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On the role of the Holy Spirit, here are some things I consider
For when Jesus came, he came primarily as a man experiencing the POWER of the Holy Spirit working thru him----as scriptures note like Luke 6:19 , which says that sick people from Judea, Jerusalem, Tyre, and Sidon were trying to touch Jesus because power was flowing from Him and healing them all...and the same with Luke 5:17 when it says that the dunamis power of the Lord was present for healing the sick....
Notice that after Jesus was baptized in water, the Holy Spirit descended on Him (Luke 3:21-22, below). Was this done to seal Jesus with the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of His salvation (as in Ephesians 1:13-14)? Obviously not, because Jesus was not in need of salvation. Then why did Jesus need the Holy Spirit? Philippians 2:7 says that Jesus emptied Himself before becoming human, which means that He "set aside His self-willed use of deity when He became a man" (The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Walvoord and Zuck, Dallas Theological Seminary, p.654). In order to be born as a human, Jesus voluntarily set aside His glory and His power. On earth, Jesus was our perfect role model because He was the perfect human (He is both God and man), and He received the Holy Spirit in order to be empowered for His ministry on earth. This can be demonstrated by following the sequence of events in Luke's Gospel and in Acts:
"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." (Luke 3:21-22)
"You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached-- how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him." (Acts 10:37-38)
"Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry." (Luke 3:23)
"Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil." (Luke 4:1-2)
"When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time. Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside." (Luke 4:13-14)
"You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached-- how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him." (Acts 10:37-38)
"Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry." (Luke 3:23)
"Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil." (Luke 4:1-2)
"When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time. Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside." (Luke 4:13-14)
Notice the sequence of events: First, we are told that Jesus was baptized in water and then He received the Holy Spirit (not as a guarantee of His salvation, but for spiritual empowerment). We are also told that God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and power. Next, Jesus began His ministry after receiving the Holy Spirit and power. We are then told that He allowed Himself to be led by the Spirit rather than deciding on His own what He wished to do, just as we are meant to be led by the Holy Spirit rather than following our own wishes and desires. Finally, we see Jesus returning to Galilee in the power of the Holy Spirit after resisting the devil in the desert. So even though Jesus is the Son of God, the above passages tell us that He needed to receive the empowerment of the Holy Spirit for His earthly ministry.__________________
If Jesus needed the power of the Holy Spirit for ministry, how much more do we in the times we live in?? And as John 14-16 note, Jesus had to leave if we were to recieve the same empowerment that He had via the Holy Spirit so we could do as He did. Paul noted the same as well in II Corinthians 3 with the New Glory..and many other texts prior to that have spoken in depth on the issue.
For the Holy Spirit came upon others in the OT and yet the Spirit of God did not necessarily DWELL with others---though it dwelt with Christ.
. In John 14:15-30, Jesus made clear that the Holy Spirit WOULD INDWELL Jesus' followers forever, functioning as Jesus' emissary in his physical absence. The Divine presence was promised to Jesus' followers. This does not eman that there was no work of the SPirit of God within believers prior to this time---but rather that the Holy Spirit "will be in you" in a new and more powerful sense after Pentecost.
John 7:39 is exceptionally clear that the Spirit had NOT been given yet...and as it concerns the work of the Holy Spirit in the world prior to Jesus in His resurrection, one can go to Genesis 1:2. For the Spirit was present in the world hovering over the fact of the waters (Genesis 6:3, Genesis 41:38, Exodus 31:3, Numbers 11:25). Some OT Verses speak of the Spirit of God at work within believers prior to the coming of Christ (Numbers 27:18, Deuteronomy 34:9, Ezekiel 2:2, Ezekiel 3:24, Daniel 4:8-9, Daniel 4:18, Daniel 5:11, Micah 3:8, Luke 1:15, Luke 1:41, Luke 1:67). The verse must be understood that the the Spirit had not been given in a FULL and powerful sense that was promised for the New Covenant AGE (Ezekiel 36:26, Ezekiel 37:14, Joel 2:28-29, John 20:22, Acts 2:1-13).....
John 16:4-15 speaks again on the subject, as it concerns how Jesus made clear that as long as he was on the Earth he could be in only one place at a time...whereas the Holy Spirit would carry on Jesus' ministry over the entire world at all times. In addition, in God's sovereign plan for the unfolding of History, the Holy Spirit would not come in new covenant power and fulness until Jesus returned to Heaven (John 15:16)....and the Helper coming refers back to the anticipatiopn of the pouring out of the Spirit and the inauguration of the Kingdom spoken of in OT Prophetic literature (e.g. Isaiah 11:1-10, Isaiah 32:14-18, Isaiah 42:1-4, Isaiah 44:1-5, Jeremiah 31:31-34, Ezekiel 11:17-20, Joel 2:28-32, etc). The Spirit would come to bring convinction to the Word and the promise of the Spirit has a broader application to all believers as the Holy Spirit leads and guides us (Romans 8:14, Galatians 5:18).
