4. The Holy Spirit in the Life of Christ

Chapter Four

The Holy Spirit in the Life of Christ

“Then said Mary unto the Angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the Angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you: therefore also that Holy thing which shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God” (Lk. 1:34-35).
“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with Power: who went about doing good, and healing all who were oppressed of the Devil; for God was with Him” (Acts 10:38).
Relationship to the old covenant
The four Gospel writers — Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John — are the world’s basic authoritative sources on the life of Christ. They relate details of His birth and some of the events of His early life, but the bulk of their accounts center on the last three years — the period of His ministry. Greatest attention is devoted to the last week of His life. It is well to remember while studying the Gospels that Disciples were under the Old Covenant. They received the introduction to the New Covenant, but this was at the very beginning of this period. The New Covenant really begins to be seen operating in the Epistles and the other writings which follow the Gospels in the New Testament.
God made a covenant with Israel called the “Old Covenant.” The New Covenant relates to Redemption through Christ. Instead of being under the Law, we now live in the day of Grace. Jesus Christ ushered in the New Covenant when He shed His Blood for our Redemption at Calvary.
Next He sent the Holy Ghost to fill our hearts and lives and to baptize us in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has now fully come, bringing gifts and the fruits of the Spirit. This is a whole new dimension in Christian living. Even though Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John — as we see them in the Gospels — were living in the first days of the New Testament, they were conditioned by living most of their lives under the Old Covenant. Some of their reactions were therefore not in keeping with their later wisdom as revealed in the Epistles.
Of course, there were individuals who experienced the Presence and power of the Holy Spirit in marvelous ways. The Gospel writers themselves typify this. And Mary, the mother of Jesus, experienced the Presence and power of the Holy Spirit in a unique way. The Bible says in Luke 1:35, “And the Angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you: therefore also that Holy thing which shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God.”
Mary’s cousin, Elizabeth, had a similar experience as recorded in Luke 1:41. It is clearly stated that Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. It was foretold that John the Baptist would be filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb (Lk. 1:15). However, one must remember that these are different fillings — different types of fillings within the matter of measure.
When Jesus gave His promise, prior to His ascension, He said that the Holy Spirit would be with us, and in us. A new dimension of the Holy Spirit’s activity in the lives of individuals was inaugurated on the Day of Pentecost. At that time, and in subsequent experiences, people were baptized in the Holy Spirit — and spoke with other tongues as the Spirit gave the utterance.
When Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit, He was filled beyond measure. It was not limited, as with previous individuals. This was without measure, the way we are filled with the Spirit today and baptized in the Holy Spirit. (And of course, when we say “baptized,” we are not talking about water baptism; we are talking about being baptized in the Holy Spirit as recorded in Acts 1:5.)
Though the experience was somewhat different (as we have noted), there are individuals upon whom the Holy Spirit moved prior to Pentecost. We are told of a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. “And the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Spirit was upon him” (Lk. 2:25). It had been revealed to him that he would not see death until he had seen the “Lord’s Christ.” This revelation came to him by the Holy Spirit (Lk. 2:26). When Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to the Temple (according to the “custom of law” which required a redemption payment for the firstborn), the Holy Spirit revealed to Simeon that this was indeed the Christ — the Messiah — for whom they were waiting (Lk. 2:27). Simeon took Jesus in his arms and blessed God, saying that he could now die in peace, for his eyes had seen the salvation which would be available through the Messiah (Lk. 2:28-31).
Simeon went on to give Mary other Prophetic utterances (Lk. 2:34-35). It was the Holy Spirit giving a glimpse into the future through this elderly Saint. Also present in the Temple was an elderly, widowed Prophetess named Anna. She had served God in the Temple, with fasting and prayer, night and day for many years (Lk. 2:36-38). The very fact that Anna was a Prophetess of God implies that the activity of the Holy Spirit was present in her life. Furthermore, she immediately recognized that Jesus was the Provision for Redemption of Jerusalem and the world.
In the birth of jesus
The initial stages of the divine incarnation were set by the Holy Spirit. When Mary, a virgin, was informed she was to bear a child, she questioned the Angel. The Angel told Mary, “The Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you: therefore also that Holy thing which shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God” (Lk. 1:34-35). Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.
Many people question the virgin birth, and even many church leaders deny this fact. But if we have a real concept of the power of the Holy Spirit, it is no problem to accept the virgin birth of Jesus. As we accept all Scripture by Faith, we can certainly accept His virgin birth in the same way. But in addition to this, if one chooses to approach it from a point of logic, an understanding of the power and potential of the Holy Spirit rapidly eliminates any questions.
