(7) The Spirit and the Lord Jesus

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.

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

The Spirit in the life of Jesus

Luke 10:21 - Jesus has sent out the disciples, a larger group than the apostles, and they are thrilled by what they have done. Even the demons are subject to us in your name. Satan fell from heaven. You have power over the enemy. But rejoice that your names are written in heaven. Power gifts are not necessarily signs of saving grace. In that same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit. I thank you Father that you have hidden… Suddenly Jesus brings us into a different order of being. He has heard of the power of the Spirit in the disciples. He rejoices. The relationship hidden under the gospels suddenly bursts forth. We don’t need to explain ourselves to the closest of friends. The Spirit has been present since the moment of his conception. He’s marvelling at what the Holy Spirit is doing. He thanks the Father for this. A moment when Jesus is in communion with the Spirit experiencing joy and in communion with the Father. The Father has worked through the Spirit to bring people to faith in the Lord Jesus. This gives Jesus joy and thankfulness. Ferguson calls this a moment of moments within the gospels.(5 - 15:16)

Luke 12:10 - Jesus will say that it’s one thing to speak against the Son of Man but to speak against or blaspheme the Spirit will not be forgiven. That resistance to the ministry of the Spirit that refuses to recognize that the power of the kingdom of God has been released in the Lord Jesus. We are to yield to and to trust in the Lord Jesus. Jesus has thanked the Father for the Spirit is doing. He is rejoicing in what the Spirit is doing. When one resists the Holy Spirit one is resisting God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit and refusing to allow the Lord Jesus joy. The simple difference between being a believer and not a believer. We have as believers a longing that our lives should bring joy to the Lord. To refuse joy to the Lord Jesus is a heinous sin since bringing joy to the Lord Jesus is what the heavenly Father most wants. Hebrews 12, for the joy set before him Jesus endured the cross and despised the shame. God has exalted him and given him a name above every other name, every knee should bow and tongue confess. The Father’s desire is that Jesus should have inexpressible joy and to resist the Spirit who seeks to bring that joy to Jesus by bringing us in faith and in humility to Jesus is to commit that blaspheme against the Spirit that will never be forgiven. In Luke 2:52 Jesus grew in favor with God and man. As greater temptations, greater challenges came his way, as Jesus in the power of the Spirit overcame these challenges he grew more and more and more in favor with his heavenly Father. The Spirit was saying I am going to enable Jesus in his humanity, so to fulfill all obedience and all faith that the Father will be able to say, Lord Jesus you are growing in favor with me. The love that a young married couple has for each other is a shadow of the love they will have years later. We love the other with all our hearts but as we get to know them we have more and more reason to love them even more. Jesus himself says that the Father’s love for him and favor for him as the Holy Spirit sustained him in his obedience was never greater than at that point when the Father’s smile was turned away from his Son. John - the reason my Father loves me is because I lay down my life for the sheep. This is the point where, if said humanly, with a breaking heart the heavenly Father would say, “If ever I loved thee, my Jesus tis now.” This is what the Holy Spirit is promoting, not just that Jesus should be able to accomplish our salvation but that the relationship that has existed since before all eternity among the Father, the Son and the Spirit, would be the “unbearable ecstasy in mutual devotion in love. That it should actually be manifested in the lord Jesus so that in him we see the wonder of the relationship between the Father and the Son because of the power of the Holy Spirit. And we begin to see the intimacy of the Lord Jesus with the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit’s intimacy with the Lord Jesus that fill us with awe and wonder when we remember that this is the Holy Spirit that the Lord Jesus has given to us. His meekness, his grace, the way that he loves (1 Cor 13), the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5) is really a description of the Lord Jesus because the Spirit who was there at the very beginning of the incarnation of Jesus and who sustained him through infancy and childhood and anointed him for ministry and sustained him every moment. Watching over him while he slept and when he woke allowed him to be in conscious communion with the Father because Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit and he went about doing good because by the Spirit Jesus is good. In the Chronicles of Narnia, is Aslan safe, no, but he is good, he’s very good. That’s the fruit of the Spirit in the Lord Jesus. And that’s why we love the Spirit. May we be able to say that by the Spirit our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus.

The Spirit in the Life of Jesus as Sustainer

The fourth point in Jesus’ ministry. Sustaining him. The Spirit was present at his conception, his baptism, his temptations and ministry and at the end of his life and ministry. Hebrews 9:14 - the blood of animals symbolically represented the forgiveness of sins, “that Christ through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God”. He was sustained by the Holy Spirit. The relationship of the Father and Son in Psalm 22:1, forsaken, the Spirit was sustaining Him. The mystery of Jesus, even as he was under the judgment of God as our sin bearer, he was being sustained by the Spirit. What is true of his crucifixion and sacrifice on the cross is also true of his resurrection. Romans 1:4, Jesus was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead. Paul is saying that Spirit was also involved in the resurrection of Jesus in addition to the Father. The Spirit sustained Jesus in his weakness but now in his resurrection the Spirit engages him in extraordinary transforming power and he is raised from among the dead. In his ascension something happens, Acts 1:8, Jesus says that they will receive power. A cloud takes him out of their sight. This cloud is the glory cloud of God, in the Exodus, in the transfiguration, that symbolizes the presence of God’s Holy Spirit. The Spirit who has been Jesus’ constant companion is now “the chariot driver” taking Jesus home to Glory. Psalm 24, who is the King of glory? And the answer is given by the Host of Heaven as Jesus ascends in the Elijah like majesty. The Spirit is saying, “open up the gates and let the King of Glory come in.”

Jesus is conceived by the power of the Spirit, he is sustained by the power of the Spirit, he is succoured on the cross by the Spirit, he is vindicated by the power, he is taken home in glory by the power.

Paul reflects on the inner significance of all of these aspects of the relationship between the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit. In 1 Cor 15:42-49 Paul speaks of the nature of the resurrection body. Sown perishable, raised imperishable, sown in dishonor, raised in glory (from the resurrection of Jesus). Sown in dishonor, died under the curse of God on the cross of Calvary. Sown in dishonor, raised in glory, Sown in weakness, raised in power. Sown a natural body, raised a spiritual body. Thus it is written, the first man Adam became a living being, the last Adam became a life giving Spirit so as the man of the dust (Adam) and as is the man of heaven (Jesus). We bore the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. 2 Cor 3:16-18 - When one turns to the Lord the veil is removed. The whole Bible has been pointing to Jesus. With unveiled face we behold the glory of the Lord. This comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. Paul is saying that throughout the course of his life Jesus has been the companion of the Spirit and the Spirit the companion of Jesus. There was complete harmony, so much so that Jesus that when Jesus sends the Spirit it is like sending Himself.

God has embedded in his created order hints of this harmony. How long until we understand why these people married each other? Married people look like each other. Owners look like their dogs. There’s no need to explain, they both think the same. If it’s true for us, imagine the intimacy between the Spirit and the Savior. And this harmony has been eternal. Father, will you give them the Spirit that you gave to me? At Pentecost Jesus sends his own Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of Christ. John 14:17 - you know you for he dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you. More than resurrection, I will come through my own Holy Spirit who will dwell in your life. He will be with you forever.

The ministry of the Spirit in the life of Jesus. How many Holy Spirits are there? One. We have the Spirit, Jesus was filled with the Spirit. The Spirit who comes is one and the same Spirit that came in the womb of Mary and was with Jesus and is with Jesus. As believers, we are all indwelt with the same Holy Spirit. We must never treat another believer in an ungodly way.

We don’t focus our attention on us but on what the Holy Spirit means to the Lord Jesus.