Day 91: How Did The Holy Spirit Work in Jesus’ Life?
Today and tomorrow, we are going to take a look at the ways in which the Holy Spirit worked in the Lord Jesus’ life and then see the parallels of how He works in our lives. Knowing these truths are foundational to our spiritual growth In Christ. They also ground us in reality for the spiritual struggles and battles that we face regularly.
Today we are going to observe some of the ways that the Holy Spirit was at work in the life of our Lord Jesus. In these few passages, we can see clearly that the Holy Spirit played a significant role in the life of the Lord Jesus:
Jesus Was Conceived Through The Power Of The Holy Spirit
Matthew 1:18
Now the birth of Jesus Christ happened this way. While his mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.
Luke 1:35
The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called the Son of God.
In all the Matthew and Luke especially, we see that Jesus (the man) was conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit. He had no human father. This is one of the foundational affirmations of Christianity. The 2nd Person of the Trinity – the Eternal Son – was conceived by the working of the Spirit, through the power of the Most High God.
Jesus Was Baptized By The Holy Spirit
Luke 3:21-22
Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus also was baptized. And while he was praying, the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my one dear Son; in you I take great delight.”
When Jesus submitted Himself to John’s water baptism of repentance, identifying Himself with both John’s message and the people whom He cam to save, the Holy Spirit also descended from Heaven and fell upon Jesus. In a sense, this was a spiritual baptizing or anointing of Jesus with the Spirit. At this same time, God the Father expressed His complete acceptance of the Son and pleasure with the Son.
Jesus Was Filled (And Indwelled) With The Holy Spirit
Luke 4:1
Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness,…
The descent of the Spirit upon Jesus at His baptism also seems to be the point at which He was “filled” with the Spirit. In other words, it was at this time that the Spirit expressed His complete fellowship with Jesus and it would be clear that it was by the power of the Spirit that Jesus would carry out His mission.
Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit
The filling of the Spirit expressed itself in Jesus now submitting to the leading of the Spirit. It is incredible to see that the Spirit first leads Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil. The Spirit led Jesus into the places where He would be tested and found perfect to accomplish the purposes for which He had been sent.
Jesus Was Empowered For His Work By The Holy Spirit
Luke 4:14
Then Jesus, in the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and news about him spread throughout the surrounding countryside.
After completing His testing through temptation in the wilderness, Jesus began His ministry powerfully through the Holy Spirit. In Matthew 12:28 Jesus says specifically that He cast out demons by the Spirit of God. It is important to note that Jesus was not using His own power for His miraculous and powerful acts, but relying on the power of the Spirit working through Him.
Jesus Was Anointed By The Holy Spirit
Acts 10:38
…with respect to Jesus from Nazareth, God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with him.
Although this was touched on in the other aspects, it is important to see that in Acts 10:38 Peter describes Jesus as being “anointed with the Holy Spirit and power.” Anointing speaking to something being “poured out” upon someone. In fact, the word from which we get the term Messiah is the Hebrew word for “anointed one.” The Spirit had uniquely anointed Jesus for His powerful ministry.
Jesus Was Appointed Son-Of-God-In-Power
According To The Spirit
Romans 1:4
…. [Jesus Christ] was appointed the Son-of-God-in-power according to the Holy Spirit by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Paul makes the case that at His resurrection from the dead, Jesus was appointed the “Son-of-God-in-power” according to the Holy Spirit. In the New Testament we see that Jesus was raised from the dead through the exercise of God the Father’s power through the Holy Spirit. Jesus was not raised by an exercise of His own power.
Have you ever seen all these ways that The Spirit was at work in the life of the Lord Jesus? What new things did you learn here? What truths stuck out to you most?
*You can find a complete list of all the MilktoMeat readings here.
