Matthew 3:13–17

that is, the Jordan River

Verse 16. He … went up, and so forth Christ was in the river when he was baptized. As soon as he went out, and was praying, says Saint Luke, (3:21,) the heavens were opened to him, or in favour of him; and he saw the Spirit of God descending: that is Christ himself saw the shape of the dove, which was also seen by the Baptist, as we find, John 1:33. And it was perhaps seen by all that were present.—As a dove, or like a dove in a bodily shape. The dove was an emblem of Christ’s meekness and innocence. Witham.—Calmet supposes that it was Saint John that saw the Spirit of God descend thus upon Jesus Christ. The Greek text is favourable to this interpretation. But the Vulgate supposes it was Jesus Christ himself. Saint John declares that he saw the Spirit; (John 1:32,) but this apparent disagreement is easily cleared, by supposing that both saw the shape of the dove, and also the surrounding crowd, and that they all heard the voice of the Father, as it was heard by the disciples in the transfiguration on Mount Thabor, (chapter 17,) and by the crowd in the temple. John 12 Tirinus.

Verse 17. This most solemn testimony of God the Father, relative to his own beloved Son, is repeated below in chapter 17; and is of such great moment, that the Holy Ghost would have it repeated not only by three evangelists, Matthew, Mark and Luke, but also by Saint Peter, as a fourth evangelist, 2 ep. chapter 1. Tirinus.—In Greek, the emphatic article ο υιος μου ο αγαπητος, strengthens the proof that Jesus Christ, upon whom the Spirit of God descended in the shape of a dove, was not the adoptive, but natural Son of God, born of Him before all ages, and should silence every blasphemous tongue and pen that can attempt to rob Jesus Christ of his divinity, and poor man of all hopes of salvation, through this God-man, Christ the Lord. But if it here be asked, why Jesus Christ, who was innocence itself, yes, and the very essence of sanctity, condescended so far as to be baptized with sinners, we answer, with the Holy Fathers, that it was, 1. to sanction the baptism and ministry of his precursor; 2. not to lose this opportunity of teaching humility, by placing himself among sinners, as if he had stood in need of the baptism of penance for the remission of sins; and lastly, with Saint Ambrose, that it was to sanctify the waters, and to give to them the virtue of cleansing men from their sins by the laver of baptism. A.