The Holy Spirit in Christ
Before Luke tells us of the temptations of Jesus, he very simply states, “And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan...” I never spent much time paused on the idea of Jesus being filled with the Holy Spirit. Jesus was and is God, a part of the Holy Trinity. Yet, we have an account of the very public indwelling of the Holy Spirit within him, the man. I think I sort of dismissed this event as only being important to the people who witnessed the baptism of Jesus. The dove, the voice from Heaven declaring Jesus to be the Son of God, these symbols made an impression upon those who stood on the banks of the Jordan River, but what do they mean to you and me? Were they simply revelations of divinity we take for granted, or could they hold more meaning?
David Guzik made a comment on these verses which greatly impacted my view of the historical record of Jesus’ baptism and indwelling of the Holy Spirit. He wrote, “We can say — certainly for the most part, and perhaps entirely — that Jesus lived His life and performed His ministry as a Spirit-filled man, choosing not to rely on the resources of His divine nature, but willingly limiting Himself to what could be done by the guidance of God the Father and the empowering of God the Holy Spirit.”
That Jesus stepped away from his Heavenly power has been expressed since his days on this earth. However, this power was within him. He was fully God and fully man. Colossians 2:8-10 tells us, “See to it that no one makes a prey of you by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fulness of deity dwells bodily, and you have come to fulness of life in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.” Jesus encompasses the whole fulness of deity. Imagine having that power and willfully denying it so that you could be a leader normal people could turn to. As Hebrews 4:15 declares, “For we have not a high priest (Jesus) who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sinning.”
Jesus taught us how to live in such a way that we have no excuse. He did not set an example that was completely unattainable. Instead, he showed us how to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit at the direction of God. If he had not denied his deity, we would be tempted to excuse his way of living as only achievable by God Himself. Instead, his sacrifice of unlimited power shows us the power of the Holy Spirit working through flesh. We have no power apart from God. We cannot part the sea or heal the sick. For God, these are trivial tasks. God spent all of history proving to mankind that He works through weak and broken (but willing) vessels. In Christ, He proved His commitment to being relatable to His children. We can live as peacemakers, humble, faithful, and self-controlled – not because we have the power to do any of these things but – because these are the evidence of the Holy Spirit within us. What will God do through you?
(Written by Keegan Harkins.)
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