christ overcame. Christ as Advocate, Surety and Substitute presents their petitions to the Father with the fragrance of holy incense as they ascend to sanctuary and throne, while the Holy Spirit pleads within them, so that even the weakest and most oppressed believer has hope and access to divine power and petitions are heard in heaven.

The heavenly Dove hovering over believers means God's glory and light are no longer shut away from them. That same presence and glory attends those who take up the work of preaching Christ, as it was with Jesus and with Enoch. The heavenly Dove comes to people with converting power, striving upon heart and character and putting His own disposition within in a way to be felt and seen.

Only a few present perceived the sign and testimony, for those not turned to God in faith failed to recognize the revelation of God's glory or to hear heaven's witness. The Pharisees neither heard the Father's voice nor saw the Spirit, though the evidence was given to them. To some, however, the Saviour's presence was revealed and brought peace, joy, comfort, encouragement and blessing. Newly made disciples present saw wonderful things that convinced them He is the long-looked-for Messiah of whom Moses and the prophets wrote, and news of the manifestation reaching Mary in Nazareth renewed her hope that Jesus was the Messiah. A dove-like form overshadowing Him amid divine light appeared again at His arrest, and His glory filled the mob with terror and left them powerless on the ground.

Joined with His last prayer for sanctification through the truth and for unity and oneness among His disciples, the baptism calls believers to turn from backsliding and to heed that prayer. Although the multitude expected a remarkable display of power to follow, Jesus did not encourage human promotion or grandeur, teaching that heavenly greatness is not shown through human display. On that occasion human authority and agency were set aside before Him in whom dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.