Jesus—Filled with the Spirit

KEY VERSE: “Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, to, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And to a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” —Matthew 3:16,17

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Matthew 3:16, 17

IN JOHN 3:34 it is said concerning Jesus: “He whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure.” This surely teaches that Jesus was ‘filled with the Holy Spirit’. He was so filled, and so overwhelmingly controlled by it in his every thought, word, and deed, that all he said and every act of his consecrated, Spirit-filled life expressed the mind or will of his Father, who sent him.

Jesus’ filling with the Spirit occurred at Jordan, although he had already acquainted himself well with the Spirit-inspired testimony contained in the Old Testament Scriptures, even from childhood.

The Spirit of God came upon Jesus as a miraculous revealing power, enabling him to completely understand the meaning of the Scriptures. They revealed to him the plan of God as a whole, and particularly his own mission on earth. The record states that Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where he remained for forty days. (Matt. 4:1,2) This miraculous revelation of truth was evidently so overwhelming that he felt the necessity of isolating himself from others for a time, so that he might have an undisturbed opportunity to absorb the flood of light on the Scriptures which had been revealed to him in order to be prepared to fulfill his Father’s will.

Throughout the entire course of his ministry Jesus was unfolding the various aspects of truth which had been opened to him. While he did not himself write down his teachings, yet, under the later direction of the Holy Spirit, his wonderful words of life were recorded by others, and made available for the instruction of all the Lord’s people throughout the entire age. And how often Jesus emphasized that his teachings were not his own! He said of himself, “He whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure.”—John 3:34

The Holy Spirit came to Jesus with such clarifying brilliance that he fully understood the very intents of God’s heart! This means that we can accept every word which Jesus spoke as reflecting the mind of God!—John 12:49

In John 14:26, Jesus gave us another promise, that in his name the Father would send the Holy Spirit to his disciples, and that it would be to them as a wonderful “Comforter.” The Spirit, he said, “shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” What a wonderful promise for us to claim!

The Pentecostal outpouring of the Holy Spirit completed the miraculous revelation which was given to Jesus at Jordan, and thus through his teachings and the apostles’, the revelation of the divine will was completed, and is now contained in the written Word. No further miraculous revelation is needed. The Christian has been given all that he needs. Paul emphasized this when he wrote to Timothy, saying, “All Scripture given by inspiration of God is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”—II Tim. 3:16,17

The ‘all Scripture given by inspiration of God’ is what we speak of as the Old and New Testaments. In these two parts of the Bible, God has recorded and revealed his thoughts—those thoughts which he has designed shall exert power over, and in, the lives of those who, during the present age, are fully dedicated to him.

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