WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
THE HOLY SPIRIT
by J. W. Jepson, D.Min.
Copyright © 1997 by J. W. Jepson
All rights reserved, including the right to grant the following permission and to prohibit the misuse thereof:
The Author hereby grants permission to reproduce the text of this book, without changes or alterations, as a ministry, but not for commercial or non-ministry purposes.
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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations in this publication are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
Scripture quotations in this publication marked "NKJV" are from The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1990, Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission.
To the memory of my late father and mother, Walter and Della Jepson
(and thanks to Doris Jepson for her help in preparing this book for internet publication.)
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Contents
Have You Heard?
1. Who Is the Holy Spirit?
2. The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament
3. The Holy Spirit and Jesus
4. The Holy Spirit in the Early Church [to chapters 4-6]
5. The Holy Spirit and the World
6. The Holy Spirit in You
7. Tongues--and a Lot More [to chapters 7-8]
8. The Gifts of the Spirit
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Have You Heard?
Near the banks of the Cayster River, about a mile from where it flows into the Aegean Sea, sat the ancient city of Ephesus. A center of Greek culture and Roman power, it flourished as one of the most important cities of Asia Minor. There the magnificent Temple of Artemis (Diana) rose proudly in pagan splendor as one of the seven wonders of the world.
The city was enjoying a time of prosperity when God's apostle to the Gentiles arrived. Fully aware of the city's strategic location, Paul had long desired to confront Ephesus with the gospel of Christ. Earlier, he had stopped briefly at its Jewish synagogue as he hurried through on his way to Jerusalem. Though he did not stay, his friends Aquila and Priscilla did. Later, the eloquent Apollos arrived and taught the "things of the Lord" to the best of his knowledge. Aquila and Priscilla clarified his theology, and he went on his way to Corinth.
But now God's time to lay the foundation of a permanent church in Ephesus by apostolic ministry had arrived. The Bible describes what happened in Acts 19.
When Paul arrived, he found a group of disciples. About twelve of them were men, which could have meant as many as two or three dozen people altogether. But the apostle sensed that something spiritually important was missing in the lives of these disciples. So he asked them a point-blank question: "Having believed, did you receive the Holy Spirit?"
Their answer is astonishing: "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." Something spiritually important was missing!
Now, even if you think you are like these people, let me jog your memory about the Holy Spirit. Perhaps you read something in the catechism about Him. Maybe you have been by that noisy church down the street and have wondered just what was going on inside. You went in once, but somebody started saying something in a strange language, and you said you would never go back there again. Or it could be that you have read about Roman Catholic charismatic services, or about Presbyterians, Baptists, and other Protestants speaking in tongues in quiet (and sometimes not so quiet) services in churches and homes.
Maybe you know only what someone else has told you. You might be pleased, upset, or just plain indifferent about it. But one thing is likely--you have heard something concerning the Holy Spirit and what He is doing today. But have you really heard?
Let's suppose, on the other hand, that you have been filled with the Holy Spirit and you speak in tongues. You haven't just heard; you've experienced. That's wonderful! But did you know that the baptism in the Holy Spirit, including the evidence of speaking with other tongues, is only the beginning of the Spirit-filled life? A good beginning is important, of course. But the work of the Spirit in and through the believer from that point on is even more important.
So don't be satisfied with only a good beginning. Learn all you can about the Holy Spirit. Know what He desires to do in your life so you can cooperate with Him intelligently in faith. Experience Him in His fullness.
So then ask yourself: "What do I really know about the Person and work of the Holy Spirit? Am I experiencing the dynamic, abundant, Spirit-filled life?"
Your understanding of the Holy Spirit right now might be great or it might be small. Whatever it is, you want to learn more. So do I. The best place to start is at the beginning. Let's proceed together, one step at a time. Remember, be prayerful. Keep your heart open. Be like a hungry man reading a dinner menu, not an IRS agent scrutinizing a tax return.
Ready? Let's begin.
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1
Who Is the Holy Spirit?
Let's begin by observing what the Holy Spirit is not. In that way we'll dispose of the negative so we can go right to the positive.
The Holy Spirit is not a "thing," or an "it." He is not an impersonal force, or energy, such as electricity or radiation or magnetism. He is not a quality, such as "goodness" or "love" or "morality." He is not an abstract idea, such as "the force of nature" or "life."
The Person of the Holy Spirit
Who, then, is the Holy Spirit?
First, He is a Person, a real Being. He thinks, acts, wills, feels, loves, speaks, and does all the other things that can be said of persons. He has qualities, both natural and moral. He has position, rank; He has rights and privileges. Acts 13:2 says, "The Holy Spirit said, 'Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.'" Notice that in referring to himself, the Holy Spirit used "I" and "me," words of personhood.
The Holy Spirit is God. As such, He is the Third Person of the Godhead, the Holy Trinity. This does not mean the Holy Spirit is one-third of God; God cannot be divided. And it does not mean He is one of three Gods; God is one, eternally self-existing in three distinct Persons: the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each of these Persons is fully God, possessing all the qualities and representing and expressing the fullness of the Godhead (Trinity) as a whole.
In Acts 5 the Bible relates an amazing event. Many of the early Christians were selling their property and bringing the proceeds to the apostles to be distributed among the poorer saints. The motive behind all this was very commendable. The economics of it, however, might not have been very sound. Anyway, some of the benefactors were held in high esteem by the recipients of these acts of good will.
But a real problem arose when a man named Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, decided to get some glory for themselves. Their scheme was very simple: (1) sell some property, (2) contribute part of the proceeds, and (3) report that as the total selling price.
