A – Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit:
“This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit.
As he (Joseph) considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Matthew 1:18, 20 NLT
When Jesus was born, He was the only human being that was literally born of the Spirit.
In John 3:3 Jesus told Nicodemus, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” Nicodemus didn’t understand, therefore Jesus explained in v.5, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.” We learn from this that being “born again” means being “born of the Spirit.” This is required of every human being that wants to be saved, enter the kingdom of God, and live with God eternally in heaven. This all comes through repenting of our sins and accepting Jesus as our Savior and Lord. We all have a free will, so we can chose to do this. Refusal to accept Jesus as your Savior and Lord will unfortunately causes a person to chose hell by default.
To summarize, each one of us must be born of the Spirit. Jesus is the only human being that was born of the Spirit when He was born as a baby, because He was conceived by the Holy Spirit.
B – Jesus was filled (or baptized) with the Holy Spirit:
“When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” Luke 3:21, 22 NIV
Immediately after this the Bible records “Jesus, full of (and controlled by-Amplified) the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,” Luke 4:1NIV
So as soon as Jesus was baptized with (or filled with) the Holy Spirit, we are told He was “full of, controlled by, and led be the Spirit.” He now had the necessary spiritual power of the Holy Spirit to begin His ministry. “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” Acts 10:38 NKJV Note that if Jesus needed this Holy Spirit power to minister, we definitely need it also to be an effective witness for Christ. All those that are born of the Spirit (saved, born again) should ask the Lord to be baptized with the Holy Spirit. He is happy to give this gift to them.
“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:11-13 NIV
The purpose for receiving this gift is so they can be a powerful witness for God like Jesus was after He was filled with the Holy Spirit.. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 NIV
C – Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness:
There He was tempted by the devil for forty days. In order for someone to be led, they must follow. That tells us that the Holy Spirit was with Jesus in the wilderness (and throughout the rest of His life).
1 – He was helping Jesus to recall scripture to counter every situation Satan threw at Him, just like the Spirit helps us remember what Jesus has said. (“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” John 14:26 ESV)
2 – The Holy Spirit gave Jesus the power to turn His back on sin and overcome every temptation.
3 – Undoubtedly He also helped Jesus to sustain a long forty day fast in the wilderness with no food and with dangers all around.
“Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.” Luke 4:14 Jesus was led into the wilderness by the powerful Holy Spirit and now He returns from the wilderness in the power of the Spirit.
D – Jesus ministered by the Holy Spirit:
Jesus went to the synagogue in Nazareth where He was given the book of Isaiah. He began reading what the prophet had prophesied about Him. “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;” Luke 4:18 NKJV
An overview of Jesus’ ministry had been outlined through Isaiah around 700 years previously, and now the world would watch it unfold.
1 – He came to Capernaum and taught them. “and they were surprised [almost overwhelmed] at His teaching, because His message was [given] with authority and power and great ability. Luke 4:32 Amplified Where did this overwhelming power and authority come from…The Holy Spirit (The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me.)
2 – There was a man with an unclean spirit in the synagogue who cried out with a loud voice. Jesus rebuked him, told him to be quiet and come out. “Amazed, the people exclaimed, “What authority and power this man’s words possess! Even evil spirits obey him, and they flee at his command!” Luke 4:36 NLT Where did He get this power and authority over demons… The Holy Spirit.
3 – Next Jesus came to Peter’s house where his mother-in-law was sick with a fever. “So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them.” Luke 4:39 Where did Jesus get the power to command fevers to leave … The Holy Spirit.
4 – As the sun was setting people came with all kinds of diseases. Jesus laid His hands on every one of them and healed them. Also many who had demons were being delivered by Him. The people didn’t want Him to go. “But he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” Luke 4:43 ESV
How could anyone possibly preach, heal, and deliver people with authority and power in their own human ability? No man could exhibit these supernatural powers unless the Spirit of God was doing it through them. This was the case with the human man, Jesus of Nazareth, who did no feats of power for thirty years until the powerful Holy Spirit filled Him. Then God was at work with miracles through Him in a brand new way He had never known before. He was operating on this earth not as God, but as a man filled with the Holy Spirit. This same Holy Spirit is available to everyone who is consecrated to Jesus, simply by asking. Not to take advantage of this supernatural gift is like a hungry dog with a filet mignon in front of him, yet he won’t lift his head to eat it.
“Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a Man attested to you by God (approved by God) with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know:” Acts 2:22 NAS This scripture emphasizes the humanity of Jesus, the man.
“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” John 14:12 NIV God needed a man, Jesus of Nazareth, to do signs, wonders, and miracles through. Now Jesus needs a person (you) to do these same things through. If Jesus had been operating as God, then none of us could do the same works that He did. But since He was operating on this earth as a man, empowered by the Holy Ghost, then we in like manner can be ordinary people empowered by the Holy Ghost to do extraordinary, supernatural works of God.
The supernatural works were done by the Holy Spirit through the man Jesus under the direction of the Father. “But when He, the Spirit of truth (Holy Spirit), comes, He will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; He will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” John 16:13 God the Father was and is the commander and chief Who conveys His will through the Holy Spirit to Jesus and now to us. Let us never forget that Jesus was and still is the Son of the living God; however He did not function as God when He was on earth. He functioned as a man filled with and controlled by the Holy Spirit as an example to us of how our Father wants to function through us.
Jesus only said what the Father taught Him or commanded Him to say. (John 8:26, 28; 12:49, 50; 14:10) He only did what the Father showed Him to do. (John 5:19, 30; 8:28) Jesus said in John 5:30 Amplified “I do not seek or consult My own will. I have no desire to do what is pleasing to Myself, but only the will and pleasure of the Father.” What selflessness! What an example for us to follow! Jesus was able to live this way by the power of the Holy Spirit and so are we today.
Another scripture showing how the Holy Spirit was working through Jesus:” But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.” Matthew 12:28 NKJV
E – Jesus offered Himself by the Holy Spirit:
“For by the power of the eternal Spirit (Holy Spirit), Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.” Hebrews 9:14 NLT
F – Jesus was resurrected by the Holy Spirit:
“and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 1:4 NLT
“And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead (Holy Spirit) is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead (Holy Spirit) will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit (Holy Spirit) who lives in you.” Romans 8:11
G – Jesus is working today by the Holy Spirit:
“In my former book, Theophilus, I (Luke) wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. “ Acts 1:1 NIV
This scripture clearly tells us that Jesus began to do works before He went to heaven, but now He is continuing to do works. How can He continue to do “works” when He is in heaven? He is working in and through us by the Holy Spirit which He sent to us on the day of Pentecost. He sends the same Holy Spirit to us today with the same power the Spirit has always had. Just think of it, we have the same Holy Spirit in us that Jesus had in Himself. Today the Lord relies on us to spread the Gospel of the kingdom like He did, not only with anointed proclamation, but also with the same demonstrations of power that He did, by the same Holy Spirit that He had. He “began to do” and is continuing to do supernatural works today through His body on earth (us)
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A – Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit:
B – Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit:
C – Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness (and throughout life):
D – Jesus ministered by the Holy Spirit:
E – Jesus offered Himself by the Holy Spirit
F – Jesus was resurrected by the Holy Spirit
G – Jesus is working today by the Holy Spirit