The Dove at Christ's Baptism

Dove: the glory of God

At His baptism the glory of God rested on Him, as a dove of burnished gold. Light from the throne of God encircled Him, while from heaven were heard the words, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”[Matthew 3:16, 17.] {ST December 3, 1902 "In All Points Tempted Like As We Are " par. 2}

The Lord can take every one of us in His embrace, for His arm encircles the race. Let us remember this. After Christ (in behalf of the human race) had taken the necessary steps in repentance, conversion, and faith, He went to John to be baptized of him in Jordan. “John forbad Him, saying, I have need to be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to me?”Jesus answered, “Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness” [Matthew 3:14, 15]. When He came up out of the water, He knelt down on the banks of the Jordan and offered a prayer such as had never before entered heaven. While He was praying, the heavens opened and the glory of God in the form of a dove of burnished gold rested upon Him, and from the highest heaven was heard the voice of the infinite One, God the Father, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” {2SAT 167.1}

Satan with all his synagogue—for Satan claims to be religious—determined that Christ should not carry out the counsels of heaven. After Christ was baptized, He bowed on the banks of Jordan; and never before had heaven listened to such a prayer as came from His divine lips. Christ took our nature upon Himself. The glory of God, in the form of a dove of burnished gold, rested upon Him, and from the infinite glory was heard these words, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” The human race is encircled by the human arm of Christ, while with His divine arm He grasps the throne of the Infinite One. The prayer of Christ cleaved right through the darkness and entered where God is. To each of us it means that heaven is open before us. It means that the gates are ajar, that the glory is imparted to the Son of God and all who believe in His name. Our petition will be heard in heaven, as God answered the petition of our Surety, our Substitute, the Son of the infinite God. {Te 284.4}

Christ was baptised by John in Jordan, and as He came up out of the water after His baptism, the heavens were opened, and the glory of God, symbolized by a dove of burnished gold, encircled Him, and from the highest heaven were heard the words, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” This was an assurance to John that Christ was the Son of God. And what do these words say to us, to every member of the human family, whatever our country or position? To every one of us they are words of hope and mercy. Through faith in the provision God has made in the behalf of man, you are accepted in the Beloved,—accepted through the merits of Jesus. {BEcho November 12, 1894, par. 7}

After the baptism of Christ he bowed upon Jordan’s banks, and heaven never listened to such a prayer as he then and there uttered. And in answer to that prayer, the light and glory of God flashed forth from his throne and descended as a dove and rested upon him. Immediately from the Infinite One came a voice, saying: “This is my beloved Son.” Here, heaven was opened to man; earth was connected with heaven through our Representative, and finite man with the Infinite God. Heaven was opened to you, dear youth; and you need not to feel that the heavens above you are brass. God testified to his Son in his own voice that He accepted Him; and in accepting the representative of the race he signifies to man that he will accept him through His Son if we comply with the conditions laid down in his word. The steps requisite in conversion are repentance, faith and baptism. And then after these steps are taken, the life of prayer is essential to maintain the Christian life, and to seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth, you cannot stop at baptism and feel that you have graduated. Your Christian life is only entered upon, the formation of Christian character is yet before you, you have just entered the school of Christ, and need to continue to learn of him. {ST February 14, 1878, par. 5}

The Saviour of the world proposed that no attraction of an earthly character should call men to his side. The light and beauty of celestial truth alone should be the drawing power. The outward glory, the worldly honor, which attracts the attention of men, he would not assume. He made himself accessible to all, teaching the pure, exalted principle of truth as that which was only worthy of their notice. But although so humbly born, so unpretending in life, God did not leave him without a witness. The principalities of heaven did him homage. Wonders in the heavens above and signs in the earth beneath attested his power and majesty. At his baptism a voice from heaven fell upon the ears of men, declaring, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”The bright glory of God in the form of a dove of burnished gold encircled him. John declared: “That was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” {ST January 20, 1890, par. 4}

Just before He entered upon His public ministry, Christ received baptism at the hands of John. After His baptism He knelt upon the banks of Jordan, and offered a prayer to Heaven. That prayer was heard by His Father, and the glory of God, assuming the form of a dove, descended upon Him, and a voice was heard, saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). How many can comprehend the full meaning of these words spoken by our heavenly Father? Here He says to man, “You are accepted in the Beloved.” {9MR 233.2}

Dove: the light of his glory + excellent glory + Misc...

