Why did the Spirit of God descend on Jesus in the form of a dove?
Is that his default form?
What do you make of him already incarnating Jesus at his conception and then landing on him as a dove?
(Lesser importance: What do you think to my cute theory that it's symbolically the dove of Noah finding a holy place to rest amid the evil waters of the world?)
Is the Spirit more of a dove than the Son or the Father is?
Does the dove speak to Hebrew Bible / Old Testament imagery?
“And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark; and
the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.”
Genesis 8:10-11 KJV
Does it really say the spirit is a dove or looks like a dove or tbat the spirit descended as a dove ?
“And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit
descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.”
John 1:32 KJV
Just a thought maybe he’s saying the spirit was descending like a dove descends and not that the appearance was of a dove
“And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit
like a dove descending upon him:”
Mark 1:10
This account even seems clearer
“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:”
Matthew 3:16
It seems he’s saying the spirit he saw descended like a dove
In tbe ot however the doves were an i portent part of the sacrifices of shadow and figure
“And if the burnt sacrifice for his offering to the LORD be of fowls, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves, or of young pigeons. And the priest shall bring it unto the altar, and wring off his head, and burn it on the altar; and the blood thereof shall be wrung out at the side of the altar: and he shall pluck away his crop with his feathers, and cast it beside the altar on the east part, by the place of the ashes: and he shall cleave it with the wings thereof, but shall not divide it asunder: and the priest shall burn it upon the altar, upon the wood that is upon the fire: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.”
Leviticus 1:14-17 KJV
lambs of course also but particularly a sweet smelting savor which the lord enjoys in tbe ot is revealed in the new as not an actual nice smell but
the odor and perfume of his love and sacrifice for others was what the figure what about
“and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath
given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.”
Ephesians 5:2 KJV
then again lol who knows
“and the Holy Ghost descended
in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.”
Luke 3:22 KJV
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