One of the Cardinal Tenets of Evangelical Christianity has been that Jesus was born of the virgin Mary — as prophesied in Isaiah and as declared in the Gospels. Belief further states that this miraculous event was brought about by the unique and powerful Working of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus was not born under the stain of sin, for He did not come of man’s procreation. If Jesus had been born of His earthly foster-father, Joseph, He would have had the stain of sin and He would have needed, as we all do, salvation. But He was born of Mary and fathered by the Holy Spirit — a miracle of conception.
The Holy Spirit, not man, was responsible for Mary’s conception. This was necessary for sinless perfection. The Holy Spirit was the agent at the birth of Jesus. And because of the sinlessness of Christ, the power of sin was broken and He was able to bear our sins on the Cross (II Cor. 5:21).
During his youth
When Jesus was born into human form, He had to grow in wisdom and knowledge as other children do. He did, of course, develop tremendously because He never yielded to sin or darkness. His Mind and Spirit were totally open to God the Father. Consequently, He learned very rapidly, and at the age of twelve years He was able to discuss the Law with the high priests and doctors of the Law. He astounded them with His Spirit-anointed answers (Lk. 2:41-52).
In Matthew 12:18, Matthew quotes the Prophecy of Isaiah as recorded in Isaiah 42:1: “Behold My Servant, Whom I uphold; My Elect, in Whom My soul delights.” This refers, of course, to Jesus.
In Isaiah 11:2 it is stated, “And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and Might, the Spirit of Knowledge and of the Fear of the LORD.”
Myths have arisen that Jesus, as a child, performed amazing transformations with dirt, mud, or pieces of wood — making ships, lakes, and so forth out of them. These stories persist because certain Gnostic writers (e.g., Eusebius, Athanasius, Epiphanius, Stipulensis,) wrote them down and published them. Reputable scholars agree that they are apocryphal (not written under the anointing of the Holy Spirit). He was, however, anointed of the Holy Spirit and increased greatly in wisdom (Lk. 2:46-52).
Very little is available concerning Jesus as a child or young person. The Bible states that Herod sought to kill him by murdering all male children of two years and under. After their reunion to Nazareth (following Herod’s death), we have only a glimpse of Jesus’ life until He was thirty years old. This is at twelve years, as previously mentioned, when He was debating the powerful men of letters in the Temple. The Bible states that these scholars were astounded at His wisdom.
Like all young children of that day, Jesus was taught the Scriptures and obviously had a great desire to know and meditate upon the Word of God. Psalms 119:97 is considered to be a reference to Jesus and the actual expression of the Lord. This says, “Oh how I love Your Law! It is my meditation all the day.” The word “Law” in this context means God’s Word. He was interested in the Word of God and meditated on it always. He no doubt occupied Himself with this while other children involved themselves in trivial play.
In many respects, Jesus was an unusual child. He was obviously obedient to His parents. A problem arose, however, at the time we’re discussing when Jesus was twelve and remained behind when the family caravan headed homeward. Mary and Joseph had traveled some distance before they realized Jesus was missing.
His parents had been in Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. They were under the impression that he was with relatives in another part of the caravan. When they discovered His absence, they returned immediately to Jerusalem.
After three days, He was found discussing fine theological points with the scholars in the Temple. The lawyers and doctors were astonished at His deep perceptions. Mary questioned Jesus, and He responded by saying that He must be about His Father’s business. They did not fully understand, but Jesus, even at that early age, knew He had a mission and destiny and was referring to His responsibility to God the Father.
Jesus knew Scripture in depth. He knew the messages delivered by the Prophets and understood their content more than even the Prophets had when they wrote them down. He meditated day and night, and the Scriptures were unfolded by the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to fully understand the Law and the Prophets.
There are children who sense at an early age the call of God in their lives, and who have a deep and abiding interest in God’s Word. As a child of eight, God saved me and baptized me in the mighty Holy Spirit. I recall the deep yearning and desires of my heart and life at that tender age.
I vividly remember, at eight years of age, going to my grandmother’s house time and time again. She was a true stalwart of Faith and taught me much of what I know about Faith today. She had been baptized in the Holy Spirit and a radical transformation resulted in her life. Glorious and wonderful changes produced a profound effect on our whole family.
I studied the Word of God with her and asked her over and over again to describe how God had filled her with the Holy Spirit. She repeated the experience time and again, but I would go right on asking her to go on telling it.
