Charles Spurgeon Commentary Matthew 3:16-17

"And Jesus when he was baptized, went up straightway from the water: and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him; and lo, a voice out of the heavens, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." — Matthew 3:16-17 (ASV)

And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up immediately out of the water: and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and alighting on him: and a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

And we are well pleased with him.

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 lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

It has also happened to the servants of Christ, as well as to their Master, that in keeping the commandments of God there has been a sweet attestation given by the Holy Spirit. I trust that we, too, according to our measure of sonship, have heard in our hearts the voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved son, and that we have experienced the descending of the dove-like Spirit, bringing us peace of mind and gentleness of nature.

Our Lord went down into the water, for he went up out of the water. He did not delay, but when one duty had been fulfilled at the river, He immediately went on His way to carry out another. In baptism, our Lord was openly attested and sealed as the beloved Son, both by the Word of God and the Spirit of God. What more witness is needed? It is often so with His people. Their sonship is made clear during an act of obedience, and the Word and the Spirit bear witness with their consciences.

Our Lord Jesus had now to enter on His public life-work, and He did so in the best manner. The world was opening before Him, and the heavens were opened to Him. As His need appeared, His source of supply was set open before Him.

On Him also the divine anointing descended. Like a swift-winged, pure, and quiet dove, the Spirit of God came and found a resting-place in Him. When He had been immersed into the element of water, He was immediately surrounded by the divine element of the Spirit. Then, also, His ear was charmed by the Father's audible acknowledgment of Him and by the expression of that good pleasure which the Lord God had always felt in Him.

It was a glorious moment. Our King was now proclaimed and anointed. Would not His next step be to take the Kingdom? We shall see.

Our Lord and King is now fully before us. He has been preceded, predicted, and pointed out by John the Baptist. He has been dedicated to His work in baptism. He has been anointed by the Spirit and confessed by the Father, and therefore He has fairly entered upon His royal work. May none of us in the service of the Lord run before our time or go forward without a sense of the Father's approval, and without that spiritual unction which is from above!

O my Lord, let me be anointed and approved in my measure, even as You were in Yours. In order to this, I would behold Your anointing of the Spirit with the full belief that I am anointed in You, as the body receives unction in the anointing of the Head.