Digging Deeper: The Spirit of the Lord is Upon Me
1 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness . . . 14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. 15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.
Luke 4:1, 14-15 (ESV)
THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME
We begin this week’s study at the onset of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Jesus is baptized in the River Jordan by John the Baptist, filled with the Holy Spirit, and driven by the Spirit into the wilderness (Luke 3:21–22; 4:1; see also Mark 1:9–13). In the wilderness, Jesus endures forty days of fasting and is subject to temptation by Satan (Luke 4:1–11). Note that Luke emphasizes that Jesus is “full of the Holy Spirit” as he begins his trial in the desert (4:1).
The Spirit of God dwells in the human body of Jesus, just as the Spirit indwells those who confess Jesus as Lord and Savior. After the Last Supper, Jesus tells his disciples, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever . . . You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you” (John 14:16–17b). Jesus then returns to Galilee fully “empowered” by the Holy Spirit to begin his earthly ministry. He teaches in the synagogues, and news of his works and glory spreads widely (4:14–15). You may be wondering what it means to be “empowered” by the Holy Spirit. Glad you asked . . .
Jesus promises his disciples that the Father would give them “another Helper, to be with you forever” (John 14:16b). That Helper is the Holy Spirit. At the moment of salvation, the Holy Spirit indwells every believer and empowers each of us in many ways. The Holy Spirit testifies that we are adopted children—and therefore heirs—in the family of God (Rom. 8:16). Paul reminds the church in Rome that “by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (Rom. 15:13). When we struggle in prayer, “the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (Rom. 8:26). Our minds are opened to spiritual truths—“interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual” (1 Cor. 2:13). Jesus also tells his disciples that, by the power of the Spirit, they will be his “witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
As believers, we are sealed by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13) and are fellow heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:17) in the family of God. This adoption into the family of believers gives us eternal hope through the power of the Spirit. The Spirit empowers us to speak directly with God in prayer. We are also gifted by the Spirit—to one degree or another—to interpret the Scriptures. We use this gift not only to enlighten our fellow believers, but also to witness to those we encounter. Jesus begins his ministry “full of the Holy Spirit,” and we should have confidence in the power of that same Holy Spirit who indwells us.
The gifts of the Spirit vary widely among believers; however, the “fruit of the Spirit” should be universal among all believers. Being “in step” with the Spirit means displaying the many attributes listed in Galatians 5:22–23. As Max Lucado succinctly notes, “These are indicators on our spiritual dashboards. So whenever we sense them, we know we are walking in the Spirit. Whenever we lack them, we know we are out of step with the Spirit. Keep in step with the Spirit.”
Digging Deeper (er):
Ezekiel 36:26-27; Acts 10:38; 1 Corinthians 6:19
Phil Meade is a father of 3, and grandfather of 5. He has a Masters Degree in Theological Studies from Liberty University, and lives in Acworth. He has led various small groups throughout his more than 20 years attending NS. He retired after 8 years as an Air Force pilot, and 33 years as a Delta pilot.