Of course, nobody forced them to sell. And nobody required them to contribute a penny when they did sell. The whole program was a voluntary movement generated by Christian love. But Ananias and Sapphira had set their hearts on gaining esteem in the church, even if it meant lying to get it.
Now, what they did might slip past the IRS, but it did not get by the Holy Spirit. And Peter was a Spirit-filled apostle. He said to Ananias, "How is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit? ...You have not lied to men but to God" (Acts 5:3,4). In other words, when Ananias lied to the Holy Spirit, he lied to God, because the Holy Spirit is God.
Here are some more Scripture passages that teach that the Holy Spirit is a Person of the Godhead:
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19).
"The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" (2 Corinthians 3:17).
Sometimes the Bible will state in one place that God said certain things. Then, in another place, it says the Holy Spirit was the One who said them. For example, Exodus 17:7 says that Israel tempted the LORD (Jehovah). Hebrews 3:7-9 refers to that event and says that they tempted the Holy Spirit. Also, Jeremiah 31:33 says the LORD (Jehovah) spoke the promise concerning the new covenant; Hebrews 10:15,16 tells us the Holy Spirit spoke that promise. Such references strongly infer the deity of the Holy Spirit. Compare these Bible passages:
Isaiah 6:8-10 and Acts 28:25,26
Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Hebrews 10:15-17
Luke 2:26 and Luke 2:29
Acts 1:16 and Acts 4:24,25
Even though they refer to two different events, a comparison of Acts 1:16 with Acts 4:24,25 demonstrates that the Holy Spirit speaking through David is the same as the Lord speaking through him.
Attributes of the Spirit
Indivisible
Because the Holy Spirit is God, He is One--indivisible. Ephesians 4:4 says, "There is one body and one Spirit." True, the Book of Revelation speaks of the "seven Spirits of God." (See Revelation 1:4; 3:1; 4:5; 5:6.) However, we must remember that in the Bible seven is the number of divine perfection. In the verses in Revelation just mentioned, "seven" is a symbolic expression of the completion and perfection of the One Holy Spirit.
Eternal
Also, because He is God, the Holy Spirit is eternal. That means He always was, is, and ever shall be. He has no beginning or end. He is eternally self-existent. Hebrews 9:14 says that Christ "through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God."
Omnipresent
And because He is God, the Holy Spirit is omnipresent. That is, He is everywhere present at once. Psalm 139:7-10 says: "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast."
No one can get away from the Spirit of God. He is everywhere. A sinner under conviction might move from the community to get away from a particular church or preacher, only to discover that he or she could not escape from the Spirit. Wherever the sinner goes, the Holy Spirit is there, faithfully reproving of sin and pointing the soul to Christ. The Christian is never alone, either. The Holy Spirit is always present to strengthen, chasten, encourage, and do whatever else is needed to keep us victorious.
Omniscient
The Holy Spirit is also omniscient. That is, He is all-knowing and all-wise. Isaiah 40:13,14 asks, "Who has understood the Spirit of the LORD, or instructed him as his counselor? Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge or showed him the path of understanding?" The answer to these questions is obvious. Nobody directs, counsels, or teaches the Holy Spirit. As God, He is perfect in knowledge and understanding.
First Corinthians 2:10,11 declares that the deep things of God are always open to the Holy Spirit: "The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For whom among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God." He knows all things in detail as well as in general. He knows far more about each one of us than we know about ourselves.
Omnipotent
The Holy Spirit is omnipotent. That is, He is all-powerful. In Micah 2:7 the Bible asks another question with an obvious answer: "Is the Spirit of the LORD restricted?" (NKJV). Is He less than all-powerful? The answer of Scripture is no. The Holy Spirit is totally adequate for every situation. He is fully able to meet every need.
In Luke 1:35 the Holy Spirit is referred to as "the power of the Most High." He is fully God. Through Him and by Him the power of the whole adorable Godhead is fully expressed and exercised. And God desires every believer to be filled with that power.
Names of the Spirit
Names are important. They identify; they characterize; they describe. Often they tell something about the nature or position of their owners, as is the case with many names found in the Bible. So it is with the names given in the Scriptures to the Holy Spirit. His names reveal His character and His works. They tell who He is and what He does.
He is "the Spirit of Christ," also referred to as "the Spirit of [God's] Son." The unity and close interrelationship of the Persons of the Godhead are involved here.
"But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." (Romans 8:9 KJV) "The prophets... searched intently... trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow" (1 Peter 1:10,11).
"Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out 'Abba, Father'" (Galatians 4:6).
Spirit of Judgment
He is the "Spirit of judgment" and the "Spirit of fire." "Judgment" suggests justice, law, and order. "Fire" indicates consuming, purging, and purifying. He is holy. He will not tolerate sin. He is the moral Policeman of the universe, the Chief Agent of the justice department of God's kingdom, as it were, eternally opposed to sin--exposing it, reproving it, and turning people away from it.
"The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire" (Isaiah 4:4).
Spirit of Grace
But He is also the "Spirit of grace, and "of supplication." He is God's Messenger carrying to the soul of man the divine invitation to come, and earnestly soliciting an RSVP in the form of the sinner's prayer for God's grace through Christ.
"I will pour upon the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication" (Zechariah 12:10).
"How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?" (Hebrews 10:29).
Spirit of Wisdom
The Holy Spirit is also the "spirit of wisdom and revelation," the "spirit of understanding," the "spirit of counsel and might," the "spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD" (Isaiah 11:2). He reveals, illuminates, gives spiritual insight and direction, and awakens reverence in the heart of man. The Scriptures themselves are the product of His inspiration and revelation.