Never before had angels listened to such a prayer as Christ offered at his baptism, and they were solicitous to be the bearers of the message from the Father to his Son. But, no! direct from the Father issues the light of his glory. The heavens were opened, and beams of glory rested upon the Son of God and assumed the form of a dove, in appearance like burnished gold. The dove-like form was emblematical of the meekness and gentleness of Christ. While the people stood spell-bound with amazement, their eyes fastened upon Christ, from the opening heavens came these words: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” The words of confirmation that Christ is the Son of God were given to inspire faith in those who witnessed the scene, and to sustain the Son of God in his arduous work. Notwithstanding the Son of God was clothed with humanity, yet Jehovah, with his own voice, assures him of his sonship with the Eternal. In this manifestation to his Son, God accepts humanity as exalted through the excellence of his beloved Son. {RH January 21, 1873, par. 5}

After Christ was baptised of John in Jordan, He came up out of the water, and bowing upon the bank of the river. He prayed fervently to his Heavenly Father. The heavens were opened to his prayer, and the light of the glory of God, brighter than the sun at noonday, shone from the eternal throne. The form of a dove encircled the Son of God, while the voice from the excellent glory was heard saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” {BEcho February 1, 1893, par. 1}

Christ was the representative of humanity. He had laid aside his glory, stepped down from his throne, clothed his divinity with humanity, that with his human arm He might encircle the race, and with his divine arm reach the throne of the Infinite. He took upon Him the nature of man, and was tempted in all points like as we are. As a man He supplicated at the throne of God, beseeching his Father to accept his prayer in behalf of humanity; and to his earnest petition the heavens were opened. Never before had angels listened to such a prayer, and the glory of the Majesty of heaven shone upon Him, and words of love and approval assured Him of the acceptance of his petition as man’s representative. God accepted the fallen race through the merits of Christ. {BEcho February 1, 1893, par. 2}

After Christ was baptized of John in Jordan, he came up out of the water, and bowing upon the banks of the river, he prayed with fervency to his Heavenly Father for strength to endure the conflict with the prince of darkness in which he was about to engage. The heavens were opened to his prayer and the light of God’s glory, brighter than the sun at noonday, came from the throne of the Eternal, and, assuming the form of a dove with the appearance of burnished gold, encircled the Son of God, while the clear voice from the excellent glory was heard in terrible majesty, saying, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” {ST August 7, 1879, par. 7}

Who was watching this warfare that was going on? Who was watching when Christ stood on the banks of Jordan and offered such a prayer as heaven had never listened to before, and a light like a dove broke forth from the heavens, and a voice was heard to say, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”? There were those who heard these things and spread the news everywhere among the Jews, and it went from one to the other, so this manifestation of God’s power was not lost at that time. -Ms 8, 1888 (October 20, 1888) par. 16

What does that say to us? “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” It says to you, I, God, have sent My Son into your world, and through Him is opened all heaven to fallen man. After the sin of Adam man was divorced from God, but Christ came in. He was represented through the sacrificial offerings until He came to our world. Here Christ offers this prayer, and what does it say to us? The human race is accepted in the Beloved. His long human arm encircles the race, while with His divine arm He grasps the throne of the Infinite, and He opens to man all of heaven. The gates are ajar today. Christ is in the heavenly sanctuary and your prayers can go up to the Father. - The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, p. 124.4-5 (Ellen G. White)

After the baptism of Jesus in Jordan, he was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. When he had come up out of the water, he bowed upon Jordan’s banks, and plead with the great Eternal for strength to endure the conflict with the fallen foe. The opening of the heavens, and the descent of the excellent glory, attested his divine character. The voice from the Father declared the close relation of Christ to his Infinite Majesty: “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” The mission of Christ was soon to begin. But he must first withdraw from the busy scenes of life to a desolate wilderness for the express purpose of bearing the three-fold test of temptation in behalf of those he had come to redeem. {RH February 24, 1874, par. 1}

. . . Never before have the angels listened to such a prayer. They are eager to bear to their loved Commander a message of assurance and comfort. But no; the Father Himself will answer the petition of His Son. Direct from the throne issue the beams of His glory. The heavens are opened, and upon the Saviour’s head descends a dovelike form of purest light,—fit emblem of Him, the meek and lowly One. {DA 112.1}