“Jimmy,” she would say, “there is nothing God cannot do. He’s a big God, and He wants to do great things for you. Believe Him and stand on His promises.” She would smile and then as she pointed her finger at me: “God can do anything.”
She reminded me that God’s Hand was upon me, and she would then state without question that I would preach to thousands. Later on, after I began preaching, I found this Prophecy hard to believe — despite the fact that I knew God could do great things. She never failed to encourage me, though. “Jimmy,” she would say, “you will see the sick healed, blind eyes opened, and lame legs walk, and you are going to witness miracles while you see thousands saved.” As she spoke her eyes would sparkle, and influenced by her Faith, I almost found myself believing that all this could happen in my life.
As I sat, time after time, listening to the account of her baptism in the Holy Spirit, it created a deep hunger in my heart for a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit. I wanted what my grandmother had. She would seat herself, and I would kneel down on the floor next to her chair with my eyes closed, listening. I could hardly stand the suspense of waiting for her to reach the part where God had come into her heart, had baptized her in the power of the Holy Spirit, and she had begun speaking in tongues.
As she recounted this, the Presence and power of the Spirit of God would move over her in a marvelous way, and she would raise her hands and start speaking in other tongues, praising God. It would literally flow all through me, causing me to tremble and shake under the power of God. I returned again and again to hear this story and to experience the Presence of God’s power. I felt His glory move in my heart at the same time it moved in hers.
This repeated exposure to my grandmother’s experience affected me deeply. After God baptized me in the Holy Spirit (still at the age of eight), I found I had a deep and lasting love for the Word of God. I relished it and read the Word of God constantly throughout my eighth and ninth years. I meditated on it and shared Spiritual Truths with my parents.
My dad encouraged me, asking me to explain obscure Scriptures. I was just a child, but after I would explain them as I understood them, he would consult our pastor for his opinion. He supported my interpretations, and convinced both me and my father that my revelations were indeed arrived at with the help of the Holy Spirit. I am convinced that God gave me insight into Scripture because I meditated on it, I dwelt in it, and I loved it.
It is possible for a child to have a deep interest in the Word of God and to grow in it. Of course, no one compares to Jesus, who as a child grew greatly in Wisdom and Knowledge of the things of God. But in other ways, He grew much as other children do. Of course, being very God, there was a brilliance and an intellect vastly beyond the normal.
Jesus did lay aside His attributes of Deity (even though He retained His basic Deity) and did not use His Godly powers as a man. He had the authority to take up these Godly powers as He chose, but He never did choose to do so. The powers He did use are also available to us today when we operate in the authority of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus grew up as a human child. And as a fully human boy, He became involved in many things. Still, He never fell into sin. He loved the Word of God deeply, and the Holy Spirit guided Him during this development.
At the baptism of jesus
The Holy Spirit was involved in the life of Jesus from before His birth. Then after being guided throughout His childhood and youth by the Spirit, some very special incidents occurred at the beginning of His ministry.
First there was the baptism of Jesus. Why was He baptized by John the Baptist in the River of Jordan? Certainly He was not renouncing His personal sin, for He was sinless. He was totally identifying His relationship to God.
This was the time for public approval of Christ by the Father. The Spirit descended in the form of a dove, and a voice from Heaven spoke and said, “This is My Beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased” (Mat. 3:13-17).
The Spirit came “as” or “like” a dove. This is a simile, a comparison. The Holy Spirit came gently. This was a witness for all the Trinity being present at this moment — the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended, and the Father spoke from Heaven. This is a clear demonstration of the triune nature of God. The Deity of Christ was also demonstrated here. The Holy Spirit was present. The Holy Spirit was present to anoint Jesus for His ministry. This was a glorious manifestation of the Spirit.
During the temptations
After Christ was baptized in the Spirit, He was soon “tempted.” The word translated as “tempted” is peirazo in the original Greek. A better translation of this word might be “tested.” The word “tempt” implies being confronted with something we have been wanting all along, a chance to do something we basically want to do (that slice of chocolate cake in the refrigerator). Within this definition it is very questionable that our Lord was “tempted” at all, while He certainly was tested by His trying encounter with Satan — while weakened from His long fast. After being filled with the Holy Spirit, we are all better able to survive difficult or dangerous times.
Following His baptism — with the Spirit “as” a dove coming upon Him — Jesus was immediately led by the Spirit into the wilderness. There He fasted for forty days and underwent three major temptations (or tests) as described in Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13, and Luke 4:1-13.
