All four Gospels testify that when Jesus was baptized, the Spirit of God descended upon Him in the form of a dove. Matthew writes:
“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.” (Matthew 3:16)
Mark describes it simply:
“And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.” (Mark 1:10)
Luke adds the detail that this happened while Jesus was praying:
“And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, ‘You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.’” (Luke 3:22)
John records John the Baptist’s testimony:
“And John bore witness, saying, ‘I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.’” (John 1:32)
The Spirit descended like a dove to show that Jesus was anointed for His mission as the Messiah. In the Old Testament, the Spirit came upon prophets, priests, and kings for their work, but here the Spirit rested upon Jesus and remained. The dove also symbolized peace and purity, showing that His ministry would bring reconciliation between God and man. This visible sign confirmed for John the Baptist and for all who witnessed it that Jesus truly was the One sent from God to baptize with the Holy Spirit.