On Jordan’s banks the voice from heaven, attended by the manifestation from the excellent glory, proclaimed Christ to be the Son of the Eternal. Satan was to personally encounter the Head of the kingdom which he came to overthrow. If he failed he knew that he was lost. Therefore the power of his temptations was in accordance with the greatness of the object which he would lose or gain. For four thousand years, ever since the declaration was made to Adam that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent’s head, he had been planning his manner of attack. {Con 78.2}

Moses was greater than any who had lived before him. He had been highly honored of God, being privileged to talk with the Lord face to face, as a man speaks with a friend. He was permitted to see the bright light and excellent glory that enshrouded the Father. {EW 162.3}

Above the place where Jesus stood, before the ark, was exceedingly bright glory that I could not look upon; it appeared like the throne of God. As the incense ascended to the Father, the excellent glory came from the throne to Jesus, and from Him it was shed upon those whose prayers had come up like sweet incense. {EW 252.1}

Above the place where Jesus stood, before the ark, I saw an exceeding bright glory that I could not look upon. It appeared like a throne where God dwelt. As the incense ascended up to the Father, the excellent glory came from the Father’s throne to Jesus, and from Jesus it was shed upon those whose prayers had come up like sweet incense. {1SG 158.1}

I saw that while Jesus was with that bright, heavenly host, and in the presence of his Father, and the excellent glory of God surrounded him, he did not forget his poor disciples upon earth; {1SG 74.1}

There were times when Christ spoke with the authority of true greatness. “He that hath ears to hear,” He said, “let him hear.” He called for submissive attention to His words, for although He was in human form, He bore His commission from the Excellent Glory. “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, ... full of grace and truth.” God summons the world to listen while He speaks, and to receive every word He utters as law and life. {Ms131-1899.5}

“As you believe in the revelation of God in the Scriptures, even so believe in me as the only begotten Son of God, the express image of His person. The manifestation of God’s love is to be communicated through the only channel by which His mercy can flow to you, the only channel through which your prayers can reach the Father’s throne. You are to believe in me as you believe in God. The tide of His love is to flow through Me.” {Ms184-1897.8}

The treasures of heaven are at Christ’s command. When Christ came to this world, God gave Him the disposal of every gift, that He might carry out the will of His Father. {Ms184-1897.9}

Dove: the Spirit...

John came bearing witness of the One whose divinity they were now questioning. He had pointed Him out, saying, “Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.” He had baptized Him, and after the baptism, as Christ was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Spirit of the Lord descended upon Him like a dove, while a voice from heaven was heard, saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” {Ms88-1899.13}

As Jesus asked for baptism, John drew back, exclaiming, “I have need to be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to me?” With firm yet gentle authority, Jesus answered, “Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.” And John, yielding, led the Saviour down into the Jordan, and buried Him beneath the water. “And straightway coming up out of the water,” Jesus “saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him.” {DA 111.1}

Jesus saw that man was plunged in sin and misery, and had not moral power to overcome in his own strength, so Jesus gave himself, that he might unite man with himself, and make provision that sinners might lay hold of his strength and make peace with God. When Adam and Eve transgressed, Jesus said: “I will take upon me the sin of the fallen race. I will bear the penalty of sin, that I may impart to men my strength and righteousness.” When Jesus came to the world it was as our substitute and surety. He passed through all the experiences of man, from the manger to Calvary, at every step giving man an example of what he should be and what he should do. Behold him on the banks of the Jordan, asking for baptism at the hands of John. “But John forbade him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now; for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him. 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; and lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” {ST April 18, 1892, par. 4}

What does this scene mean to us? How thoughtlessly we have read the account of the baptism of our Lord, not realizing that its significance was of the greatest importance to us, and that Christ was accepted of the Father in man’s behalf. As Jesus bowed on the banks of Jordan and offered up his petition, humanity was presented to the Father by him who had clothed his divinity with humanity. Jesus offered himself to the Father in man’s behalf, that those who had been separated from God through sin, might be brought back to God through the merits of the divine Petitioner. Because of sin the earth had been cut off from heaven, but with his human arm Christ encircles the fallen race, and with his divine arm he grasps the throne of the Infinite, and earth is brought into favor with heaven, and man into communion with his God. The prayer of Christ in behalf of lost humanity cleaved its way through every shadow that Satan had cast between man and God, and left a clear channel of communication to the very throne of glory. The gates were left ajar, the heavens were opened, and the Spirit of God, in the form of a dove, encircled the head of Christ, and the voice of God was heard saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” {ST April 18, 1892, par. 5}

