“Peace, Brother!”

Genesis 8: 11: “And the dove came to him toward evening; and behold, in her beak was a freshly picked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the water was abated from the earth.” Do you know that a dove with a leaf or a branch in its mouth is a symbol of peace? Do you know why? It’s because of this scripture. After God’s destruction of life on earth, the existence of a living tree showed He was making peace with mankind. And it is a peace that is still in effect today. (v. 21) Perhaps that is why, at His baptism, the Prince of Peace was descended upon by the Holy Spirit in the form of a … dove.