Matthew 3:16 states: “¹⁶ And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him.”

The phrase “the heavens were opened unto him” can be understood to mean that Jesus was able to see into the spiritual realm or heaven. This could be interpreted as an indication that at the time of his baptism, Jesus was given a spiritual revelation or enlightenment.

It is not easy to see what is meant by the opening of the heavens, but we should probably think that for a short time the barrier between this world and heaven was set aside so that there could be some form of intercourse between the two. But it is not easy to understand whether Matthew is referring to a vision Jesus had which was personal to himself, or whether he is saying that all present shared in the experience. — Leon Morris, The Gospel according to Matthew, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press, 1992), 66.

Likewise, some suggest that this passage may also be symbolic. The opening of the heaven to Jesus could indicate God’s approval and acceptance of Jesus’ mission, as well as being a sign that Jesus is the son of God, as John the Baptist himself said in verse 17.

Another suggestion about this passage indicates that Jesus’ memory of his prehuman existence in heaven returned to him. The New Testament does contain passages that can be interpreted to suggest Jesus’ pre-existence. The Bible says that Jesus existed before the world was made. In John 17:5, Jesus says, “And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” This shows that Jesus was around before the world began. There are many other parts of the Bible that say the same thing. Jesus himself talked about it in John 3:13, John 6:33, John 6:38, John 6:62, John 8:23, and John 16:28. He even said that He existed before Abraham was born, which was many years before Jesus was born. Some parts of the Bible say that Jesus was with God before anything else existed (Romans 8:3, 1 John 1:2, Galatians 4:4). Other parts say Jesus is the one who made everything (John 1:2-3, Colossians 1:16-17, Hebrews 1:2). All of this shows that Jesus is exceptional and existed before the world even began.

Certainly, when Jesus was a young child, he was likely unaware of his prehuman existence. It might be that by the time he was twelve years old when he was left behind in Jerusalem and was questioning Jewish religious leaders for three days, he became aware. The Bible doesn’t provide any direct information about when Jesus understood his pre-existence before he was incarnated on Earth. However, Jesus was fully God and fully man. As a human, he would have grown and developed like any other child and would have gradually come to understand his identity and mission as he grew older.

The Bible tells us that Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor, with God and man (Luke 2:52). This indicates that he was growing and learning like any other child. However, his growth was not restricted to a human level of understanding but also growing in divine understanding, but it doesn’t give any explicit information about when or how Jesus came to understand his pre-existence or his divine nature. This is something that can only be inferred. There is little doubt that, as the incarnate Word of God (John 1:1), Jesus possessed all knowledge, including that of his pre-existence and nature as God, even in his human form.

The doctrine of Kenosis is a belief that has been developed by some Christian theologians, which proposes that Jesus, as the incarnate Word of God, voluntarily restricted the use of his divine attributes during his earthly life in order to embrace human nature fully. The doctrine is based on the Greek word kenōsis, which is used in Philippians 2:7, which states: “But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.”

The interpretation of this verse as referring to the kenosis of Jesus and the extent of his self-emptying is not universally accepted among theologians and biblical scholars. Some rightly argue that the verse speaks only of Jesus’ humility and willingness to become human rather than a self-limiting of his divine nature.

The concept of Kenosis has been developed by some Christian theologians as a way to reconcile the belief in the full deity and full humanity of Jesus, but it’s not a doctrine found in the Bible as a whole. It’s a concept that was later developed based on some specific verses. While there are passages in the New Testament that speak of Jesus’ humility and willingness to become human, others view these verses as speaking to Jesus’ status and role, not as describing a limitation of his divine attributes. Therefore, the Doctrine of Kenosis is considered as a matter of interpretation in Christian theology.

Kenosis: Christ’s emptying himself of equality with God (Phil. 2:7), thus becoming functionally subordinate to God, without giving up the attributes of deity.—Millard J. Erickson, The Concise Dictionary of Christian Theology (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2001), 110.

Kenotic theology [false teaching]:  A theology that emphasizes the self-limitation of Christ or his giving up of divine prerogatives and attributes; in particular, a late-nineteenth-century British movement with this emphasis.—IBID.

It is important to note that the Bible is not a history book. It is a religious text. While it has a historical context, it is written primarily to convey religious and spiritual messages. It is essential to read it in that context and with the help of religious leaders and scholars.

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