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Basic Bible Doctrine - The Baptism of Jesus and the Meaning of the Dove (Mark 1:10)
by Wayne Davies In Mark 1:9-11 we read that Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. During this event, the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus "like a dove" (Mark 1:10). Do you ever wonder why the Mark and the other gospel writers chose a dove to describe the coming of the Spirit upon Jesus? Let's take a look at the meaning of the dove at the baptism of Jesus. The most common answer to this question is that the dove is a symbol of peace. Jesus is called the Prince of Peace in Isaiah 9:6. And on the night of his betrayal, Jesus told his disciples, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you" (John 14:27). But I'm not so sure that is the best explanation of the meaning of this. Let's go back to first century Israel and ask, "What would a Jewish person think about when he saw a dove?" Peace? No. How about pain the pain of a bloody animal sacrifice. When the Jews brought an animal sacrifice to the temple to atone for their sins, the Old Testament law provided three options: a bull (for the rich), a lamb (for the middle class), and a dove (for the poor). There were many poor people in ancient Israel, so it is likely that many or even most people would bring a dove to the priest as the sacrifice for sin. So on the day he was baptized, God the Father was saying to God the Son, "You are about to begin your ministry, and you will spend the next three years preaching the gospel, teaching the Word, healing people by the thousands and performing miracles never before seen on this planet. But the main reason you are here, Jesus, is because you are going to die on the cross as a bloody sacrifice just like a dove to pay the penalty for sins that guilty sinners deserve to pay." Is this not the heart of biblical Christianity and one of the foundations of Bible doctrines? When John the Baptist saw Jesus, he proclaimed for all to hear, "Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). Jesus is not only the Lamb of God, he is also the Dove of God, and because of his death, God causes our sins to fly away like a dove if we but repent and trust in Jesus as Savior, Lord and Treasure. How far away? "As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our sins from us" (Psalm 103:12). May we celebrate the joy of forgiveness today as we reflect on Jesus as our Dove, the one who sacrificed himself so that we could receive pardon for sins and thereby experience intimate fellowship with God through the death of his Son. Looking for more Bible reading tips? I'd like you to have Free Instant Access to my eBook "How To Read and Understand The Bible". Simply visit http://www.GodWroteTheBook.com You'll learn a simple yet powerful way to read the Bible - with understanding and Christ-honoring, life-changing results! For more Bible reading tips, visit http://www.GodWroteTheBook.com for 2 free gifts: the Resource Guide "Top 5 Free Online Bible Study Tools" and my book "Sweeter Than Honey, More Precious Than Gold: Meditations on Psalm 119," by Wayne Davies, dedicated to helping you read and understand the Bible. Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |