The Spirit's Activity in Jesus' Life

The Spirit in the New Testament

“Jesus’ origins are traced to the creative work of the Spirit”

Texts:

Matthew 1:18 - The Spirit is Creator

Luke 3:21-22 - Recall of Genesis 1:2

Luke 4:1 - Jesus’ empowerment

Luke 10:21

Jim - Not a Christian, But I’m Spiritual (I look inward and I do that)

Religion (Sharonism - I look inward and I do that)

Is it possible we have function sharonism tendencies?

Intro Ideas:

People often have one of two responses to the Spirit

We pretend the spirit doesn’t exist (he sits there but doesn’t really do anything; not particularly active)

We associate the spirit with only the extravagant (pentecostal)

Possible Points:

The Spirit points to Jesus

The Spirit is both present and empowering

Being like Jesus means depending on the Spirit

The Spirit leads to greater things

CONCEPTS:

a.

b. Kenosis (emptying) - Phil. 2:5-11

Jesus did not depend on his divinity. Instead he choose to withhold himself from it.

Which means even though Jesus is God, he is not assuming the power of God. Rather, he is living as a human with dependency on the Holy Spirit

Why Jesus takes on the form of a Baby

Think about Jesus in the desert - tempted by the devil

Think about the Last Supper with his disciples

Think about the Cross - If Jesus is God, couldn’t he have taken himself down

Jesus withheld his divinty to participate in humanity. If that’s true, how did he do so many remarkable things? What about miracles? Healings? Demons cast out? It wasn’t his divinity he was relying on but the Holy Spirit

Story: Building with legos with Theo as compared to Building with real construction materials. I reject those things so that I can show Theo what’s possible in his state as a child

Jesus self empties so to show humanity that he 1) can relate to all of humanity and 2) show humanity was possible with dependency on the Holy Spirit

Part of our discipleship to the way of Jesus is looking at Jesus and emulating our lives after him - Becoming like him

Discipleship - This Christoformity leads us to a deep dependency on the Holy Spirit. Humility to recognize this

If I am to live the life that is formed in the image of Christ, I must be dependent on the Spirit

c.. Greater Things

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Bible Project

Spirit “Pneuma” - Wind, Breath, Spirit

Matthew + Luke

Creator Spirit (The spirit is not just present in the beginning but he is present when things have gone terribly wrong)

The spirit of God hovers over the water is the same language as the spirit coming on Jesus at his baptism

Baptism is a clear depiction of the trinity

Spirit is the distinct personal presence of God

Luke uses led by the spirit, speaks by the spirit, full of the spirit

Jesus is soaked with the spirit

New creation is connected with the spirit

Pentecost - Ruach - he breathed on them