John 1:32-34 32And John testified saying, “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descend and remain upon him, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34And I have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.
These verses recount more of the testimony of John the Baptist about the identity of Jesus. The question is about the time frame and when he gave this. A sequential reading of verses 29-34 suggests that John said verses 32-34 after the events described had taken place. He had already baptized Jesus before the representatives of the Pharisees had come in verse 19. Another option is that John the author was not concerned about the sequence of events but focused more on John’s testimony and his encounter with the priests and Levites.
John’s testimony recounts the event of Jesus’ baptism though it does not mention Jesus going into the Jordan river. The focus is on what happened that confirmed Jesus’ identity. John’s testimony is consistent with the account in the Synoptic Gospels and shares the same emphasis of confirming Jesus’ identity.
John makes three key statements. First is the descent of the Spirit upon Jesus. The simile like a dove has been interpreted literally in various paintings and movies of the event. Whether a literal dove came or a bright light that reminded John of a dove is unclear. Doves were considered clean birds (Psalm 68:13) and were used by the poor for sacrifices. Doves represented love in the Song of Solomon. They were considered gentle and innocent birds (Matthew 10:16). They were common enough birds, but a wild one would not come and land on someone like it did with Jesus. This and other rich symbolism could be behind the Spirit coming in a like manner.
The verb I saw (tetheamai) is in the perfect tense, meaning that John saw the Spirit come on Jesus and continues to see the Spirit on him. This verb tense adds emphasis to the idea of how the Spirit remained on Jesus. The Holy Spirit of God was with Jesus continually from birth because Jesus was conceived by the Spirit. The coming of the Spirit as Jesus began his ministry was a form of commissioning for the special task that lay ahead. Jesus’ ministry was done in the power of the Spirit.
The second statement further clarifies the reason the Spirit came in a visible way. The Spirit was the visible testimony to John that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God. John had received a special revelation from God about who the Messiah would be and how to identify him. Significant in verse 33 is the idea of Jesus baptizing with the Holy Spirit, as the Synoptic Gospels record. John’s baptism was for repentance of past sins and was a form of preparation for what was coming in the future with the Messiah. Jesus’ baptism was much deeper and dealt with the very problem of the human heart from which came the sins. Jesus would bring to people the same Spirit who came upon him. Those who believe in him could follow in his footsteps and experience the power of God’s presence.
John again states that he did not know Jesus to be the Messiah. He may not have even recognized his cousin. John’s parents were old when he was born and could have died soon thereafter. John may not have had much if any contact with Jesus growing up. Jesus was just one of among many young men in Israel of that time. But when the Spirit came, John knew clearly and finally who Jesus was.
John’s third statement identifies Jesus as the Son of God. This is the seventh identification John makes:
- Jesus’ pre-existence (verse 15)
- Jesus as Lord (verse 23)
- Jesus as receiving the highest worth (verse 27)
- Jesus as the Lamb (verse 29)
- Jesus as pure, holy, and loving like a dove (verse 32)
- Jesus being anointed with the Spirit of God (verse 33)
- Jesus as the divine Son of God (verse 34).
By this point in the Gospel, the reader now knows who the Word is, what he has done, and why he came to earth. Everything is set up for faith to emerge. John pointed the way to Jesus and served as the first witness of his identity. Two key themes emerge for discipleship. One is the need to believe in Jesus as the Son of God, and the other is the call to bear witness of this truth to others.
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