The Role & Work of the Holy Spirit in the Life of Jesus ChristLord's Library

Lord’s Library contributor Lonetta Key wrote this concise Scripture-based commentary on the Holy Spirit in the Life of Jesus Christ. Check out Lonetta’s blog: Living Before God’s Face. Lord’s Library’s Ministry Leaders Series is a collection of contributed articles written by ministry leaders on key Christian topics.

I have recently been contemplating the participation of the Holy Spirit in the life of Jesus Christ. His influence was very prominent from Jesus’ conception all through His ministry.

The Holy Spirit came upon Mary to impregnate her. See Matthew 1:18, 20: “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. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.”

Matthew 4:1 says “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.” Luke 4:1-2 says “And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.” I am of the opinion that the presence and filling of the Holy Spirit was pivotal in Jesus’ ability to fast for such an extensive period of time and resist every temptation Satan proffered.

Then in Luke 4:14 we read: “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.” Again in verse 18 Jesus says: “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,”

And according to verses 33-42 in this same chapter, it was after this that He was empowered to perform miracles:

Luke 4:33-42: “And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice, Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not. And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out. And the fame of him went out into every place of the country round about. And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon’s house. And Simon’s wife’s mother was taken with a great fever; and they besought him for her. And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them. Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them. And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ. And when it was day, he departed and went into a desert place: and the people sought him, and came unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart from them.”

Peter validates the presence of the Holy Spirit in the Lord’s earthly sojourn when he says in Acts 10:38: “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”

Holy Spirit in the Life of Jesus

The Holy Spirit’s work was also apparent in the resurrection. Romans 8:11 says: “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.” And Peter tells us in his first book, chapter 3, verse 18: “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:”

The aid of the Holy Spirit was a constant and very evident in Jesus’ life from its inception through His ascension. In Acts 1:8 right before returning to His Father in Heaven, Jesus affirms the assistance of the Holy Spirit in the spreading of the Gospel by telling the apostles: “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

So the question becomes If the manifestation of the Holy Spirit was essential in the earthly life of the Divine, only begotten Son of God, is it not even much more an important necessity for our lives? The Holy Spirit is a gift given to all believers at the time of conversion. But have you fully opened that gift? I referred to Romans 8:11 earlier but it ultimately says “he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.”

Have you activated Him in your life? After telling His audience in Luke 11:13 that if they know how to give good gifts to their children, …“how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?”

So note that it behooves us to petition God on a continual basis for that amazing power.

Even though He was God’s Son, He was also God in the flesh and the Holy Spirit being upon Him was essential for Him to accomplish His mission. If the working of the Holy Spirit was so needed and potent and apparent in Jesus how much more vital and imperative is it that we avail ourselves fully of this awesome entity.

In closing I am sharing the attention-grabbing and provocative words of Paul in Ephesians 3:16: “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;”

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Lonetta Key

Founder at Living Before God's Face

Lonetta's father was a Pastor so she grew up in church and become a Christian at a very early age. She has been active in Christ's ministry all her life in a variety of venues like keynote speaking for churches, woman's ministry, Sunday School teacher, and more. Lonetta also toured the US giving Gospel concerts for two years, and posts regularly to her Christian website. She has two wonderful sons and two lovely grandsons.