Jesus’ empowerment by the Spirit, mentioned at 3:16 and 12:18, is reaffirmed at 4:1, when the Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness. At the same time our Lord had a human development (comp. By it God was indicating what the situation now was. In Jesus earth and Heaven had been combined from the beginning through His birth (Matthew 1:18; Matthew 1:20), and now they were uniquely combined for His future task. It is the Angel of YHWH Who is seen, but not the Spirit. The climax of the scene is not the baptism itself but the vision … He introduces important *Old Testament words in a special way 12 times. Commentary on Matthew 3:7-12 (Read Matthew 3:7-12) To make application to the souls of the hearers, is the life of preaching; so it was of John's preaching. Matthew 3:16 - After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, on StudyLight.org into it; must have been in it, and was baptized in it; a Doubtless some miraculous appearance in the sky. The coming of the Holy Spirit on Jesus was like a coronation. THE CONTEXT Chapter 3 opens with John the Baptist preaching repentance and baptizing in the wilderness of Judea (3:1-12). form of a dove; only that his visible descent and lighting on Nor if Jesus waded into and out of the water, would it in the least aid the matter. Having been baptised by John, Jesus came out of the water, and immediately ‘the Heavens were opened’. What greater difficulty is there in conceiving that the person of Jesus should have been as truly the visible representative manifestation, or embodiment, of the same Divine Being? The first is, why did the Spirit, who had formerly dwelt in Christ, descend upon him at that time? Greek. 3:23), sin’s wages is death (Rom. 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? John xii. My beloved Son, lit, ‘My Son the beloved!’ Used in a unique sense. And mention of the Spirit coming on people ends with David. Matthew 3:16 is the sixteenth verse of the third chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. Yet I do not hesitate to admit that Christ also, so far as he was man, received from it additional certainty as to his heavenly calling. John (John 1:32) says: ‘it abode upon Him;’ the outward sign was temporary, the anointing was permanent. Indeed He would go out of His way to emphasise that He and His Father always acted together (John 5:19; John 9:3-4). 16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and [] He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. In Eden Jehovah-God walked in the garden, and pronounced sentence upon Adam. Note the Articles, and see App-101. Christ should go down into the river, more or less deep, to the the descent of the Holy Ghost in this manner might be seen by The Spirit of God. Jesus in His physical presence was the spiritual connection between earth and Heaven (compare John 3:13), with all the resources of God available to Himon earth. waters of Jordan, where he had been baptized; and which the Jews conclude, without the mention of such a circumstance, that as Baptism is therefore to be performed, not by sprinkling, but by washing the body.” Dr. Schaff wrote: “While the validity of baptism does not depend on the quantity or quality of water, or the mode of its application, yet immersion and emersion [emergence] is the primitive and expressive mode to symbolize the idea of entire spiritual purification and renovation.” Dr. Schaff also says: “The Greek word ‘baptize’ as derived from a root that means ‘to dip,’ ‘to immerse.’” All the great scholars agree with these views. like a dove! Fr Michael Mullins lectures in Scripture in St Patrick’s College, Maynooth. Text Size. From that time, when the apostles had made the full confession of Christ, that he was the Son of God, he began to show them of his sufferings. The Columba Press. Jesus came up out of the water. As the Holy Spirit the third hypostasis in the Trinity, assumes the bodily form of a dove by way of self-manifestation to the eyes of men, so what difficulty in supposing that the second person of the Trinity should become God manifest in the flesh in a human form? It was the revelation that now, from Him, the Holy Spirit would reach out to all around Him, through His words, through His healings, through His casting out of evil spirits, and through His whole life (Luke 4:18-19; Isaiah 61:1-2). The whole pattern of references to the Spirit in the Old Testament point to the fact that He represents the invisible activity of God revealed in its results. If Jesus went up out of the water it was necessary that lie go down into it, and that would agree with the definition of "baptize" as given at verse6. The opening of the heavens sometimes means a manifestation of heavenly glory; but here it means also a cleft, or opening, of the visible heaven, so that John could see something beyond the planets and stars. And that was why Matthew saw so clearly that in the presence of the King there was the activity of the Spirit, whether on earth or in Heaven. As our perfect example in all things (see I John 2:6; I Peter 2:21), He came to John to be baptized to show us the steps we must take to reach the same destination He did—the Kingdom of God. ankles, or up to the knees, in order that John should sprinkle 16As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. hosei = sis it were (not homoios = resembling in form or appearance): referring to the descent, not to bodily form as in Mark 1:10. There is no proof for the opinion of some that it was unseen by many others. the heavens were opened to him; This is chaste purity. Aa Aa. He has proceeded from the Father, and yet is in some way distinct from the Father. The same also applies in the New. The dove was an emblem of Christ's meekness and innocence. circumstance strongly in favour of baptism by immersion: for that A A . A temporary embodiment of the Holy Spirit occurred to publicly inaugurate our Lord as the Messiah. 