The Synoptic Gospels all tell us the Holy Spirit descended at the time of Jesus' baptism "like a dove." While some commentators take that to mean the Spirit had the physical form of a dove, I am of the school which thinks it describes only the manner in which the Spirit descended. That is, the Spirit descended from heaven in the same manner in which a dove might.
Whichever of these options one settles on, one still wonders, "Why a dove?" Any number of theories exist: some find a connection with the Spirit's hovering over the deep in Genesis 1; others look to the dove Noah sent out of the ark to find dry land. I am not crazy enough to think I've got the final answer, but I do have a suggestion.
If I'm correct that the Evangelists put the accent on the manner in which the Spirit ascended, then the point may be that doves tend to flit about (like a pigeon in a courtyard): their flight patterns seem willful and unpredictable. This is like Jesus' description of the Holy Spirit in John 3: there, he says the Spirit is like the wind in that he goes where he wills and can be controlled by no one. In other words, Matthew, Mark, and Luke draw a connection between the Spirit's descent at Jesus' baptism and our Lord's Spiritual doctrine as recorded by John.
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