"So you shall speak to all who are gifted artisans, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments" (Exodus 28:3, NKJV).
"Joshua the son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him" (Deuteronomy 34:9).
"The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him--the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD" (Isaiah 11:2).
"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better" (Ephesians 1:17).
"You will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets" (Ephesians 3:4,5).
Jesus called Him "the Spirit of your Father": "It will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you" (Matthew 10:20).
Spirit of Truth
He is "the Spirit of truth." There is no error in the Holy Spirit. He will never lead us to do anything contrary to or inconsistent with the Scriptures. No variance exists between the Spirit and the Word. The Word of God is "the sword of the Spirit" (Ephesians 6:17). As the divine Author of the Bible (2 Peter 1:21), the Holy Spirit will never contradict or deviate from His own Word. The directions of the Bible are the leadings of the Holy Spirit. He will always guide us according to those directions.
"I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever--the Spirit of truth" (John 14:16,17).
"When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me" (John 15:26).
"When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth" (John 16:13).
"This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.... We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood" (1 John 4:2,6).
"It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth" (1 John 5:6).
Spirit of Holiness
Accordingly, He is the "Spirit of holiness." He is the Holy Spirit. Obedience to Him always results in purity in heart and conduct.
"Who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 1:4).
Spirit of Life
Also, the Holy Spirit is called the "Spirit of life." His law, the law of faith and love, liberates us who are in Christ from the law of sin and death. Living in the Spirit is victory over sin.
"Through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death" (Romans 8:2; see also Revelation 11:11).
Spirit of Sonship
He is the "Spirit of sonship," generating in the believer conscious fellowship with God. Jesus reconciles us to God. The Holy Spirit makes God real to us. We respond, "Father! Father!"
"You did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father"' (Romans 8:15).
"Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, 'Abba, Father'" (Galatians 4:6).
Spirit of Glory
As "the Spirit of glory and of God," He rests upon us, preserving our joy even when we are reproached for the name of Christ.
"If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you" (1 Peter 4:14).
The Comforter
Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as our Comforter. "Comforter" comes from the Greek word sometimes translated "Paraclete." The word means "one called alongside." The Spirit is the divine Counselor, Helper, the Heavenly Assistant, whose continuous presence and power provide the aid necessary in our lives.
"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever" (John 14:16 KJV; see also John 14:26; 15:26; 16:7).
By comparing Luke 11:20 with Matthew 12:28, we discover that Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit as "the finger of God." That is, He applies God's power at the point of need.
"If I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you" (Matthew 12:28).
"If I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you" (Luke 11:20).
And finally, let's not forget two names of the Holy Spirit mentioned previously: "the power of the Most High" (Luke 1:35) and "the eternal Spirit" (Hebrews 9:14).
Symbols of the Spirit
We move on now to the symbols of the Holy Spirit found in the Bible. Often these are called types, because the properties of the symbols themselves illustrate something about the nature and work of the Holy Spirit.
Remember, these symbols are not the Holy Spirit; they are only types of the Holy Spirit. The symbols themselves are not mystical, or objects of worship. They are not intended to provide the trappings for religious ritualism. Their purpose is to illustrate, not mystify; to illuminate, not obscure.
Oil
The symbol used most often, perhaps, as a type of the Holy Spirit is oil. This is usually olive oil or a compounded oil. It is mentioned frequently in the Old Testament as a prefigure of the fullness of the Spirit in the believer. When the Israelite priests were consecrated to their office, oil was poured over their heads. (See Exodus 29:7; 30:30; Leviticus 8:12; 21:10-12.) Psalm 133:2 says that it flowed down the beard and completely saturated the priests' robes.
When oil was poured on the head of a king or king-to-be, it signified that the crown was conferred on that person with divine sanction. It was a reminder, too, that the office belonged to God, that it was His to give and take away, and that the king was responsible to God for the conduct of his administration.
For example, Samuel the prophet poured oil on the head of Saul, anointing him king over Israel (1 Samuel 10:1). Later he anointed David to replace Saul (1 Samuel 16:13; Psalm 89:20). After the death of David, Zadok the priest anointed Solomon to be king (1 Kings 1:39). During the divided kingdom, the prophet Elisha sent a representative to anoint Jehu king over the northern tribes (2 Kings 9:6).
When a person who had recovered from a disease of the skin came to the priest to be examined and declared clean, the priest put oil on the tip of the right big toe, the tip of the right ear, the right thumb, and on the head of the person to be cleansed (Leviticus 14:17,18).
Oil was included in the meal offerings presented to the Lord (Leviticus 22), but not in the sin offering (Leviticus 5:11).
Oil was also the fuel for the lamp in the Holy Place (Exodus 27:20).
In the New Testament, Jesus talked about virgins whose lamps ran out of oil as they waited for the bridegroom (Matthew 25:1-13). The disciples anointed the sick with oil and healed them (Mark 6:13), just as we are instructed to do when praying for the sick (James 5:14).
All this emphasis on oil is intended to teach us that the Holy Spirit is totally involved in the spiritual life of the believer in Christ. We are kings and priests to God (Revelation 1:6; 5:10; 20:6). We have been cleansed from sin and have the witness of the Spirit that we are sons of God (Romans 8:15). He illuminates the Word of God for us and guides us in our daily walk with the Lord, keeping us close to Him and ready for His coming. He is the miracle-working God who desires to permeate our whole being with His presence and power.
Oil certainly is an appropriate symbol for the Holy Spirit. It penetrates, permeates, saturates. It soothes, moistens, protects. It lubricates, eliminating friction and abrasion. It purges and cleanses. Its energy radiates light and warmth.
