ESSENCE OF BAPTISM

Source

Gospels of Matthew and Luke describe the events surrounding of Jesus that made it possible for theologians to estimate his at about 6 BC. Of the next decades, until he began his public ministry, few details were known of him, Jesus apparently up in a thriving Jewish family in the town of Nazareth. Like other boys, he was likely educated in the town. When he went to the banks of River Jordan for his Baptism, John the Baptist was already preaching repentance to a large number of followers in preparation for the coming of another, who was so powerful, John claimed, that "l am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water, "John added, "but he will baptize you with Holy Spirit " (Mark 1:7) John in the River Jordan launched the public ministry of Jesus at his Baptism. However, before this, Jesus probably lived quietly with his foster parents thus helping out in the family trade of village carpenters. On the occasion of the baptism of Jesus, Mark notes: "NO sooner had he come up out of the water than he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit, like a dove, descending on him. And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on You.’ "
(Mark 1:9-12).

This statement at the occasion of the baptism of Jesus, testified to the Father's love and delight in him, This proclamation transformed the horizon of Isaiah's prophecy, in which God's good pleasure was directed to his servant. (Isaiah 42: l). It helps us understand vividly, the Father's favour enfolds his beloved Son, his only Son, and the redeemer of mankind.

The use of ‘dove’ here as a symbol of the Holy Spirit is very significant because a dove as a bird flies high and free and in biblical terms is associated with great acts of God. It also signifies peace, purity, freedom, integrity of purpose and the presence of God touching our lives in a radical, personal, though gentle way.

The manifestation of the Spirit at Jesus' baptism was linked to a 'vision, and the healing of a voice from the cloud was an attestation of Christ's divinity. The voice was not directed toward Jesus alone, but to all the people present and all the faithful who would read this passage. These signs confirmed Jesus in his mission and attested to the fact that the Spirit would be with him and would give us the certainty that he was the Son of God and that all the promises made by God in the past been fulfilled in him.

And also he had come to fulfil the law and the prophecies as articulated in the Scriptures. Jesus later described the 'descent of the Holy Spirit' as an anointing which would enable him to do the work he had been sent to do (Luke 4: 18).

In one of his sermons, Peter unequivocally announces this to all his listeners:

You must have heard the recent happenings in Judea,
about Jesus Q/Nazareth and how he began in Galilee,
after John had been preaching baptism, God had
anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power and
because God was with him, Jesus about doing good
and curing the sick (Acts 10:37-38)

Really, the descent of the Holy spirit on Jesus at his baptism was seen as a kind of spiritual anointing even though there was no physical rubbing in of oil. It had a similar effect on Jesus as the anointing by Samuel in the old dispensation, thus marking out Jesus as the true leader of God’s people.

Many thanks to @sirknight and the apostles of the steemchurch for their wonderful and relentless work.