Part 2 of 10 of the theme 'The Holy Spirit in the NT ' by Gijs van den Brink
Last time we read about the promise of the Holy Spirit in the OT and concluded that the Spirit will play a crucial fundamental role in the life of the Messiah. And that is exactly what we see in the life of Jesus when we read the NT.
The angel tells Joseph when Mary is pregnant:
Mat.1:20 "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take your wife Mary with you, for the child she is carrying was conceived by the Holy Spirit.
So Jesus was born of Mary, but conceived by the Holy Spirit.
And also at the next important event in Jesus' life, his baptism, the Holy Spirit has a central role.
We read the following in Mat. 3:16-17: "As soon as Jesus was baptized and came up out of the water, heaven opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending on him like a dove.
After this begins the public ministry of Jesus, a ministry of proclamation, but also of redemption, deliverance and healing.
And how does that deliverance happen? Jesus says, "If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you. (Mat. 12:28)
So the Holy Spirit also plays a vital role in his public ministry.
In the Gospel after John, Jesus prepares his disciples for his departure. He talks to them a lot about the other Comforter, the other Helper who will come after he has gone. He says, "Then I will ask the Father to give you another Helper [advocate] who will always be with you: the Spirit of truth. (John 14:16; cf. 14:26; 15:26; 16:7)
Not only does Jesus say that even after his departure the Holy Spirit will remain central, but nowhere in the NT is it more evident than here that the Holy Spirit is a person.
So we see that at key moments in Jesus' life and ministry, the Holy Spirit plays a leading role. This is at His birth, His baptism, His ministry on earth and His replacement after His ascension.
Next time, more on the Spirit after Jesus' resurrection.
Author: Gijs van den Brink
From: Study Bible Magazine
This is part 2 of 10 concise blog on the topic of "The Holy Spirit in the NT" from Study Bible Magazine, Some of which we will be posting online in the near future. We hope this will help you understand the Bible better!