The Psalmist declared: "You anoint my head with oil" (Psalm 23:5); "Fine oils have been poured over me" (Psalm 92:10).
Dove
Another symbol of the Holy Spirit is the dove. The Spirit descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove (Luke 3:22). The dove symbolizes peace and gentleness, outstanding attributes of the Holy Spirit.
Because the Spirit's influences are gentle, we must be sensitive to Him. If we have a careless attitude, if we run roughshod over His inner promptings, if we ignore His still, small voice as it whispers to our hearts, we will grieve Him, perhaps completely in time. Where the Heavenly Dove abides, there is peace.
Water
In John 7:37-39, Jesus likened the Spirit's fullness in the believer to rivers of living water. This is only one of several places in the Bible where water is spoken of as a symbol of the Holy Spirit. In Isaiah 44:3, God promised, "I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants." In God's promise to "pour out" His Spirit (see Joel 2:28 and Acts 2:17), the very term itself suggests an outflowing, as of a river or a flood of waters.
Water brings life. It quenches and refreshes. It cleanses and purifies. Its momentum is powerful, moving huge dynamos, changing the topography of the land, pounding the seashore. It bubbles along in rippling streams and moves silently in deep currents. It is terrible in its judgments on those who resist it, but beautiful and restful to those who live in harmony with its laws. So it is with the Holy Spirit.
Wind
Wind is another symbol of the Holy Spirit. On the Day of Pentecost, "there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting" (Acts 2:2 KJV).
Jesus said, "The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit" (John 3:8).
Like the Spirit, the wind is strong, unrestrained in its movements, persistent, pervading, refreshing.
Fire
Fire is an excellent type of the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist prophesied of Jesus: "'He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire'" (Matthew 3:11).
When the Spirit descended on the Day of Pentecost, there was not only the sound of wind but also tongues of fire: "They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them" (Acts 2:3).
Fire is practical and useful. It lights and heats. It purifies and refines. It is cheering and stimulating. But it can also consume. It is not something to be trifled with, a plaything. All these things are true, too, of the Holy Spirit. Truly, "our God is a consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:29).
Wine
It is more accurate, perhaps, to say that wine is a contrast to the Holy Spirit, rather than a type of the Holy Spirit. True, the Spirit does produce a genuine spiritual stimulation in the charismatic believer. At Pentecost, "some.. made fun of them and said, 'they have had too much wine'" (Acts 2:13). These mockers saw behavior that resulted from the infilling of the Spirit; but, alas, the only thing they knew to compare it with was the pathetic counterfeit brought on by the destructive effects of wine. "And do not be drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18 KJV).
Seal
Ephesians 1:13 says that "having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit." A seal is an outward, visible sign of ownership. The Holy Spirit is God's seal on the believer. We shall come back to this subject later.
Have you noticed that some of these symbols of the Holy Spirit have several things in common? Do you see a general pattern? Do you have a clearer view of the Person and work of the Holy Spirit?
Remember, God the Holy Spirit is not oil, wind, fire, and so forth. These are only symbols. But they are accurate symbols, presented to us in the Scriptures to give us a better understanding of the Third Person of the Adorable Godhead.
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2
The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament
What did the Holy Spirit do here on this earth during the time from creation until Christ's first coming, the time covered by the Old Testament? Plenty!
Before we follow the Holy Spirit through the Old Testament, let's take time to consider something that will help in understanding the Bible. It is called progressive revelation. It simply means that God revealed the truth gradually, not all at once. As time went by, each thing that God revealed was the truth, and it contributed toward building the completed revelation. There was no element of error. It was not progressive trial and error or progressive guesswork. It was progressive revelation. The progression was quantitative, not qualitative. It was all pure truth from the very beginning. But it was not all the truth until the New Testament revelation put in the final pieces to complete the picture.
So it is with the revelation concerning the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament. It is progressive. We learn as we proceed. What we don't find in the Old Testament, we discover in the New. There are no missing pieces: That is one of the things that make exploring the Bible so exciting.
The Bible introduces us to the Holy Spirit immediately: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters" (Genesis 1:1,2).
Picture the scene. In the solar system, exactly the right distance from the sun, the creative power of God is at work. God speaks, and things happen! Before us a huge mass of elements and compounds heaves and shudders under supernatural forces. Water covers everything. Over the waters, invisible, the Holy Spirit broods like a hovering bird. What is He doing? He is putting into effect the creative Word of God through Christ. He is carrying out the organizing process--assembling, structuring, integrating, composing.
Oceans of water move into place with tremendous momentum. Whole continents emerge with a gigantic shudder. That's power! That's the Holy Spirit at work.
"By His Spirit He adorned the heavens" (Job 26:13, NKJV).
"The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life" (Job 33:4).
"When you send your Spirit, they [that is, all living creatures] are created, and you renew the face of the earth" (Psalm 104:30).
When the great work of creation was completed, the Holy Spirit turned to another task--changing the stubborn will of man. In a sense, this is far more difficult. Starting galaxies in motion was effortless to the Spirit. But moving the human heart is a different story!
God has made man a free moral agent, and He will not violate that freedom of will. If man is changed, it must be by moral means. He must be persuaded to change. Powerful appeals must be made to his reason until he either turns to God or sears his aching conscience.
So we find the Spirit of Christ warning a world in rebellion (1 Peter 3:18-20), and nobody is listening except Noah.
But there is a limit to the efforts of the Holy Spirit in this direction. Beyond it, further persuasion is not wise. God issued the final warning ticket when He said, "My Spirit shall not always strive with man" (Genesis 6:3 KJV). When they continued to resist the Spirit, the flood came upon them. Evidence of that cataclysm is written in geology as well as in the Scriptures.
