Our Need For The Holy Spirit
John 1:1 In the beginning, the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He existed in the beginning with God. 3 God created everything through him,
and nothing was created except through him. 4 The Word gave life to everything created, and his life brought light to everyone. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.
John 1:14 So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.
According to the Bible, Jesus was the Word in the flesh, in human form. Now that being the case, someone might think that should be more than enough and all that Jesus would ever need to accomplish what He was sent to this earth to do. But we find something occurring that is very interesting.
John 1:32 Then John testified, “I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him. 33 I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Chosen One of God.
Matthew 3:13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. 16 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 alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.”
I am unaware of anyone who professes to know Jesus and follow Him who does not believe that Jesus is the source of all truth because He is the word of God made flesh, just as we see it stated in these passages.
Who would even dare argue that there could be anyone who would know the truth and have their doctrine more together than Jesus did?
But even with all that going for Him, Jesus still knew He needed the help of the Holy Spirit to do what He was called to do. I love the way Jesus responded to John’s reluctance to baptize Him. John knew who Jesus was, and I understand his struggle with baptizing the Messiah, the Son of God. That would be a hard thing for anyone to wrap their mind around. Think about it and put yourself in John’s sandals and imagine here is the One who has come to save and rescue you, and He wants you, a finite man, to baptize Him?
Jesus said, “it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness!” The question at this point is complex. Is Jesus saying that water baptism fulfills righteousness? Or is He pointing to what will follow His water baptism as what fulfills all righteousness? Or is it a combination of both indicating a shift in how God is working and something new and different is coming?
I believe it demonstrates a shift in which the Spirit of God is brought forward in significance as it pertains to the New Covenant Jesus intends to establish. You have to pause and consider the fact that the One Who established the New Covenant demonstrated a need for the Holy Spirit. Even though He was and is the Word of God, the perfect fullness of accurate and complete truth and doctrine, he needs the Holy Spirit to do the will of God!
If having sound doctrine was enough for the church, you would think it should have been enough for Jesus, the head of the church. But Jesus emphasized the role of the Holy Spirit, and He is the One who baptizes believers in the Holy Spirit.
We need the word, obviously, but not to the exclusion of the Holy Spirit and His power. We need to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and the church needs the gifts He graciously gives her. Every good and perfect gift comes from the Father. The Holy Spirit is the gift of the Promise of the Father. That means He is good and can be trusted. I want to be filled to overflowing by Him every day! I want to gather with others who have an overflowing measure of His presence and power. There’s nothing better! It is the abundant life Jesus promised. I encourage you today to submit to the Holy Spirit and ask Him to fill you to overflowing measure so you can be equipped as Jesus was to do the Father’s will.
