Who is the Holy Spirit?
God the Father is all-powerful and all-knowing. He is the Creator of all things. No one can ever look upon God and live because He is completely holy. So, by His abundant grace, God the Father made part of Himself physically seen by His Son, Jesus Christ, who is mysteriously the same person as Him. Together, as Father and Son, He has one more aspect of Himself – the Holy Spirit, who submits to both.
Do you feel a bit tired just trying to comprehend that thought, and yet, at the same time, feel in awe of this great God?
We’ve explored aspects of Jesus Christ and God the Father this year, which leads us to the question of, “Who is the Holy Spirit and how does He fit into this picture?”
The Triune God, meaning three-in-one (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) has been in existence forever. So, the Holy Spirit has always been part of God’s being. You can see a hint of this when God created the heavens and the earth. He said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, all the earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.” Genesis 1:26 (bold added)
God referred to Himself as Us, not me, showing the various persons of Himself. Records of Holy Spirit’s work in people is written throughout multiple accounts in the Old Testament. It was known that the Spirit would come upon people in a time of need, in order to fulfill an assignment for the Lord.
Ex.
Othniel – Judges 3:10 (Judge)
Gideon – Judges 6:34 (Warrior)
Ezekiel – Ezekiel 2:2 (Prophet)
When Jesus came to live on this earth as a man, the Trinity continued to reveal Himself. It was by way of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary that Jesus was conceived. When Mary asked the angel, Gabriel, how she could conceive without ever being intimate with a man, he said, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” Luke 1:35
So, God the Father sent the Son Jesus to the earth (John 3:16), and the Holy Spirit brought the conception about.
When Jesus grew to be an adult, He went to be baptized by his cousin, the prophet, John the Baptist.
“In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. As soon as He came up out of the water, He saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending to Him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven:
You are My beloved Son;
I take delight in You!
Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.” Mark 1:9-12
Can you imagine seeing this? Jesus, the Messiah, was being baptized, and the heavens were torn open! Did others witness this? Could people see God’s hands ripping back the divide? Was it like the parting of the Red Sea or the River Jordan? Or, like a large earthquake in the sky?
This moment is a fascinating account of the Trinity. You can experience the awe and supremacy of God by the tearing of the heavens, much like the thunder and lightning of God on Mount Sinai in the book of Exodus. Then, after this incredible moment, the Spirit came down from heaven like a gentle dove. And the Father spoke proud blessings over His Son. This scene instantly went from a phenomenal encounter to a gentle, tender moment, much like the prophet Elijah experienced in 1 Kings 19.
Then the Spirit drove Jesus in the wilderness, giving a sense of force. The emotions are mixed and compelling about the Spirit. It shows in this passage that He is His own person and yet still part of the same One. He is gentle like a dove and yet strong in will and ability.
It is imperative to understand the Spirit and what the Bible’s truth is about Him. Though you cannot see Him, He is powerful. He is what convicts us to follow Christ, and what transforms us to be like Christ.
It is through the Spirit that Jesus was raised from the dead. And this same Spirit has the power to raise all who love Jesus from the dead:
“And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through his Spirit who lives in you.” Romans 8:11
You’ll find out how this is possible next week. Stay tuned!