In the Old Testament (in contrast with the New), the Holy Spirit came upon only a few of God's people. Even then, it was usually only occasionally. Very few people in the Old Testament enjoyed the permanent fullness of the Spirit.
Joseph was one such person. When he had revealed Pharaoh's dreams and their interpretation, the ruler, though a pagan, recognized the power of the Holy Spirit in Joseph. "Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?" (Genesis 41:38).
Moses
When God instituted the rituals of the law in Israel, He intended them to be object lessons, something the Holy Spirit could use to teach the people about sin and salvation. For example, no one except the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies, and even he could go in just once a year (provided that he carried with him the blood of sacrifice). The Bible tells us why in Hebrews 9:8: "The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still standing."
The Holy Spirit was concerned even about the making of the high priest's garments. So God commanded Moses: "You shall speak to all who are gifted artisans, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments, to sanctify him, that he may minister to Me as priest" (Exodus 28:3, NKJV).
The same thing is true regarding the building of the tabernacle. God wanted a Spirit-filled foreman on the job, so He told Moses: "See, I have chosen Bezalel... and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts--to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship" (Exodus 31:2-5).
And, of course, there was Moses himself. The Holy Spirit was upon him. Through him, the Spirit led the nation to the Promised Land.
"Then his people recalled the days of old, the days of Moses and his people--where is he who brought them through the sea, with the shepherd of his flock? Where is he who set his Holy Spirit among them" (Isaiah 63:11).
"Like cattle that go down to the plain, they were given rest by the Spirit of the LORD" (Isaiah 63:14).
"You gave your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold your manna from their mouths" (Nehemiah 9:20).
Seventy Elders
One day Moses complained to God that he was not able to carry the load by himself. This teaches us something, doesn't it? A Spirit-filled person is still human. Pentecostals can overwork themselves. The baptism in the Holy Spirit does not make us Superman. God knew that, but He was waiting for Moses to realize it.
"The LORD said to Moses: 'Bring me seventy of Israel's elders who are known to you as leaders and officials among the people. Have them come to the Tent of Meeting, that they may stand there with you. I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit that is on you and put the Spirit on them. They will help you carry the burden of the people so that you will not have to carry it alone....'
"So Moses went out and told the people what the LORD had said. He brought together seventy of their elders and had them stand around the tent. Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke with him, and he took of the Spirit that was on him and put the Spirit on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied....
"However, two men... had remained in the camp.... And they prophesied in the camp" (Numbers 11:16,17,24-26).
When Joshua discovered that the two elders who didn't make it to the meeting were prophesying, he became excited: "My lord Moses, forbid them" (Numbers 11:28 KJV).
Listen to Moses' answer: "Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the LORD's people were prophets and that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!" (v. 29).
In other words, Moses saw the need for every believer to be filled with the Spirit. That is what God wants, too; and He has provided it for us, now that Jesus is our exalted High Priest. Have you received?
Balaam
Next we come to a very unusual character in the Bible. His name was Balaam. We read about him in Numbers, 22 through 24.
Balaam was not known as a godly man, just a commercial religionist who sold blessings and cursings. So far as his heart was concerned, Balaam was a phony. Eventually, he suffered the consequences.
But the Holy Spirit is sovereign. So if for some reason He wants to do something through a phony, He can. And no credit to the phony, either.
Numbers 24:2 says: "And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes; and the spirit of God came upon him" (KJV). The Spirit of God is very patient, and He will do all He can--up to a point--to salvage the soul.
The sinning Pentecostal who can still exercise the gifts of the Spirit is in grave spiritual danger. The gracious Holy Spirit is still striving, still saying, "I haven't abandoned you--yet." So, instead of being smug and self-confident in rebellion, the backslider should repent. If he or she does not, he will lose his soul as well as his gifts.
Joshua
Let's go on to Joshua. As the future successor of Moses, he was filled with the Spirit, too.
"The LORD said to Moses, 'Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay your hand on him'" (Numbers 27:18).
"And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him" (Deuteronomy 34:9 KJV).
Israel entered Canaan under the leadership of Joshua, a Spirit-filled man. As long as the Israelites obeyed God, they prospered. But when they themselves failed God and began practicing the sins of the people of the land, God had to chastise them by allowing them to come under oppression.
Judges
Whenever Israel turned to the Lord, God would raise up military and political leaders, called judges, to liberate them and provide them with spiritual leadership. The Bible specifically states that the Holy Spirit was active in the lives of at least some of the judges. About Othniel it says: "And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went to war" (Judges 3:10 KJV).
When the Midianites and the Amalekites threatened Israel in overwhelming numbers, "the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon" (Judges 6:34). Supernatural victory resulted.
Later, the Ammonites threatened a particular area under Israelite occupation. When reasonable appeals to the Ammonites were disregarded, "the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah.... Then Jephthah went over to fight the Ammonites, and the LORD gave them into his hands" (Judges 11:29,32).
And then there was Samson, the weak strong man: "The Spirit of the LORD began to stir him" (Judges 13:25).
Samson is a prime example of what happens to people who want the power of the Spirit, but not the discipline of the Spirit. Such people like the blessing and miracles, but they fail to allow the Holy Spirit to develop the fruit of the Spirit in their nature. Like impulsive Samson, they do not bring their own human spirit under submission to the Holy Spirit. Their emotional instability often results in chaos in their lives and even ruin to their souls.
It did for Samson. In a very real sense, he had been made a partaker of the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 6:4-6). But he treated the power of the Spirit as though it were a toy to be played with and taken for granted. Still, the sovereign Holy Spirit had a job to do, and He could do it through Samson, in spite of Samson's careless attitude.
