A look at the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of Christ will help the believers learn how to depend on the Spirit in their own lives. This is essential!
Introduction
Have you ever wondered why Christ was very successful during His earthly life and ministry? It was because He had the Spirit with Him at all times.
The Holy Spirit worked very closely with Jesus Christ during Christ’s earthly life and ministry. The Spirit was His closest companion from His conception to death and resurrection.
This lesson goes through the life and ministry of Christ chronologically to show this intimate relationship. The more we know about this, the more successful we will be in the Christian walk.
This lesson serves as the background for the next one which discusses the currents roles of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the believers. At the end of the lesson, you will see why God gives the Holy Spirit to the believers, and how you can begin to draw strength from Him day by day.
Hope it ministers to you.
Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit
The following section outlines the roles of the Holy Spirit in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, from incarnation to glorification. As you go through the list, think about how some of these can happen in your own life:
Christ’s Incarnation:
The Holy Spirit was involved in the incarnation of Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 10:5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me
Christ’s Conception:
The Spirit was actively involved on the conception of Christ. Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit.
Luke 1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
Matthew 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
Christ’s Growth:
The growth of Christ was enhanced by the Holy Spirit
Luke 2:40 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.
Christ’s Baptism:
The Holy Spirit was present and actively involved during the water baptism of Jesus Christ.
Luke 3:21-22 Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, 22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
This event put to shame those who disagree with the biblical teaching on the Trinity. This is the Godhead individually present in three Persons in different locations at the same time – hard to disprove.
See also: Matthew 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22; John 1:32-33.
Christ’s Temptation:
Right after His baptism, Christ was tempted by the Devil. But notice that Christ was lead to the wilderness by the Spirit to be tempted of the Devil:
Mark 1:12-13 And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness. And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.
Luke 4:1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
We know how Christ defeated the Devil – not by His own strength though He was fully Man and fully God, but by the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God:
Matthew 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Matthew 4:7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
Matthew 4:10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Christ’s Public Ministry
The Holy Spirit was involved in the launch and execution of Christ’s public ministry
Luke 4:14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.
Luke 4:18-19 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
Christ’s Miracles
The Spirit was working in Christ in all that He did. He performed miracles “by the Spirit of God”.
Matthew 12:28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
Christ’s Sacrifice / Death
It was through the Holy Spirit that Christ offered Himself.
Hebrews 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
The context of the question in the above verse is the author comparing the animal sacrifices made under the Law to the ultimate sacrifice of Christ on the cross. But the point to note is that Christ offered Himself “through the eternal Spirit”.
Even while Christ was dead, the Spirit never left Him.
Christ’s Resurrection
The Holy Spirit was right there and actively involved in the resurrection of Christ.
Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
The above verse is also a great assurance of the resurrection of the believers.
Christ Glorification
The Spirit proceeded to glorify Christ even now…
John 16:13-14 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
See also: John 15:26.
What’s in this for You?
Have you ever wondered why God gave us the Holy Spirit when we believed?
If Christ, though He was fully man and fully God during His earthly life and ministry, still depended on the power of the Holy Spirit, how much more should we who are weak in the flesh need the Holy Spirit?
God knows that Christ in the flesh would do well if accompanied by an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit. This teaches us (the believers) the need to be constantly filled with the Holy Spirit and depend on His strength to take us through the Christian journey.
If we recognize our brokenness, and depend on the power of the Holy Spirit, we will experience rapid growth and tremendous fruitfulness in our Christian lives. This is exactly why the Spirit was given to the believers.
In other to attain the victorious Christian life and fulfill their God-given destinies, the believers are to be regularly endued with the power of the Holy Spirit.
Luke 24:49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
Ephesians 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
The Believers and the Holy Spirit
Just as the earthy life and ministry of Christ began and ended with the Holy Spirit, the Christian life is to function by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit currently plays these roles in the lives of the Christians similar to what He did in the life of Christ. He is active at every stage of the Christian life.
To that effect, next week Lesson will focus on the functions of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the believers. The lesson will enlighten the believers regarding who they are, what they have in Christ, and how they can draw strength from the Holy Spirit on a daily basis.
Thank you for reading!
