A Dove from Above

After Jesus was baptized, he immediately went up out of the water.  Suddenly, the heavens were opened for him!  He saw the Spirit of God, descending like a dove and landing on him, and a voice out of the heavens said, “This is my Son, whom I love.  I am well pleased with him.”  – Matthew 3:16-17

A Dove from Above

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Over the past few months there has been a lot of attention on Vatican City with the election of a new pope.  Inside of Vatican City rests St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest church on earth.  And inside St. Peter’s Basilica, according to church tradition, one might find the remains of Saint Peter.  The impressive altar area includes a large Bernini sculpture.  And, within that creation, a central picture made out of transparent stone rises high above the work.  The image?  A dove from above.  With an end-to-end wingspan of six feet in length, focal acknowledgement is given within the artwork to the direction the Holy Spirit provides.  

And yet God the Holy Spirit needs neither the large church nor the most elaborate altar area from which to operate.  He often works through the humble and gentle whisper of gospel truth.  We find doves in the Bible representing such characteristics.  In the Old Testament, you may remember Noah sending out a dove from the ark which had been perched upon the mountains of Ararat.  And that the dove returned on its second trip with an olive branch – a sign of the receding floodwaters and peace after catastrophe.  Turtledoves were an acceptable offering for the poor in the book of Leviticus.  A reminder that God still provides for the lowly as he cares for even his downtrodden children.  And in Isaiah 60:8 we hear, “Who are these who fly along like a cloud, who fly like doves to their coops?”  This famous chapter highlights the work of our Redeemer Jesus, who breaks the natural darkness of a sinful world and shines his glory across the face of the earth.  The joyful soaring of the dove is part of the big picture as nature finds salvation, hope, and restoration in the Lord.

And certainly we find God the Holy Spirit’s presence and approval at the baptism of Jesus.  Here was the moment our Savior would begin his earthly ministry.  A mission that would win for us salvation at his cross and give us life through his rising from the grave.  The Triune God was there in that moment in glorious display.  The Father announced his Son and encouraged the world to hear Jesus’ words of life.  And the Holy Spirit descended as the dove from above.  His work would give peace and reconciliation to the world through the words and work of Christ.  What a moment!  And what a blessing for you and I still today!

For many of us, we won’t be in big European cathedrals this summer, but we may be in the grandeur of nature.  As stroll about, taking in even the birds of the air, think for a moment on this Biblical picture of a dove.  Remember the Triune God’s plan to win and secure your eternal life.  And rejoice that one day, we will get to be home with our Lord in heaven – a home far greater than the prettiest church or grandest scene in nature.  Heaven is yours all thanks to Jesus.