"When Jesus also had been baptised and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, 'You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.'" (Luke 2:21-22)
In today’s Gospel for the Baptism of Jesus, Luke uses the same phrase as Matthew and Mark to introduce the revelation of Father, Son and Spirit: "the heavens were opened".
This would have echoed in Jewish ears: "the windows of heaven were opened" when Noah’s flood began (Genesis 7:11) and when Isaiah described a time of turmoil (24:18). But the "opened heavens" also meant blessings: rain for crops (Deuteronomy 28:12), manna to eat (Psalm 78:23) and visions from above (Ezekiel 1:1).