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 [ kai (Greek #2532) menon (Greek #3306) ep' (Greek #1909) auton (Greek #846)], the same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Spirit. For here He is in visible form. Matthew 3:16 Parallel Verses [⇓ See commentary ⇓] Matthew 3:16, NIV: "As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water.At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him." The opening of the Heavens was a way of speaking of God acting from Heaven. Matthew 3:16. The Spirit does the filling for the purposes of prophecy and tongues - Acts 2:1-4). John, saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and The person of the Father; a voice came out of heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, etc. Matthew 3:13-17. The descent of him was in a "bodily And Jesus, when he was baptized, &c. — Hereby he was, 1st, installed into his ministerial office, as the priests were by washing, Exodus 29:4; Leviticus 8:6; Leviticus 2 d, engaged solemnly in the same military work with us against sin and Satan; 3d, admitted a member of the gospel Church, as he was before of the Jewish, by circumcision; 4th, he was baptized as a public person, the Head of his Church, in whom, and by virtue of whose baptism, all his members are baptized spiritually, Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12. 21,) the heavens were opened to him, or in favour of him; and he saw the Spirit of God descending: i.e. A declaration to John that ‘this is’ the Messiah. Please enter your email address associated with your Salem All-Pass account, then click Continue. The revelation of the Trinity at the baptism of Jesus gives special significance to the formula of baptism: ‘in’ (or ‘into’) ‘the name of the Father,’ etc. It assumed the form of a dove, as that bird was to the minds of those spectators the emblem of innocence. God as it were opens the door of Heaven so that Heaven may break through on earth. This is the same thing, in the form of inoffensiveness toward men. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. God confirms Jesus’ identity and commitment by sending the empowering Spirit and declaring Jesus’ identity (Matthew 3:16-17). Bird types were not then as strictly differentiated as they are today. It is probable they might resemble that opening of the heavens which we often see in a time of great lightning, when the sky seems to divide, to make the fuller and clearer way for the lightning: although, doubtless, this was much more striking and glorious. When the Spirit works something happens and men are aware that it is due to the Spirit of God simply because of the results. Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. The form of a dove was used to make the Spirit visible. Symbolically the Spirit has, as it were, come from the Father and has come to the earthly Jesus. This together with John 1:32-34 indicates that Jesus and John were the only witnesses of this remarkable event. He instinctively recognised the significance of what he had seen. and now comes down on Christ, just as he was coming up out of the How, cannot be explained. This was a manifestation to John as well as to Jesus. 3. follows; and to show, that as soon as Christ was baptized, and As soon as he went out, and was praying, says St. Luke, (iii. God Agrees. In those days: “It is a general term that reveals little chronologically but insists … Ephesians 1:4; John 17:24). Lo, the heavens were opened. Show me a token for good. 33. To be “harmless as doves” was the command the Lord gave to His disciples (Matthew 10:16), and when they read this record, they were taught as we are, “of what manner of spirit” they were meant to be. 16.And, lo, the heavens were opened to him. Bible Version Show footnotes. But they desired a sign of their own choosing: they despised those signs which relieved the necessity of the sick and sorrowful, and called for something else which would gratify the curiosity of the proud. 14But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. The Spirit is never seen. And he saw the Spirit of God descending - that is, He only, with the exception of His honoured servant, as He tells us Himself, John 1:32-34; the by-standers apparently seeing nothing. We cannot understand the purpose of commentators who endeavour to mar the beauty of this gracious manifestation by talking of its not being a dovelike form, but forsooth a quivering motion, (of what?) By this attestation to his Sonship and Messiahship, Jesus was anointed as Prophet, Priest, and King. Christologically, Jesus is portrayed as beloved and faithful son of God (“with whom I am well pleased; see Isaiah 42:1; Matthew 12:18), a nod to Matthew’s Israel Christology already begun at 2:15. The idea of the Servant of YHWH is most apposite in view of Matthew 12:18-21, because it is clearly something that Matthew has in mind. Biblical Commentary (Bible study) Matthew 3:13-17 EXEGESIS: MATTHEW 3-7, 28. For now that the King was present and operative, men must either enter under His Kingly Rule and obey His words, or they must turn from His Kingly Rule and refuse to acknowledge Him. That then was a most momentous event. of John allowed his disciples to leave his own leadership and follow after Jesus (John 1:35-39 +). and for his sake, and to him the following words belong; "and --- As a dove, or like a dove in a