Paul also sought to speak on this more in-depth in II Corinthians 5:11-17. For the redeemption of a people who now live for Christ by living for others, effeced by the Power of the Spirit and the death of Christ, is the beginning of the new creation that was destined to come admist this evil age (Isaiah 43:18-19, Isaiah 65:17-23, Isaiah 66:22-23). This new creation is also the beginning of Israel's final restoration from God's judgement in the exile....and the ministry of RECONCILLIATION is an expression of God's saving activity in Christ (Romans 5:10-11, Colossians 1:20-22). It is a ministry of forgivness of sins by virtue of Christ's death......and Paul was sent to be God's prophetic minister of the new covenant to announce God's "new peace treaty" (Isaiah 53:5) with those who will trust in Christ o free them fom the penalty and power of sin (Romans 10:15, I Corinthains 15:3, Romans 3:21-26).
Paul took this so seriously that he indicated in II Corinthians 5:9-10 that it was his goal to always be ready
As it concerns the subject of power, depending on whatever camp you may come from will determine exactly the perspective you may get when it comes to being Messianic Jewish. For many, the focus is so much upon "Torah/Law" that anything remotely related to following the Holy Spirit (who empowered others to do ministry, per Acts 1-2 and other instances throughout Acts as well as I Corinthians 12)...all of that is ignored. Others, however, are very much from a Pentecostal or Charismatic perspective.
And for many others in circles of the Charismatic Movement/Pentecostal movement, which I grew up in myself, there are varieties on what it means to believe in power----with some going for the extremes, whereas others are trying to walk in balance. For example, if considering the Gift of Tongues/speaking in tongues (which many Messianics do frequently), here's something that was said by one of the members of the forum:
Originally Posted by Heber
"Tongues and interpretation of tongues, word of knowledge and prophecy. It always amazed me how all interpretations, WoK and prophecy (or at least the majority, 9 out of 10) were given to whoever had the mic and they were always in KJV English. As for tongues, I've always understood that they are for the unbeliever, not the believer, and they are actual worldly languages unknown to the speaker, known to the hearer (at least that's what is scriptural). I've personally had experience in that"
I speak in tongues - again, another gift I have been given but... I strongly disagree with those who interpret their own tongue because that is so open to abuse as I am sure all can see. I have never had an interpretation in KJV! I think if I did I would not trust it! No, it is not necessarily a worldly language, in fact I know of no-one who speaks in tongues that way, though I have heard it has happened - that too is easy to manipulate. As for words of prophecy. they must be tested to the extreme, but do bear in mind that G_d's time limits are not like ours!
I once prophesied to a couple who had spent all their money (£1000's) trying to have a baby by ivf but without any joy as the husband's sperm count was desparately low. We used to have, where I was then, an evening service with folk coming from around the area asking us to pray for them, but this young couple were congregation members. I laid hands on the wife and prayed and saw, in my mind's eye, sperm shapes swimming about in a bright red area and a great sense of G_d wanting to give them their desire - a child. I spoke the prophecy to them and they rejoiced, but after 9 months they left the fellowship accusing me of being a false prophet. About 5 or 6 months later, she was pregnant by normal means. Doctors were confounded as you can imagine. The baby was born perfectly healthy and the mother was going to call the baby some silly modern name so I went round and told them, in no uncertain terms, that G_d had answered the desire of their hearts and they should honour that by giving her a Biblical name - Elizabeth was chosen. They are now both strong believers.
I can also tell you that my youngest was so ill a few weeks after her birth that it was blue lights and sirens from Cambridge to Great Ormond Street, London. We were warned that it would a long time to carry out the emergency cardio-vascular surgery and for her to recover. It took just 8 days! Then I remembered that when we went to a church in the UK and stood at the front for communion the guy who came round with the wine (a well known UK Anglican evangelist) stopped in front of us and insisted on saying the A'aronic blessing over my wife's lump, complete with laying on of hands on the lump! I am sure that that was G_d sealing our baby's well being against the dreadful life threatening illness she had.
I mention all this, in brief, because I think there might be a danger that we are losing the work Yeshua does in this world because of those who do things their way, not his.
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