Jesus, the Annointed
Last week was a deeply meaningful time as the church of God focused and reflected on the death and resurrection of our Savior. We attended a service on Maundy Thursday where we were reminded how He demonstrated his servant heart and how to love one another, by washing His disciple’s feet.
On Good Friday our attention was riveted on the cross and the terrible price Jesus paid for our sin. Then after a quiet Saturday, we had the joy of celebrating the world changing event of the resurrection of Jesus. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!
In light of this sacred season of remembering His death and celebrating His life, I think it is also appropriate to honor the role of the Spirit in helping Jesus to die and raising Him from the dead. The Spirit has always been the quiet, and yet powerful presence, in the life and ministry of Jesus, especially during this Holy week.
The Eternal Spirit helped Jesus offer Himself, submit to the will of the Father, and die for our sins. “How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” (Hebrews 9:14)
When his closest disciples slept or betrayed Him in the Garden of Gethsemane, the Spirit was ever at His side. Perhaps the Spirit was comforting Him, or maybe He was helping Him pray, but the Divine Comforter and Paraclete helped Jesus utter words of complete submission, which led our salvation, “Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” (Luke 22:42)
Three days later, this same powerful Spirit of life, visited the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea and raised Jesus from the dead. “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” (Romans 8:11)
After He was raised, Jesus spent 40 days teaching and encouraging his disciples. He then instructed them to tarry in Jerusalem until the Spirit of God would come upon them. For He knew they needed the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit, just as He did.
“In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (Acts 1:1-5)
Seven days later the Spirit descended at Pentecost and the fearful disciples were transformed into world-changers. “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
From Birth
Jesus was conceived by the Spirit, filled with the Spirit, and anointed by the Spirit for the work of God. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed” (Luke 4:18)
If you have an appetite to learn more about the Spirit of God that empowered Jesus and transformed the early church, I have attached a study on the Good Spirit as a Word file and as a PDF. I checked the word count for the 20 lessons and it is 77% scripture and 23% headings along with minimal commentary from me. I hope it will encourage, edify, and bless you in understanding more about the person and work of God the Spirit.
Download the PDF file here.
Download the Word document here.
“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” (2 Corinthians 13:14 NLT)
Steve
PS. As I have pondered the Spirit’s role in the death and resurrection of Jesus, I am reminded of the words of Paul as he describes our baptism. “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” (Romans 6:3-5)
If you have ever been baptized by immersion, it is a strange and yet wonderful experience as you identify with the death and resurrection of Jesus in a unique way. Having your hands folded over your breast and allowing someone else to lower you into the water, as if you are being placed into a casket, makes you feel helpless. Then when you are fully immersed, this same person lifts you bodily out of the water. This person who is administering the baptism, represents the Holy Spirit.