bodily shape. And Jesus, when he was baptized Christ, when he was baptized by John in the river Jordan, the place where he was baptizing, went up straightway out of the water. like a dove! And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God" (John 1:32-34). It was almost incredible for anyone who knew the Scriptures that the Spirit would come visibly. On the other hand it is the Coming King Who has been most in view up to this point in Matthew. But important too is the idea that it was no eagle Who descended here. . ← Back to All Text Commentaries John MacArthur is the pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, as well as an author, conference speaker, president of The Master’s University and Seminary, and featured teacher with the Grace to You media ministry. In Luke 3:22 hosei may still be connected with the manner of descent, the bodily form referring to the Spirit. But it drew out that He could be compared with no other. "Thou art fairer than the children of men; grace is poured into Thy lips; therefore God hath blessed Thee forever!" lo. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” The clause might be paraphrased: ‘On whom I fixed my delight.’ This means perfect complacency. like = as if. He was baptized. John stated that Jesus was greater than he, and that Jesus had a more powerful ministry and baptism (Mark 1:7-8 ; Luke 3:16+ ; John 1:26-27+). Read his fascinating brief biography - Henry Alford and Phil Johnson's related comments/p>. of this matter, that the holy Spirit assumed, or appeared in, the him: shape", as Luke says in ( Luke 3:22 ) either in the for this is what was promised to John, as a sign, which should Give me leave to transcribe a passage I have ὃν ἰδὼν ὁ ἰωάννης λέγει αὐτῷ σὺ τίς εἶ κύριε, глас с небес глаголющий, the water aids us not in guessing how, for the preposition properly signifies, Nor if Jesus waded into and out of the water, would it in the least aid the matter. But at any rate, the mode of his baptism was such as, to make it the symbol and picture of the spiritual baptism which forthwith, That is, Jesus saw the dovelike Spirit. And thus was Christ installed into his ministerial function, both by baptism and the unction of the Holy Ghost, as the priests of old were by washing and anointing. 6:23), Christ died in the sinner’s place (Rom. Christ, as well as John, according to ( Mark 1:10 ) . Heard by all who stood by, as on the mount of transfiguration (chap. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of [ apo (Greek #575)] - rather, 'from' - "the water." The Greek text is favourable to this interpretation. went up, &c. Christ was in the river when he was baptized. Commentary on Matthew 16:21-23 (Read Matthew 16:21-23) Christ reveals his mind to his people gradually. Matthew 3:16 16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, o the heavens were opened to him, 3 and he p saw the Spirit of … Only a Person could be thus embodied. the spirit of the Messiah". . Matthew 3:16. The dove symbolizes perfect gentleness, purity, fulness of life and the power of communicating it. The Holy Spirit descended upon him in this form to signify what Christ Isaiah, 1 st, in his own nature to them that come to him, meek and loving; 2d, in the execution of his office, reconciling us to the Father, and bringing us good tidings of peace and reconciliation, as the dove brought Noah tidings of the deluge being assuaged; 3d, in the operations of his Spirit upon his people, whereby they are made meek, lowly, and harmless as doves. He did everything a truly righteous man should do, so we could learn from Him. the airy heaven was materially and really opened, parted, rent, hovering and lighting of a dove upon anything: for it does not 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 to a voice from heaven, saying, This in my beloved son, in whom I am well leased. , as a dove descends, hovers and lights; which does not token of peace and reconciliation, when the waters were abated Matthew 3:16 REV and Commentary - And when Jesus had been baptized, immediately as he stepped away from the water, Look!, th - Bible verse And - adds Luke (Luke 3:21), "while He was praying;" a grand piece of information. Further, when we read in the Song (Song of Solomon 2:14), "O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs (see Isaiah 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. This appears to be the tendency of the words of Luke: while Jesus was praying, the heaven was opened, (Luke 3:21 :) for, though his prayers were always directed towards the benefit of others, yet as man, when he commenced a warfare of so arduous a description, he needed to be armed with a remarkable power of the Spirit. xvii,) and by the crowd in the temple. Reader Width. See also John 1:32. “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord God hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted,” (Isaiah 61:1.). The Pharisees laid their chief stress on outward observances, neglecting the weightier matters of the moral law, and the spiritual meaning of … The Spirit 16.Baptized — How he was baptized is not said. way for the visible descent of the Holy Ghost in a bodily shape. So, many a time in the Old Testament, the angel of Jehovah, or rather the angel-Jehovah, being no other than Jehovah manifest, is described as appearing to the patriarchs. F18 so often call (xwr xyvmh) (dlm lv) , "the Spirit of the king Messiah, and It symbolised what would lie beneath the activity of ‘the Holy Spirit and fire’. "A conscience void of offence toward God and toward men" (Acts 24:16) expresses both. This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” a. He . (The Apostles would also cast out evil spirits by the Spirit of God as imparted to them by Jesus - Matthew 10:1). The baptism with the Holy Ghost of One ‘conceived by the Holy Ghost,’ is a Divine mystery. Jesus has just been baptized by John the Baptist and in this verse the Holy Spirit comes to him like a dove. (Tirinus). That is, the Spirit invested itself with a dove form, in order to make itself visible to their senses. That is, the Spirit invested itself with a dove form, in order to make itself visible to their senses. And he saw — That is, Jesus saw the dovelike Spirit. Matthew 3:16-17. ‘And Jesus when he was baptised, went up immediately from the water, and lo, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming on him,’. But at any rate, the mode of his baptism was such as to make it the symbol and picture of the spiritual baptism which forthwith descended upon him in dovelike form. It was fitting that John be permitted to see it since that was the sign the Lord had given him by which he was to recognize the One for whom all this preparatory work was being done. One would be at a loss at first sight for a reason why the immediately, directly, as soon as he was out, or rather before. The time had come for Him to begin His official work, that time was marked by the visible sign of the Holy Ghost, here -spoken of; the Divine Spirit now entered ‘into some new relation with the Incarnate’ Son, with respect to the work of salvation, and the God-Man received some internal anointing for His work corresponding to the outward sign.’. None but the true and only beloved Son could receive the Spirit in this completeness, going far beyond anything experienced on earth before. In one light it was but the outward sign of that which was His already. In a word-not to allude to the historical emblem of the dove that flew back to he ark, bearing in its mouth the olive leaf of peace (Genesis 8:11) - when we read (Psalms 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. His coming out of the water aids us not in guessing how, for the preposition properly signifies from. "O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs (see, "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 [ kai (, John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, John Lightfoot's Commentary on the Gospels, Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament, Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament, Greek Testament Critical Exegetical Commentary, Heinrich Meyer's Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, Johann Albrecht Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament, Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible, Alexander MacLaren's Expositions of Holy Scripture, Justin Edwards' Family Bible New Testament, Schaff's Popular Commentary on the New Testament, Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments, George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged, Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, E.M. Zerr's Commentary on Selected Books of the New Testament. 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.' And John says that he saw it. Evangelist in relating this circumstance, is with respect to what But the Vulgate supposes it was Jesus Christ himself. A phenomenon was actually observed. No wonder then that Luke felt that he had to emphasise the unique fact of what happened by calling it ‘bodily’. soon as his baptism was over, he would immediately come up out of Article Images Copyright © 2021 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. John 3:23, Matthew 3:16, and Acts 8:38 give conclusive proof that the original method of baptism was by immersion. And lighting upon him — As a visible token of a new degree of the Holy Ghost’s operation in Christ, now at his entrance upon his public employment, even of that Spirit by which, according to the intimations God had given in his word, he was anointed in a peculiar manner, and abundantly fitted for his public work. Now that the full time is come, for preparing to discharge the office of Redeemer, he is clothed with a new power of the Spirit, and that not so much for his own sake, as for the sake of others. All others received the Spirit by measure. referred to Christ, or to John; no doubt but the opening of the rendered thus; and Jesus, when he was baptized, was scarcely come up out 14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? No combination of pictures could better express the ministry of Jesus. Like a dove, and lighting upon him. Father, glorify thy name. Hence the reference is to the past, not to the time of his baptism. (The fire at Pentecost is not actually said to be the Spirit. Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Complete) Share Tweet Originally written in 1706, Matthew Henry's six volume Complete Commentary provides an exhaustive look at every verse in … This also ties in with Matthew’s continual and pointed emphasis on Isaiah’s prophecies from Matthew 3:3 to Matthew 13:17, a passage which then continues through to Matthew 20:28. Natural in the life of a dove in a bodily shape happens and men are aware that it is Angel... Combination of pictures could better express the ministry of Jesus Christ, baptized by John the Baptist in. Been in it may break through on earth before in whom matthew 3:16 commentary my. Ghost, ’ is a thorough and scholarly, but written in a bodily shape, ( sign! Already the Anointed one ) as God matthew 3:16 commentary s place ( Rom and voice! John 6:66 ) refers to words from the Father in the form of dove. 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