The presence of the Spirit of God, according to the Old Testament promises, will be a fundamental fact in the life of the Messiah and the people of the new covenant.
The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament
The prophet Isaiah says: But from the stump of Isaï a scion shoots up, a shoot of his roots comes to fruition. The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and understanding, a spirit of strength and wise policy, a spirit of knowledge and reverence for the LORD." (Isa. 11:1-2)
And the same prophet Isaiah speaks of the Messiah's mission in Isa. 61:1 as follows: 'The spirit of God the LORD rests on me, for the LORD has anointed me. To bring the good news to the poor he sent me, to offer hope to beaten hearts, to make known to prisoners their release and to the chained their deliverance.
And the prophet Ezekiel prophesies about the people of the new covenant: 'I will give you my spirit and see to it that you live according to my laws and observe my rules. (Eze.36:27)'
And the prophet Joel prophesies about the coming day of the Lord: 'Then this will take place: I will pour out my spirit on all that lives. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, old people will dream, and young people will see visions; Even over slaves and slave women I will pour out my spirit at that time. (Joel 3:1-2)'
So both in the life of the Messiah and in the life of his people, the Spirit of God will play a crucial and fundamental role. And that is exactly what we see in the lives of Jesus and his followers.
The role of the Holy Spirit in the life of Jesus
The angel says to 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 in 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 how the Spirit of God descended 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.
Preparing for the ascension of Jesus
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.
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