The first temptation was to turn stones into bread — no doubt an attractive offer after His long fast. But Jesus never used His power for personal needs. Satan uses this same temptation over and over again on us as he attempts to persuade us to use God’s powers for personal fulfillment.
In the second temptation, Satan misapplied God’s Word by trying to persuade Jesus to “go along” with the crowd and to become the type of Messiah they desired — a political leader of a material kingdom. Satan suggested that Jesus hurl Himself from the pinnacle of the Temple in view of the people. It would have been a spectacular act and would have established His supernatural powers as the Messiah.
Jesus answered by saying that we shouldn’t tempt (again, test) God. In answering Satan He used “the sword of the Spirit” — the Word of God. He, however, made proper use of it.
Satan then offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world as his final temptation. Due to the fall of man, Satan had become the god of this world. Jesus’ mission was to redeem man and thus enable him to exercise dominion over Satan. Satan tried to appeal to Jesus’ human side by suggesting He take a short cut in His redemptive mission. Jesus, of course, refused and “went the way of the Cross” to redeem us. Our Lord used the Word of God each time He was tempted. Not only was Jesus led into the wilderness by the Spirit, but He was also sustained and strengthened throughout His fast and afterward. Thus the “sword of the Spirit” helped make Him victorious.
Even though Jesus was born sinless, He could have sinned at any time as a man. There are many people in the church today who erroneously believe that Jesus Christ was incapable of sin. They believe it was impossible for Him to fail or commit error, because He was God. But we must understand that while He was “very God” He was also “very man.”
It definitely was possible for Him to fail and sin. If Jesus weren’t vulnerable to sin, and if He could not have sinned, the temptations would not have been real, and Jesus’ whole life and performance would have been a sham. If His response to the temptations hadn’t been possible, He would not have been human. He would have been a moral and spiritual “superman” with no knowledge and understanding of our problems.
We are told in Scripture that He was “in all points tempted like as we are” (Heb. 4:15). It is clear from this Scripture and others that He understands our situations perfectly and faced every temptation — with all the potential failure inherent in human frailty and weakness. Despite all this, He was “yet without sin.” He was victorious over sin and temptation, and you can’t have victory without being in a battle. His victory is what provides us with our way to redemption and victory.
Jesus, the very God, stripped Himself of divine glory and took upon Himself “the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men” (Phil. 2:7). He was, however, still Deity, still God Emmanuel, God in the flesh, and God with us. But when He faced Satan’s onslaughts and temptations, He faced them with the power of the Holy Spirit strengthening the human frailty He had accepted. You and I can call upon this same support to strengthen us in times of trial — if we are saved and baptized in the Holy Spirit.
In the ministry of jesus
As Jesus moved into His three-year ministry, it was with the anointing power of the Holy Spirit. We read in Acts 10:38, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with Power: Who went about doing good, and healing all who were oppressed of the Devil; for God was with Him.”
Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit beyond measure. The same is true of Believers today. It is stated in John 3:34, “For He Whom God has sent speaks the Words of God: for God gives not the Spirit by measure unto Him.” This is a clear statement that the Holy Spirit is not given in a limited way, but rather without measure. The Spirit of God was upon our Lord in a greater way than He had ever been upon John the Baptist, Solomon, David, Isaiah, or the other Prophets and people of Faith. This same unmeasured anointing is available to those who today seek and accept the mighty baptism in the Holy Spirit.
As we have noted, the Spirit of God was in Jesus in a more complete way than had ever been experienced in the Old Testament. Moses wrote in Numbers 11:29 that he wished that God would put His Spirit on all people. He knew the dynamic differences the Holy Spirit could make in a person’s life. In the Old Testament, Prophet after Prophet spoke of the coming outpouring of God’s Spirit.
When the Holy Spirit descended at Pentecost (to inaugurate this great age), Peter announced that this was that which had been spoken of (previously) by the Prophet Joel. Isaiah declared that the Spirit would be poured out upon us from on high. Isaiah 44:3 says, “For I will pour water upon him who is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour My Spirit upon your seed, and My blessing upon your offspring.”
We are told in Ezekiel 36:27, “And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall keep My judgments, and do them.”
Jesus lived, moved, and worked miracles by the power of the Holy Spirit. He stressed the availability of this Holy Spirit experience for Believers, and the power it would bring. He said in Luke 11:13, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them who ask Him?”
In Luke 24:49 He said, “And, behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until you be endued with power from on high.”