The Philistines were Israel's oppressors at the time. In Timnath, Samson saw a daughter of the Philistines. She struck his fancy. Marrying the pagan woman was a clear violation of God's Word, but impulsive folks are concerned about what they want, not what God says. On the way to Timnath a lion met Samson with a roar. What happened? "The Spirit of the LORD came upon him in power so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat" (Judges 14:6).
In spite of Samson's bullheadedness, God did use him to harass the Philistines, easing somewhat their pressure on Israel. "The Spirit of the LORD came upon him in power. He went down to Ashkelon [and] struck down thirty of their men" (Judges 14:19).
"As he approached Lehi, the Philistines came toward him shouting. The Spirit of the LORD came upon him in power. The ropes on his arms became like charred flax, and the bindings dropped from his hands" (Judges 15:14).
Kings
We pass now from the time of the judges to the era of the kingdom. Again, the Holy Spirit was at work in Israel. The first of the Israelite kings was Saul. The people were insisting on a king to unify the nation against the Philistines. So God chose Saul. Before Saul could lead the nation in a struggle for liberty, God would have to do something supernatural for him.
And God did. Samuel said to Saul: "The Spirit of the LORD will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person....
"The Spirit of God came upon him in power, and he joined in their prophesying" (1 Samuel 10:6,10).
Later, when the Ammonites threatened the city of Jabesh, Saul went into action: "When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God came upon him in power, and he burned with anger. He took a pair of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent the pieces by messengers throughout Israel, proclaiming, 'This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not follow Saul and Samuel.' Then the terror of the LORD fell on the people, and they turned out as one man" (1 Samuel 11:6,7).
The tragedy was that Saul failed to continue to obey God. He became unstable, unpredictable, and full of neurotic self-pity. "The Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul" (1 Samuel 16:14 KJV). That's the saddest thing that can be said about anyone.
Saul grieved the Holy Spirit away. Only once more did the Spirit come upon him in a final, but futile, effort to humble his heart. First Samuel 19:20-24 describes the occasion, including Saul's strange behavior as he struggled against the sovereign power of the Holy Spirit: "The Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah. And he stripped off his clothes also, and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night" (1 Samuel 19:23,24 KJV).
At last, with the Spirit of God grieved away, Saul became a walking dead man, dabbling in witchcraft. A king who once knew the power of the Spirit of God ended his earthly life a casualty of war and ultimately a suicide upon Mount Gilboa (1 Samuel 31:4-6).
But the Holy Spirit was at work in a young man named David: "Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power" (1 Samuel 16:13).
In some cases in the Old Testament, the Spirit came upon certain individuals only at certain times and for specific purposes. But David is one of the few during Old Testament times upon whom the Spirit remained continuously.
A band of armed men gathered around David while he was still a fugitive from the anger of Saul. One of them was Amasai, chief of the captains. "The Spirit came upon Amasai, chief of the Thirty, and he said: 'We are yours, O David! We are with you, O son of Jesse!'" (1 Chronicles 12:18).
First Chronicles 28:11,12 informs us that David received the pattern for the temple by the Spirit: "Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof, and of the inner parlors thereof, and of the place of the mercy seat, And the pattern of all that he had by the spirit, of the courts of the house of the LORD, and of all the chambers round about, of the treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasuries of the dedicated things...." Through David, the Holy Spirit transmitted a large portion of the Scriptures, including many prophecies concerning Christ.
David's fellowship with the Spirit was intimate and sweet. But when he sinned so terribly in the Bathsheba and Uriah affair, that fellowship was broken. Grief-stricken, David cried out to God: "Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me" (Psalm 51:11,12).
Prophets
In the Old Testament dispensation, the Holy Spirit came not only upon judges and kings, but also upon prophets. In fact, for several hundred years, the Holy Spirit's ministry to Israel was mainly through the prophets, beginning with Samuel and continuing through Malachi.
Concerning the prophets that lived before the captivity of Judah and the people's response to them, the Lord said through Zechariah:
"They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the LORD Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the LORD Almighty was very angry" (Zechariah 7:12).
Also, Nehemiah confessed: "For many years you were patient with them. By your Spirit you admonished them through your prophets. Yet they paid no attention, so you handed them over to the neighboring peoples" (Nehemiah 9:30). Even a casual examination of the ministry of these prophets reveals the Holy Spirit at work in their lives. Miracles, inspired utterances, previews of the future--all by the power of the Holy Spirit--were commonplace with the prophets.
Let's take a brief look at some of these prophets to see what the Scriptures say about the work of the Spirit in their lives.
Azariah
"The Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded. He went out to meet Asa and said to him, 'Listen to me.... The LORD is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you'" (2 Chronicles 15:1,2).
Elijah and Elisha
"Elijah said to Elisha, 'Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?'
"'Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,' Elisha replied" (2 Kings 2:9).
Elisha had seen the Holy Spirit mightily at work in Elijah in a grand display of miracles. Now, above all else, that is what Elisha desired--only twice as much. He got his desire, for 2 Kings 2:15,16 says:
"The company of prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, 'The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha.' And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him. 'Look,' they said, 'we your servants have fifty able men. Let them go and look for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the LORD has picked him up and set him down on some mountain or in some valley.'
"'No,' Elisha replied, 'do not send them.'"
Notice verse 16 in particular. In 1 Kings 18:12, Obadiah, a servant to King Ahab, was afraid the Spirit of the Lord would transport Elijah to some other location before he could arrive with the king; thus his own life would be endangered. These two references seem to indicate that the Holy Spirit had done some very dramatic things with Elijah, even before his sensational translation to heaven.
