John the Baptist raised Jesus
up out of the water after His baptism, and Jesus prayed. As He prayed, the Holy
Spirit of God came down in form of a dove. In scripture, doves were important
in the sacrificial system of the Jews. They also could symbolize peace. The Hebrew
word for peace is shalom, meaning, “nothing missing, nothing broken.” Jesus was
the Messiah, the One anointed by the Holy Spirit to bring shalom into the hearts
of all who would trust in Him. As the Holy Spirit came upon Him, Jesus (John
the Baptist, too) heard the Heavenly Father say, “Thou art my beloved Son, in
thee I am well pleased.” Jesus had submitted to baptism not because He needed
to repent of sin since He was sinless, but to fulfill prophecy and to set an
example of submission to God. God visibly and audibly showed His approval of
Jesus’s baptism as the beginning of His earthly ministry. Jesus was fully man
as well as fully God. As man, He humbly submitted Himself to the will of the
Father in complete obedience (Philippians 2). That obedience would lead Him to
the cross, to become the perfect sacrifice for my sin and yours. Have you
trusted Him? Have you experienced the love can take all your brokenness and
make you whole again? Have you experienced the peace, the shalom, of His Spirit
dwelling within you? If not, surrender your life to Jesus today!
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