Three-fold Mission

For a few weeks now, we have not only been highlighting God, the Holy Spirit, but we have been learning and confirming great truths about Him as present and working in this world. As we advance to our focus for this week, I am stirred to present again these different works or functions of the One Holy Spirit, in these three specific times, in the life of Jesus. I refer to these as a three-fold manifestation of the Holy Spirit: -

After Jesus’ Baptism

After Jesus’ Resurrection

After Jesus’ Ascension

We have already spoken at some length about the last two, but repetition is an invaluable tool in learning, as the Bible demonstrates and as Jesus, Teacher and Preacher, employs in His telling and speaking. We are no different, for the more we hear and see the more we receive. With our Lord’s Word, we who are eager, anxious and excited to learn, will always receive something new, something extra, something different, something transforming. We are always happy to learn and know more, as faith allows. With this attitude and mind, we proceed.  

The Holy Spirit after Jesus’ Ascension

The Holy Spirit is given after Jesus’ ascension, when He comes and remains on each of Jesus’ disciples and empowers every single one of them, in that place, to be witnesses of Jesus. The Holy Spirit comes and fills each disciple, in the form of tongues of fire. I just want to spell this out. Every single believer present, regardless of standing, age, financial status, gender, nationality, charity record or closeness to Jesus, received the same Holy Spirit, in the same fullness. Listen to what is stated in Acts 2: 1 – 4. When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

The Holy Spirit, after Jesus’ Resurrection

The Holy Spirit is given after resurrection, as Jesus gives command for the continuation of His ministry on earth. Isn’t this a most touching, yet transforming scene? It is the evening of the day of His resurrection and Jesus, finds His disciples locked behind closed doors for fear of the Jews. There is no ministry going on. The Church is dead afraid and remain behind locked doors. Jesus enters, as no locked doors can keep Him out. He stands among His scared Church and speaks peace to them. He shows them His hands and side and O how they are happy. Fear is all gone now! The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. John 20: 20b. Jesus continues to speak peace to them and instructs them as to their future work for Him. It is into these scared, ‘dead’ disciples, dead in fear, disappointment and despair, that Jesus breathes life again into them, His Church. Just want to spell this out. Every single disciple in that locked room was afraid. None could help each other. Note, the entire Church of scared followers of Jesus, received the same breath of the Risen Lord on them. Each received the Holy Spirit’s resurrected life. And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’ If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.  John 20: 22 – 23. 

The Holy Spirit, after Jesus’ Baptism.  

The Holy Spirit comes after Jesus’ Induction or Baptism and lights on Him. Matthew 3: 16 – 17, gives us this detail.  As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. I just want to spell this out. Water baptism is a baptism of repentance. Yet Jesus, who never sinned, went to be baptized with John’s baptism. Even John could not understand this humbling move of Jesus. It is Jesus who made this clear to his cousin and to all of us, family in the Lord God. Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness. Then John consented. Matthew 3: 15b.

There we have it, a three-fold manifestation of important marks in Jesus’ life.

Tomorrow, we look at the important mark of His baptism.