Jahaziel
"The Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel... as he stood in the assembly. He said: 'Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: "Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's"'" (2 Chronicles 20:14,15).
Zechariah, Son of Jehoiada
"The Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, 'This is what God says: "Why do you disobey the LORD's commands? You will not prosper. Because you have forsaken the LORD, he has forsaken you"'" (2 Chronicles 24:20).
Verse 21 informs us that Zechariah was stoned to death by the people for this prophecy. Often there is a real price to pay in being used by the Holy Spirit.
Ezekiel
"The Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and in visions of God he took me to Jerusalem, to the entrance to the north gate of the inner court, where the idol that provokes to jealousy stood" (Ezekiel 8:3; see also 2:2; 3:12,14,24; 11:1,5,24; 37:1; 43:5).
Obviously, Ezekiel, too, had some dramatic experiences with the Holy Spirit, at least in visions. Ezekiel prophesied of the activity of the Holy Spirit in the restoration of Israel: "'I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it,' declares the LORD" (Ezekiel 37:14).
Zechariah
During the rebuilding of the temple (after the Babylonian captivity), God told Zerubbabel through Zechariah to put his confidence in the power of the Holy Spirit instead of in armies and human strength. It is something that we need to be reminded of often:
"This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my spirit,' says the LORD Almighty" (Zechariah 4:6).
The Written Word
The inspired utterances of the ancient prophets have been preserved for us in the Old Testament as part of the written Word of God. Some are direct quotations and first person accounts; others are accurate reports by faithful scribes who wrote down what the prophets (and others) said and did, transcribing them as they heard them or as the facts were revealed to them by the Spirit.
In all of this the Holy Spirit superintended the composition, preserving it from error. This is true of the New Testament as well.
In some cases the writers themselves testify to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in those utterances preserved by the Spirit in the Scriptures. Sometimes other inspired persons in the Bible testify to the inspiration of these writers. King David asserted without reservation, "The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; his word was on my tongue" (2 Samuel 23:2).
Jesus himself confirmed the fact that David spoke by the Spirit. In Mark 12:35,36 He said (in reference to David's statement in Psalm 110:1): "David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared: 'The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.'"
In Acts 1:16, Peter said: "Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the mouth of David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus."
The writer of the epistle to the Hebrews refers to Psalm 95:7-11 in this manner: "The Holy Spirit says: 'Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion'" (Hebrews 3:7,8). In other words, the Holy Spirit spoke these words by the Psalmist.
Paul testifies to the inspiration of the prophet Isaiah. In Acts 28:25 he reminds the Jewish elders at Rome of Isaiah's words, and tells them that they were the words of the Holy Spirit: "The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your forefathers." Isaiah's own testimony is found in Isaiah 48:16: "The Sovereign LORD has sent me, with his Spirit." Hebrews 10:15-17 quotes Jeremiah 31:34 as being the words of the Holy Spirit. Here, in part, is the New Testament passage:
"The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: 'This is the covenant I will make with them after that time'" (vv. 15,16).
The prophet Micah was fully aware of the divine Source of his prophecies. One can almost feel the conviction in his statement in Micah 3:8, "I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the LORD, and with justice and might."
King Nebuchadnezzar recognized the power of the Holy Spirit in Daniel, just as Pharaoh had in Joseph, though in his pagan ignorance he ascribed it to "the gods." This is what he said to Daniel (the king called him Belteshazzar): "'Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no mystery is too difficult for you' " (Daniel 4:9).
Very clearly and emphatically the New Testament teaches that the Old Testament came to us by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Here are two definitive statements:
"Prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:21).
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16 KJV).
So we get an overall picture of the Holy Spirit's work on earth in ancient times. He filled comparatively few people. He remained among the chosen nation of Israel, however. In Haggai 2:5 we read: "This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear."
At one time they "rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit. So he turned and became their enemy and he fought against them" (Isaiah 63:10).
Yet, He promised not to take His Spirit from them: "'As for me, this is my covenant with them,' says the LORD. 'My Spirit, who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth'" (Isaiah 59:21).
He had to chastise them, but all the while He was working out His vast purpose, preparing men's hearts for the glorious redemption that He had foreordained in Christ Jesus. All the while, the Holy Spirit looked forward to His own great work that was to begin on the Day of Pentecost.
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3
The Holy Spirit and Jesus
We now enter the New Testament in our study of the Holy Spirit. First, we're going to talk about the relationship of the Holy Spirit to Christ. But before we do, we should take time to notice some people in the New Testament who were filled with the Spirit even before Jesus came to earth, and long before the inauguration of the Spirit's full ministry on the Day of Pentecost.
In a real sense, these people were still living under the Old Testament arrangement. But they were directly associated with the first coming of Jesus, and so we find them in the New Testament.
Luke, "the beloved physician" (Colossians 4:4), was the inspired historian of the Early Church, writing both a Gospel and The Acts.
"Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account... so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught" (Luke 1:1-4).
One day the angel Gabriel came to a devout Jewish girl by the name of Mary with the startling announcement that she was to be the mother of the Messiah. The Holy Spirit would come upon her (Luke 1:35), and she as a virgin would bear the Son of God!
Even though the angel told her not to be afraid, Mary was troubled. To be the mother of the Messiah had been the dream of almost every Jewish girl. But a virgin birth! Would people believe her? would the religious authorities? and her own family? and Joseph--what about Joseph?
She just had to have someone to talk to, someone who just might understand. Elizabeth! She could confide in her cousin Elizabeth. But would even Elizabeth understand?
