(3) The Spirit and the Lord Jesus

The words pneuma and ruach reveal the characteristics of the Holy Spirit

The Spirit’s Role in Creation - Order from Chaos

The Spirit’s Role in the Old Covenant

The Spirit Unveils the Face of God

The Spirit is working to reveal the face of God that we might find security and grace in the Lord. Throughout the Old Testament there are revelations of the face of the Father as the Spirit does in the Old Testament the kinds of things a father does for his children.

Giving wisdom

Revealing the word of God

Giving gifts and abilities

The exodus is the result of the Spirit’s ministry

The fullness of the Spirit was not given to all believers

The Spirit brings God’s people rest

The Spirit and the Lord Jesus

“The Old Testament may be likened to a chamber richly furnished but dimly lighted; the introduction of light brings into it nothing which was not in it before; but it brings out into clearer view much of what is in it but was only dimly or even not at all perceived before. The mystery of the Trinity is not revealed in the Old Testament; but the mystery of the Trinity underlies the Old Testament revelation, and here and there almost comes into view. Thus the Old Testament revelation of God is not corrected by the fuller revelation that follows it, but only perfected, extended and enlarged.” —Benjamin B. Warfied, “The Biblical Doctrine of the Trinity,” in Biblical Doctrines, The Works of Benjamin B. Warfield, vol. 2 (New York: Oxford University Press, 1932; reprint, Grand Rapids: Baker, 2003), 141-42.

The same God of the Old Testament is the God of the New Testament: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The OT believers were living as if in a darkened room. But at times the truth of the trinity burst forth like a light being turned on in a room. Peter speaks of Isaiah in Isaiah 52-53 and of their wondering when this would be fulfilled. And thus the principle of progressive revelation helps us to understand that the Lord, little by little, unfolds his true character and his glorious triune being. (1 Peter 1:10-12)

Jesus is the one who reveals the Father. Jesus in the upper room tells the disciples that he and the Father are one in John 10:30. The Sermon on the Mount has more references to knowing God than in the whole of the OT. He is the Father as creator, the Father who created Israel and brought them out of bondage. In the OT there are few references to God as Father (Is 63:16-17; 64:8-9). The same is true of references to the Holy Spirit. And yet in John 14:10-31, Jesus says to Philip that you can know the Father and then tells them that another helper is coming, the Spirit of truth. The Spirit dwells with you and will be in you John 14:17).

Notice that Jesus reveals the Father and the Holy Spirit. You know the Spirit for he dwells with you and will be in you. Is this a comparison of the Old Covenant and the New Covenant? Ferguson says that Jesus meant that they knew the Spirit since the Spirit was with them in the person and in the ministry of Jesus. Everything Jesus did he did in the power and companionship of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is saying that just as you have seen the Father by seeing me you have seen the Spirit by seeing me. They have seen what it means to have fellowship with the Father since they have seen it in Jesus and now Jesus is saying that the same is true of the Spirit. They have seen who he is and what he does as you have watched my ministry. This is the Spirit who will dwell in you.

There were OT prophecies about this. Isaiah is the prophet who makes Christ and the ministry of the Spirit in relationship to Jesus the clearest. Is 11: 2-3. The Spirit will rest upon him… The servant of the Lord in Is 42 - he is introduced by the one on whom the Lord has put his Spirit. Is 61, The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me. These prophecies point forward to something special.

All through Jesus’ life and ministry the Spirit is upon him. The Holy Spirit is the lifelong companion, supporter, encourager, counselor and director of the lord Jesus. So often believers are concerned about what the Holy Spirit is doing in them and the focus of the last century is on the things of the Holy Spirit in the believer but He is more than a power who does powerful things, he is a person and the most important thing about his person and what he has done is that he was with the Lord Jesus throughout his earthly ministry. The Spirit was his constant companion and Ferguson would say, “even his very best friend.”

The Spirit and his relationship with the Lord Jesus

How the Father works through the life of the Lord Jesus in the companionship of the Holy Spirit. In the gospels there are four points in the 33 years of his ministry that this is especially seen. His birth and infancy, his inauguration to public ministry, during this public ministry and his work, his passion, his resurrection, his ascension.

The infancy and childhood of Jesus

Luke 1:31-35 tells us that the Holy Spirit was engaged in the life and humanity of Jesus. The Spirit came upon Mary and overshadowed her. The last in a series of childless women that the Spirit enables to conceive and this is not a barren woman but a virgin woman. The language reminds us of Genesis 1:2 and the darkness of the created mass and the Spirit does its most significant work where prying eyes can never see. Creation, the conception of Jesus, the resurrection, regeneration of believers. He loves to do things in personal secrecy. This is part of his humility and modesty. He is beginning a new creation. He brought order out of disorder, fullness out of emptiness at creation and now he comes to a disordered world with no capacity to save itself, a world of emptiness and barrenness that can contribute nothing to its salvation, to a virgin girl who has no capacity to give birth to a savior. He has come to the humanity of Mary , he has brought to conception the sinless son of God. There is an echo also of the Shekinah glory cloud hovering over the exodus. He now hovers over the virgin to signal another deliverance, this is the one who brings the true exodus, not just physical but an exodus from spiritual bondage. Jesus’ first sermon is pointing to the Spirit. The Spirit was the companion of the Savior from his very conception. The Spirit was personally there with Jesus. The Spirit given to me was the Spirit who knew the Lord Jesus from conception.

Luke 2: Jesus in the Temple. Jesus was not with his parents and the last place they look is the Temple. Luke 2:48-49. Jesus, I must be in my Father’s house. Why is it that Jesus not being disobedient when he says this to his parents. His parents had taught him that the place where he would see the face of God was the Temple. Ps 27:8, your face do I seek. The Spirit unveils the face of the Father and so Luke makes clear in v 52 that the Spirit was upon Jesus who increased in favor with God. This means that Jesus was walking step by step in fellowship with the Spirit who gave him wisdom as Isaiah promised. The relationship between Jesus and the Spirit is described by John as the counselor, the paraclet, the companion, the supporter, the guide, the friend. The Spirit was his nearest and dearest companion.

His Inauguration to Public Ministry

The second phase was at his baptism and temptations. Luke 4:1 was led by the Spirit into the wilderness for 40 days. At his baptism he was filled with the Spirit and then led by the Spirit. His baptism and temptations are a unique work of the Spirit in Jesus’ life. We speak of the Spirit helping us to avoid temptation but with Jesus the Spirit strengthened Him in temptation.