The Holy Spirit - New Testament

Jonathan Ledbetter

Holy Spirit • Sermon • Submitted 2 years ago

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Recap:

rûaḥ (378 Times in the OT)

“Spirit” - 206 Times

“Wind” - 105 Times

“Breath” - 32 Times

I Think as We Go Through the Bible Focusing On the Spirit…

We’ll See the Connection Between These 3 Words

The Spirit is the Invisible, Powerful Force Who Does the Will of God…

And Who Empowers Others to Do the Will of God

Much Like the Wind is an Invisible Force of Great Power

And Much Like Breath, When Taken into Our Bodies Empowers Us to Live

Roles, Duties, Activities of the Spirit:

Creation, Destruction, and New Creation

Light into the Darkness

Life From Death

Order From Disorder

Salvation to God’s People

Leads God’s People to Better Do God’s Will

Causes People to Prophecy and Speak God’s Message

Joel 2:28–29 (NAS)

“It will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions. “Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.”

This is Joel’s Prophecy of the Messianic Era

We Know this Because Peter Told the Crowd On Pentecost that it was Being Fulfilled Before Their Eyes

This was the Day the Holy Spirit Came Upon the Apostles

And the First Day of the Holy Spirit Being Given to All Believers in Jesus

New Testament

Pneuma (379 Times in the NT)

“Spirit”

“Wind”

“Breath”

We are Going to See a Lot of Similar Things About the Spirit

All the Things We Learned From the OT About the Spirit…

We Need to Bring with Us in the NT

We’re Still Dealing with the Same Being/Person…

But Now We are Going to See Him in the Messianic Era

Matthew 1:18 (NAS)

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.

Mary was a Virgin and, Therefore, it was Completely Impossible for Her to Have a Child

But We See God’s Holy pneuma Put a Baby in Her Womb

This Perfectly Goes Along with One of the Themes We’ve Continued to See with the Spirit

He Brings Life into Places Where There was No Life

Matthew 3:11 (NAS)

“As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you 1with the Holy Spirit and fire.

After John Saw the Pharisees Coming Out to His Teachings and Baptisms…

He Began to Rebuke Them

He Talked About How the Messiah was Coming in Judgment Against Those Who Refused to Repent

Everyone Will Be Baptized/Immersed By Jesus

Some Will Be Immersed in the Holy Spirit

The Rest Will Be Immersed in Fire

This is Looking Forward to the Day of Pentecost and Afterward…

When All of Jesus’ Believers Will Be Given the Holy Spirit Upon Baptism

And Then Of Course it Looks Forward to the Day of Judgment…

When All Who Don’t Belong to Jesus Will Be Punished

This Talk of All of God’s People Having the Holy Spirit…

Was Exactly What Moses Wished to See in His Day

Matthew 3:16–17 (NAS)

After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

We’ve Talked About this Moment Several Times While Looking at the OT

In Creation, the Spirit of God Hovered Over the Water

In New Creation After the Flood, the Spirit of God Moved Over the Water

Now, in Jesus’ Baptism, the Spirit of God is Descending Upon Him While He’s in the Water

Jesus is the First of the New Creation that We All Begin to Become in Baptism

Also in the OT, We Saw the Holy Spirit Come Upon People to Signify the Beginning of Their Mission From God

This is What We See in Jesus

He is Anointed as the Son of God/Messianic King By the Holy Spirit…

And He is Immediately Going to Begin His Mission and Ministry

Matthew 4:1 (NAS)

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

Mark Puts it a Little Different

Mark 1:12 (NAS)

Immediately the Spirit impelled Him to go out into the wilderness.

Matthew and Luke Say the Spirit Led Him into the Wilderness

Mark Says the Spirit Forced Him into the Wilderness

Either Way, We Know this was God’s Will for Him and Something He Had to Do to Fulfill His Purpose

He Had to Relive the Story of Israel and Be Found Faithful

God’s Son in the OT, Israel, Were Supposed to Be Faithful and Receive the Blessings of God

But They Failed

So, God’s Son, Jesus, is Going to Relive that Same Story…

But He Will Prove to Be Absolutely Faithful Through it All

And Because of His Absolute Faithfulness, All of God’s People Will Be Blessed…

And Receive the Promised Land of Eternal Bliss…

Where God Will Live in Their Midst Forever

pneuma (408 Times in the NT)

“pneuma” = The Root and General Word for “Spirit” (Sometimes “Wind” and “Breath” - 379 Times

“pneumatikos” = “Spiritual” - 26 Times

“pneumatikōs” = “Spiritually” - 2 Times

“theopneustos” = “Inspired By God” - 1 Time

All the Things We Learned From the OT About the Spirit…

We Need to Bring with Us in the NT

We’re Still Dealing with the Same Being/Person…

But Now We are Seeing Him at Work in the Messianic Era

Matthew 10:20 (NAS)

“For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

We Studied this Passage a Few Weeks Ago

Jesus was Sending His Apostles Out to Proclaim and Demonstrate the Kingdom

And He Warned Them that They Will Eventually Be Persecuted for Doing this Ministry

They Will Stand Before Counsels and Kings

But They Don’t Need to Worry About What They Should Say…

Because the Holy Spirit Will Give Them the Words to Speak

This is Part of that Miraculous Measure of the Spirit that We See in the Early Church

He Helps God’s People Speak and Do His Will

That (Non-Miraculous) Aspect of the Spirit is Still at Work in Us Today

He Helps Us in Our Speaking and Doing God’s Will

How?

