Imparting the Spirit

Behold, My Servant whom I have chosen; My beloved in whom My soul is well-pleased; I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He shall proclaim justice to the Gentiles (Matthew 12:18).

This quote from Isaiah 42:1-4 is yet another proof of the reality of the holy Trinity to those of the Old and New Testaments. God the Father speaks of Christ, His Son, who would be empowered by the Holy Spirit. But this raises another series of questions that cause us to pause at the mystery of the divine Godhead. Since Christ is God, as the Father and Spirit are God, why should He need to be filled with the Holy Spirit since He shares in the divine nature and essence of God with the Spirit? Since Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit in His mother’s womb, wouldn’t He already be imbued with the Holy Spirit?

Jesus was born with a human nature and a divine nature. His divine nature was always in unbroken unity with the Father and Spirit. His divine nature is what made Him God. His human nature was also in unbroken unity with the Father, but only because the Father had put His Spirit upon Him in the womb of Mary. His divine nature did not need Spiritual assistance. His human nature did. This made Jesus fully divine, fully human. He could be tempted in every area of life as a human, yet without sin because He is God (Hebrews 4:15). As a human, Jesus grew in wisdom, stature, and in favor with God and man (Luke 2:52). He had all the attributes of humanity without the presence or power of sin - emotions, will, intellect, etc. Because of the filling of the Holy Spirit in Him, His humanity functioned in full concert with His divinity.

In His public ministry, the power of the indwelling Spirit in His humanity allowed Him knowledge and understanding and power in all things necessary to fulfill His mission. 

When a person comes to faith in Jesus Christ, he/she is given a new nature (2 Corinthians 5:17). The old nature is still there, but it fights against the new nature and the new nature against the old nature. The one we surrender to determines if we become victorious over temptation and sin or if we succumb to them. Jesus never surrendered to temptation or sin (see again Hebrews 4:15). But we have the same Holy Spirit in us as Jesus had in His life here. The Holy Spirit lives in us to strengthen, encourage, and empower us to live the Christ-life. This is why the Apostle Paul could say, I can do all things through Him who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13). This is why every Christian can say it as well.

“Father, may Your Holy Spirit continue to encourage me every day to trust in Jesus completely so that I may live for Him and not for sin. Fill me again so that in my life the remainder of today I may be found pleasing in Your sight. To the honor and glory of Jesus Christ I ask, Amen.”

Pastor