HIS SPIRIT.
After being baptized...he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him.--Matthew 3:16
I was born in a pastor's home and had heard many sermons since my earliest childhood. I still remember my dad's sermon on the mathematical impossibility of the gospel being preached to the whole world before the second coming of Christ. First, he would write on the board some formulas, which included worldwide birth and death ratios, and how it was impossible for the church to catch up with these figures. Then he would add the element of the Spirit of God (as in the time of the first century Christian church) and explain how the divine outcome could not be measured with simple math.
After Jesus was baptized, He came up from the water, the heavens opened, and Jesus saw the Spirit of God descending on Him (Matthew 3:16). Even though Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit was with Him throughout His life, He was now visibly being empowered by the Spirit to fulfill His redemptive mission. The One who would baptize with the Spirit (Matthew 3:11), was now being baptized by the Spirit at the inauguration of His public ministry. The OT prophets had announced that God's chosen Servant would be anointed by the Spirit: "Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him" (Isaiah 42:1; see also Isaiah 11:2). Jesus Himself quoted from Isaiah 61:1 in the synagogue at Nazareth and proclaimed the fulfillment of this prophecy in Him: "The SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME" (Luke 4:18). Jesus promised multiple times to provide the same Spirit to His followers. His disciples were to proclaim the good news of forgiveness of sins in Jesus' name only after being empowered by the Spirit from on high (Luke 24:47-49). We can't measure our ability to do our calling and God-given tasks with our own strength, because we will always become anxious and worried if we do. Those who believe in Jesus have the promise of the Holy Spirit, whose power enables us to proclaim the gospel boldly. Let's ask for a daily filling of God's Spirit!
My Response:______________________________________________________________