All That From a Dove?

I have been studying the first few chapters of Matthew along with a group of good friends recently and this morning I was pretty blown away by some parallels I discovered.

- Noah endured a 40 day waiting period after the flood that God sent to "cleanse" the earth from wickedness. (40 days)
- At the end of the flood Noah sent out the dove to find dry land but she "found no place to set her foot..." (Genesis 8:9) (water, dove)
- After this event, God made a covenant never to destroy the earth with water again, but our ways did not change, our salvation had not come, the law was powerless to make us righteous...

- In Matthew chapter 3 Jesus is baptized - This was a baptism of repentance..."cleansing from wickedness and sin" and Jesus didn't need to do it! (water)
- during his baptism - a dove came out of the sky and "came to rest on him". (dove)
- Immediately following Jesus' baptism he went to the desert and endured 40 days of temptation from Satan himself but did not sin! (40 days)
- Following Christ, salvation has come, He has made a way for us, all who call on His name will be saved!

40 days...water...the dove...I think Matthew might be trying to send us a message?!? Don't forget that Matthew's audience was the 1st century Jew who would not have been able to hear 40 days, water, and dove without thinking about Noah. It would be like someone walking up to you today and saying September 11th...they wouldn't need to explain it, we just know!

In essence, Matthew was saying to his audience, "God tried once to fix us through the flood and had to end his attempt with a contract that He would withhold His wrath...in other words, it did not work fully...the dove found no place to set her feet..." The rest of history leading up to Christ was literally one story after another of how God extended grace to His people and we failed Him and broke His covenant over and over and over and over again.

For Christ, however, the water of baptism was not necessary, the 40 day temptation was ineffective and the dove found a solid perch. God's new plan WILL prevail! He has coordinated all of history to pivot on the days of Christ and the fulfillment of all of His promises are made true and real in Christ.

It's a new day and if you don't know Christ to be the fulfillment of God's plan for all history you ought to meet Him. He is the way the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father but by Him!