“From the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks”—namely, sixty-nine weeks, or 483 years. The decree of Artaxerxes went into effect in the autumn of 457 B.C. From this date, 483 years extend to the autumn of A.D. 27. (See Appendix.) At that time this prophecy was fulfilled. The word “Messiah” signifies “the Anointed One.”In the autumn of A.D. 27 Christ was baptized by John and received the anointing of the Spirit. The apostle Peter testifies that “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power.” Acts 10:38. And the Saviour Himself declared: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.” Luke 4:18. After His baptism He went into Galilee, “preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled.” Mark 1:14, 15. {GC 327.1}

Dove: Holy Ghost/Spirit

When the Son of God received baptism in the river Jordan, “the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him,” and a voice, richer than any music that ever fell on mortal ear, came from the excellent glory declaring, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Did the voice of God come alone for the sake of Christ?—No; it came in behalf of the humanity that he represented. It came to assure man that he could be accepted in the beloved. Heaven was opened by the prayer of Christ, and it was opened for all who would come unto God by him. Thus divine power is given that it may be combined with human effort. {ST June 17, 1889, par. 10}

He received baptism at the hands of John, and in coming up out of the water he bowed upon Jordan’s banks, and offered up a prayer to Heaven. Never before had angels listened to such a prayer as came from his lips. The Father heard the petition of his Son in man’s behalf, and the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit, like a dove of burnished gold, encircled him, while a voice from the highest glory was heard, saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” How many have read over this relation, and have not had their hearts stirred by its significant truths! Many have thought that it did not concern mankind; but it is of the greatest importance to each one of them. Jesus was accepted of Heaven as a representative of the human race. With all our sin and weakness, we are not cast aside as worthless; we are accepted in the Beloved; for heaven has been opened to our petitions through the Son of God. The gates are ajar, and the light of heaven will shine upon all those whom Jesus came to save, if they will but come within the circle of the beams of the Sun of Righteousness; for ample provision has been made for the salvation of every soul. {ST July 28, 1890, par. 5}

Those who witnessed this special scene expected that Christ would signalize Himself in a remarkable manner after His baptism and the acknowledgement of the Highest Authority on the banks of Jordan. They expected that His public ministry would be an occasion of great power. But Christ did not encourage the order and display of human beings. This should be a lesson to us all that the heavenly mind of Jesus was not to give and strengthen human promotion and grandeur, although the voice of God was full and ample in the acknowledgement of His majesty. The Holy Spirit appeared in the form of a dove, and God’s audible voice pronounced these words: {Ms63-1910.5}

“This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” [Matthew 3:17.] These words were loud and most powerful, not resembling any human sound. This heavenly demonstration was given that the whole surrounding multitude might take in the exalted, holy mission of the promised One, and the work to be accomplished through Him—the Prince of Life—as the promised Messiah, the almighty, powerful Saviour, the long-looked-for Redeemer, the Deliverer of Israel and the Saviour of the world. {Ms63-1910.6}

After his baptism, while praying to His Father, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily shape like a dove, and a voice from heaven was heard saying, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” {Ms184-1897.7}

Dove: the Father's glory

At the Saviour's baptism, Satan was among the witnesses. He saw the Father's glory overshadowing His Son. He heard the voice of Jehovah testifying to the divinity of Jesus. Ever since Adam's sin, the human race had been cut off from direct communion with God; the intercourse between heaven and earth had been through Christ; but now that Jesus had come “in the likeness of sinful flesh” (Romans 8:3), the Father Himself spoke. He had before communicated with humanity through Christ; now He communicated with humanity in Christ. Satan had hoped that God's abhorrence of evil would bring an eternal separation between heaven and earth. But now it was manifest that the connection between God and man had been restored. -DA 116:2

He[satan] was on the ground at the time when Christ presented himself to John for baptism. He heard the majestic voice resounding through heaven and echoing through the earth like peals of thunder. He saw the lightnings flash from the cloudless heavens, and heard the fearful words from Jehovah, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” He saw the brightness of the Father's glory overshadowing the form of Jesus, thus, with unmistakable assurance, pointing out the One in that crowd whom he acknowledged as his Son. The circumstances connected with this baptismal scene had aroused the most intense hatred in the breast of Satan. He knew then for a certainty that, unless he could overcome Christ, from henceforth there would be a limitation of his power. He understood that the communication from the throne of God signified that Heaven was more directly accessible to man. -THE REVIEW AND HERALD March 3, 1874 "Redemption—No. 2" par 20