About six months previously, Elizabeth's husband, Zechariah, had experienced an unusual visitation in the temple; ever since, he had been unable to talk. And now Elizabeth--barren Elizabeth--was going to have a baby. What did all that mean?
Excited, perhaps even frightened, Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea where Elizabeth and Zechariah lived. What happened? "When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit" (Luke 1:41).
So Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and began to prophesy. The prophecy confirmed to Mary what the angel had already told her. Relieved and happy, Mary began to rejoice and magnify the Lord in the Spirit. Read about it in Luke 1:46-55.
For three months Mary stayed with Elizabeth and Zechanah. As the days went by, Elizabeth and Mary must have enjoyed many precious spiritual moments together. Something miraculous was happening, and they were personally involved!
After three months, Mary went home. Elizabeth had been blessed greatly by having her young guest around. But now she had other things to think about. Her own baby was due.
The relatives and neighbors seemed almost as thrilled as Elizabeth and Zechariah when the baby was born. A first child is exciting enough for an older couple, but when Zechariah, the baby's father, was filled with the Holy Spirit and began to prophesy, things really began to stir.
Neighborhood excitement turned to awe. Soon the hills were buzzing with the news (see Luke 1:57-80). The baby? We know him as John the Baptist. He, too, was filled with the Holy Spirit. In fact, he had the unique experience of being filled with the Spirit from his mother's womb. The angel of the Lord said so: "He will be great in the sight of the Lord... He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb" (Luke 1:15 NKJV).
Now, before we examine the relationship of the Holy Spirit to the Lord Jesus, one other person deserves our attention. His name is Simeon. The Bible says the Holy Spirit was upon him. The Spirit had let him in on a secret: Before he died he would see the Messiah!
One day Joseph and Mary brought baby Jesus to the temple. "Moved by the Spirit, [Simeon] went to the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God" (Luke 2:27,28).
The Holy Spirit must have been active in the lives of others, too, about the same time. We read of Anna, the prophetess, in Luke 2:36-38. The fact that she was a prophetess of God implies the activity of the Holy Spirit.
But our main concern now is the relationship of the Holy Spirit to our Lord Jesus Christ in His redemptive mission.
Prophecy Fulfilled
First, we will have to return briefly to the Old Testament. There we observe the Holy Spirit at work in the prophets, foretelling through them the coming of the Redeemer.
The prophets themselves did not understand the full significance of what the Spirit in them was saying when He spoke of salvation through Christ. But they were deeply interested, and searched diligently for more understanding (see 1 Peter 1:10,11). The study of these prophecies is an adventure in itself, one we will not take the time for in our present exploration.
It is relevant to our subject, however, to consider what Isaiah foretold about the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon Christ. The following are directly to the point:
"The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him--the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD" (Isaiah 11:2).
"Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations" (Isaiah 42:1).
Matthew 12:18 quotes this prophecy and declares that it was fulfilled in Jesus.
"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor"(Isaiah 61:1; see also vv. 2,3).
In Nazareth, where He had been raised, Jesus read the passage from Isaiah 61 in the synagogue, and announced to the home folks that Isaiah's prophecy was fulfilled in Him. They responded by trying to kill Him (Luke 4:16-30).
As we have noted previously, it was the Holy Spirit who accomplished the virgin birth of Jesus. God sent Gabriel to tell Mary before the miraculous conception took place (Luke 1:35). But He did not inform Joseph of the miracle until later, after Joseph discovered that his bride-to-be was expecting a child. So we read:
"This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
"But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit'" (Matthew 1:18-20).
Spirit-Led Ministry
When Jesus was about to begin His public ministry, He traveled to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. "As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased'" (Matthew 3:16,17).
This was an unlimited anointing of the Holy Spirit, as John the Baptist testified, "The one whom God has sent speaks the words of God; to him God gives the Spirit without limit" (John 3:34).
Immediately, the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the lonely wilderness. There the Savior met and defeated the temptations of Satan.
"Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil" (Luke 4:1,2).
"Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside" (Luke 4:14).
Jesus cast out devils by the power of the Spirit, telling the Pharisees, "If I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come unto you" (Matthew 12:28 KJV). In fact, all the miracles Jesus performed in His earthly ministry were done in the power of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 10:38, Peter (who was an eyewitness to those miracles) testified that "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and... he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him."
"Made Alive by the Spirit"
Then came the horrible ordeal of the Cross. But Jesus endured it to the end in the power of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit was with Him all the way. Hebrews 9:14 says that He "through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God."
And the Holy Spirit was not through yet! On the third day God, by the Holy Spirit, raised Jesus from the dead. First Peter 3:18 says, "Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit."
By the resurrection, the Holy Spirit publicly declared Christ to be innocent, just, fully exonerated. "Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit" (1 Timothy 3:16). (See also Romans 8:11.)
Before He went back into heaven, Jesus gave specific instructions to His apostles. This He did through the Holy Spirit, for we read in Acts 1:1,2: "In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen."
Without the illumination of the Holy Spirit upon their Lord's instructions, the apostles would not have grasped their full meaning or been adequately aware of their great significance.
So now we see how active the Holy Spirit was in the life, ministry, and redemptive work of Christ here on earth. But a change was coming. What is called the Church Age was about to begin. And Jesus would be among His disciples bodily no longer; He was about to ascend to the Father. Who would take His place on earth? Who would lead the Church and guide it into all truth?
The answer, of course, is the Holy Spirit. He would direct the Church. But more than that, He will come into the individual believer. Though Christ returned bodily to the right hand of the Father, He is still with us by His Spirit. In this way, He is closer to us than He could be had He remained bodily upon earth after His resurrection.