Whenever a sacrifice of animals was accepted in the old Testament, God made this known by consuming that sacrifice with fire. The smoke ascended to Him as a sweet-smelling savor. This has been true from the very beginning of man’s worship to God. Cain recognized that Abel’s sacrifice had been accepted while his had been rejected (Genesis 4: 5). God himself is that consuming fire. The Father demonstrated His acceptance of Jesus’ offering of himself both as a living sacrifice at the onset of His earthly ministry and as the sacrificial Lamb through death. The Holy Spirit remained upon Him as the abiding fire of acceptance.

The Holy Spirit remained upon Him. 

God had given John the Baptist a special sign by which he would recognize Messiah. He would see the Holy Spirit as a dove descended out of the heavens, light upon a man, and remain there (John 1: 33). Until this time, the Holy Spirit had only come upon men sporadically to anoint them for special tasks. He never had become a permanent resident in a human life before the baptism of Jesus. Here again, Jesus was initiating the New Covenant. Even though Jesus was his cousin, John needed this sign from God to be able to identify Him.  

And I knew him not: but that he should he made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God (John 1: 31-34).  

 His voice spoke a clear commendation. 

The Spirit and the Word always agree. Here we have a historical illustration of this truth. The dove lit and remained. The Father then gave His personal word of verification. He not only gave validity to Jesus’ later claim to be the Son of God, but openly manifested His acceptance and pleasure in His obedience. We have one other instance in which God spoke much the same thing regarding Jesus: at His transfiguration. At His baptism, Jesus presented himself to be the offering for sin, the Lamb. At His transfiguration, He was accepted by the Father after being thoroughly scrutinized and found sinless and pure.  

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).  

 The dove spoke of new beginnings after God’s judgment of the old. 

After the earth was void, it was re-created by the Spirit’s “brooding” (Genesis 1: 2). After the Flood, Noah released a dove. When the dove found rest, it indicated to Noah that it was time to open the ark and begin life anew. God had judged and removed the evil. Similarly, after the old Covenant had done its work, it was set aside. A new and better Covenant had been created and was soon to be ratified in the person of Christ.