Any Number of Ways that We’ve Seen Him Work Up to this Point

He Produced the Scriptures for Us to Learn, Know, Teach, and Obey

He Produces a Desire Within Us to Learn, Know, Teach, and Obey

He Helps Us to Gain Knowledge, Understanding, and Wisdom

And I’m Sure the List Could Go On and On…

Because in the OT, He Helped People Do All Sorts of Unique and Creative Things

Matthew 12:17–18 (NASB95)

This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: “Behold, My Servant whom I have chosen; My Beloved in whom My soul is well-pleased; I will put My Spirit upon Him, And He shall proclaim justice to the Gentiles.

We are Going to Study this Passage in the Sermon Next Week…

So We Won’t Go Too Deep into it

But We See a Prophecy From Isaiah that Clearly is Referring to Jesus’ Baptism and Ministry

The Son of God and the Spirit of God Working Simultaneously in Bringing the Justice of God to the World

The Giving of the Spirit to Jesus was Required for Jesus’ to Fulfill All Righteousness in His Ministry

We’re Going to Skip the Rest of the Mentions of the Spirit in Matthew 12…

Because We Will Be Doing an In-Depth Study On that Text Soon

Matthew 26:39–41 (NASB95)

And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

In the Garden Before Jesus’ Arrest, He is Praying to God

Peter, James, and John Were Close By and Jesus Expected Them to Be Vigilant and Praying

But They End Up Falling Asleep

Jesus Commands Them to Watch and Pray So that They Aren’t Tempted

Temptation Probably Refers Primarily to Denying and Abandoning Jesus

They Didn’t Realize it at the Time, But Their Lives Were About to Be Flipped Upside Down

And They Would Have to Make a Choice as to How They Responded to it

Jesus Wanted Them to Watch and Pray

Being Spiritually Vigilant and Prayerful is the Only Way to Prepare Oneself for Temptation

Jesus Then Says, “the Spirit is Willing, But the Flesh is Weak”

They’re Spirit (Heart, Mind, Will, Inward Desire) Wanted to Stay Loyal to Jesus

But Jesus Knew Their Flesh was Weak

Flesh in the New Testament Often Refers to the Temporary, Weak, Fallen Bodies We Now Possess

Bodies that Experience Temptations and Desires of Their Own

There is this War Within Every Person

A War Between the Spirit and the Flesh

Paul Will Talk About this in Romans 7

As Christians, Our Spirit Wants to Obey God, But Our Flesh Often Wants the Opposite

The Spirit is Willing to Stay Loyal to Jesus…

But When Temptation Arises, the Flesh is Often Weak

That is Why Jesus Commanded His Apostles to Be Vigilant Prayerful

Because Temptation was Coming and They Need to Be Spiritually Ready to Face it

If They Allow the Desires of the Flesh to Overpower the Desires of Their Spirit…

They Will Fall into Temptation and Give in

Being Awake and Aware and Constantly in Prayer to God is How Our Spirit Overpowers Our Flesh

It Keeps Our Priorities in Check and in the Forefront of Our Minds

And God Also Promises to Answer Our Prayers for Help

Part of How God Answers Those Prayers is By the Help of the Holy Spirit Living in His People

Matthew 28:19–20 (NASB95)

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Part of Making Disciples is Baptizing Them in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

This Baptism is the Act of Surrendering One’s Life to God (All Persons of God)

When We are Baptized, it Isn’t Just to Submit Our Lives to the Father’s Rule

It Isn’t Just to Submit Our Lives to Jesus’ Rule

It is Also to Submit Our Lives to the Spirit’s Rule

To Receive Him and Let Him Take the Lead in Your Life

Letting Him Transform Your Spirit, Heart, Mind, Desires, and Will…

To the Spirit, Heart, Mind, Desires, and Will of God

Luke

Some Call Luke: “The Gospel of the Spirit”…

Because of How Much Luke Talks About the Spirit

Luke 1:15–16 (NASB95)

“For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God.

An Angel Came to the Priest, Zachariah, and Told Him He and His Wife Would Have a Son

This Son Would Later Be Known as John the Baptizer

But Something Will Be Very Unique About John

He Will Be Filled with God’s Holy Spirit Before He is Ever Born

This Has Really Interesting Implications

We Know God Gives His Spirit to Those He Chooses to Fulfill a Certain Ministry

And We Know God Gives His Spirit as a Helper to Accomplish Those Certain Ministries

John, Before He was Ever Born was Chosen By God to Have a Special Ministry

And God Through the Spirit was Going to Help John From the Very Beginning to Fulfill this Ministry

Preparing the People for the Messiah was One of the Most Important Ministries Ever Given By God

In Order for John to Fulfill this Ministry, God’s Spirit Must Be Involved

We See the Working of the Spirit in John Before He is Ever Born

Luke 1:41–44 (NASB95)

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy.

John, Through the Spirit, Would One Day Lead Many Israelites to Know Jesus as the Messiah

Here We See the First Person He Ever Revealed This Truth to:

His Mother

Luke 1:80 (NASB95)

And the child continued to grow and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

John was Not One to Let His Flesh Overpower His Spirit

Being a Man Who Always Had the Presence of God with Him…

He Took His Ministry and Mission Very Seriously…

Even Living in the Wilderness Away From the Temptations that Come with Living Amongst Society

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