At one of the feasts in Jerusalem referred to in John 7:37-39, Jesus said, “If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. He who believes on Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of Living Water. (But this spoke He of the Spirit, which they who believe on Him should receive: for the Holy Spirit was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)”
The life of Jesus had been a demonstration of the dynamic reality of the power of the Holy Spirit. The Disciples had seen Him perform great and mighty miracles by this power. Jesus was the perfect Spirit-filled person. He was anointed with the Holy Spirit, baptized in the Holy Spirit, and literally filled with power. Jesus was identified with both God the Father and the Holy Spirit and was the living example of Their power. His marvelous and miraculous ministry was in the power of the Holy Spirit and in the Will of the Father.
His atoning death
Jesus offered Himself through the eternal Holy Spirit (Heb. 9:14), and by His Blood we are cleansed. He did not simply die as a man, but as One who was perfect — and thus a suitable sacrifice for sin. He accomplished it once and for all — through the Holy Spirit.
In Christ we are redeemed, forgiven, and cleansed. If a person is forgiven, it is not necessary to go back into sin. Forgiveness of sin is provided by Jesus — who endured the Cross and despised the shame — through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit makes effective the crucifixion.
In the resurrection
Jesus arose, triumphant over sin, death, and the grave. The Holy Spirit is the quickening life-giving Agent. It is clearly stated in Romans 8:11, “But if the Spirit of Him Who raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He Who raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwells in you.”
If the Spirit dwells in us, He will quicken our mortal bodies. He is a life-giver. Believers will be fully changed by the power of the Spirit at the rapture, or when raised from the dead. We shall be changed or resurrected by the power of the Spirit, just as Jesus was raised from the dead.
The ascension
When the time arrived for Jesus to leave the world to go be with the Father, a cloud received Him up out of their sight and two men in white appeared, saying that He must go but that He would return in like manner.
Why was it necessary for Jesus to leave? He had sustained the Disciples while He was on the Earth. But He was to become our Heavenly Sustainer. Thus the Holy Spirit became our Comforter on Earth. It was necessary for Jesus to be at the Right Hand of the Father, so the Holy Spirit took His place on Earth.
As Jesus was getting close to the end of His earthly, human life, He told the Disciples He would go to the Father and the Father would send the Comforter in His Name: “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My Name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (Jn. 14:26).
He also stated in John 15:26, “But when the Comforter is come, Whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of Truth, which proceeds from the Father, He shall testify of Me.”
As He was approaching death, after His fruitful ministry, Jesus encouraged His Disciples to see and understand some of the truths relative to the Holy Spirit and His Work. In John 16, Jesus told them it was expedient for Him to leave, because if He did not, the Comforter would not come. The Comforter is the Holy Spirit. Jesus said that if He departed, He would send the Holy Spirit to His followers (which we are as Believers). The Spirit of God would guide them (and us) into all truths, for He is the Spirit of Truth. Jesus then told the Disciples to wait until they were endued with power and strength. As John the Baptist had prophesied, “I indeed have baptized you with water: but He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit” (Mk. 1:8).
Jesus paid the price at Calvary for our Redemption, and rose from the dead. He spoke at great lengths on the Holy Spirit. He commanded the Disciples to tarry, to wait, before beginning their ministries, until they had received the promise of the Father. This is a totally new dimension in Spiritual Life, experienced first by the Disciples and today by Believers. The promise Jesus gave was, “But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the Earth” (Acts 1:8).
The power of the Holy Spirit is now available to Believers, without measure, to work in and through Christians as it did in the life of Christ. In fact, Jesus went on to say that His followers would do the things He did, and even greater things. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He who believes on Me, the Works that I do shall he do also; and greater Works than these shall he do: because I go unto My Father” (Jn. 14:12).
The reason even greater things could be accomplished was because He would go to the Father and the Holy Spirit would be sent. Huge throngs would be baptized in the Holy Ghost, without measure, experiencing the mighty Holy Spirit power. The results would be far-reaching. The Holy Spirit would be as much with the Body of Christ as He was with the Apostles, and the results would affect every corner of the world. There would be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, in Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the Earth.
Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Mat. 1:20) and for thirty years was led and taught by this Divine Spirit. Was He not One with the Holy Spirit? Certainly. Why then was He anointed? Because it was essential for His human nature to be empowered by the Spirit before He could successfully perform His ministry. Jesus was anointed at the age of thirty when the Spirit descended on Him like a dove (Jn. 1:32). At a later date, Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach” (Lk. 4:18).
First He was born by the Spirit; then He was baptized in the Spirit; and finally He went forth to work out His life and ministry in the power of the Spirit. We too need to be born of the Spirit, baptized in the Spirit, and then go forth to live His life and reproduce His Works.