February 21

The Spirit like a Dove

As soon as Jesus came up out of the water, He saw the heavens breaking open and the Spirit descending on Him like a dove. — Mark 1:10 BSB

Even Christ, with all His divine power, needed the anointing of the Holy Spirit to set Him apart for His life’s work and prepare Him for it. How much more do we, His followers, need the same anointing before we are truly ready for service and qualified for the work He calls us to do.

There is something richly symbolic in the form in which the Spirit descended upon Christ. The dove carries many tender associations. In the Old Testament, the dove was the offering of the poor, acceptable in place of a more costly animal sacrifice. The dove’s appearance also signals the arrival of spring, bringing with it the promise of new life. In Jewish tradition, the dove is remembered for returning to Noah’s ark with an olive leaf, signifying the end of the flood. Across Christian nations, the dove and olive branch symbolize peace. Jesus also used the dove as a symbol of gentleness and harmlessness. All these associations made the dove a fitting emblem for the Holy Spirit as He descended on Jesus. Christ came to be a sacrifice for all people, even the poorest. He brought new life to a spiritually dead world and carried a message of peace from heaven. Like the dove, He embodied gentleness and innocence.

It is this same Holy Spirit, represented by the dove, who must come into our hearts if the kingdom of heaven is to take root in us. Until the Holy Spirit has been given to us and received by us, there is no true life in our souls and no power for service. Yet this divine anointing is promised to all who truly consecrate themselves to Christ and believe in Him. Although we do not see a literal vision of the heavens opening and a dove descending, the spiritual reality is just as true and present in every heart devoted to Christ.