Message for August 16, 2026 from Pastor Shirley

Matthew 3:16  And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him,  and John saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

The Gospels record that when Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit came down and rested on him. The Holy Spirit took on the shape of a dove so people could see God’s power resting on Jesus. God uses the dove as a spiritual symbol of His Holy Spirit’s grace and new beginnings. Doves were considered clean and gentile animals under Jewish Law. In the Old Testament, doves were the only birds allowed as sacrifices for people who could not afford a lamb. Noah sent out a dove to find dry land; it returned with an olive branch to show that the flood was over and God had restored life on earth. Just as the dove signaled a fresh start for Noah after the flood, the Holy Spirit descended like a dove at Jesus’ baptism to mark a new spiritual beginning for the world. The Spirit hovered over the waters. The dove points directly to Jesus’ identity as the Lamb of God who came to bring peace between God and humanity. 

The same Spirit at Creation: Genesis 1:2. The Spirit of God hovered or moved over the face of the waters before God spoke light and life into the world.  The same Spirit at the Baptism of Jesus: Matthew 3:13. The Holy Spirit descended like a dove from heaven and rested upon Jesus as he came up from out of the Jordan River.  At our Salvation, the same Spirit takes up permanent residence inside us. He seals us, guides us, gives us spiritual gifts, and makes our bodies His living temple.

Ephesians 1:13 says that “when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.