We Urgently Need the Holy Spirit

by Letters Editor · January 25, 2018

John Driver , Daveyton – Jesus, who was truly man, received baptism from John the Baptist to “fulfil all righteousness” (Mark 1:4-9). The Holy Spirit descended upon him in the form of a dove after his baptism. Jesus was 30 years old (Luke 3:23).

In Luke 4, filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for 40 days. The Holy Spirit helps him to overcome the temptations of Satan. Jesus, with the power of the Spirit in him, returned to Galilee and taught in the synagogues on the Sabbath, and they handed him the scroll to read from the prophet Isaiah.

He found the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me for he has anointed me,” (Isaiah 61:1). Jesus then told the people, the text is being fulfilled while you are listening. In John 1:29, John was baptising at Bethany, along the Jordan. When he saw Jesus, he said: “Look, there is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” (John must have had foresight of the redemption of the Cross.)

It was only after the Holy Spirit came down on him that Jesus performed his first miracle — water into wine at the wedding feast at Cana.

Miracles after receiving the Holy Spirit

Now Jesus was as much the Son of God when he was a baby up until he was 30 years old, yet he started his Galilean ministry and performed miracles only after he was filled with the Holy Spirit and not before.

Surely these events must signify the importance of being filled with the power of the Holy Spirit?

As I see it, everyone has the Holy Spirit inside them from conception. Our bodies have become the Temple of the Lord but not everyone is actually filled with the Holy Spirit. Jesus is knocking at the door but we have to open the door, we have to ask and he will make a home in us. In Romans 8, St Paul tells us that if you don’t belong to Jesus you don’t have the Spirit of Christ in you.

When are we justified?

Jesus was truly man up to death on the Cross at Calvary, when we were justified. If Jesus only performed miracles after he had been filled with the Holy Spirit, how much more must this apply to us?

My understanding is that in the Jewish faith, rabbis had to be at least 30 years old.