The Holy Spirit in You and Upon You, Makes You No Ordinary Man

"How GOD ANOINTED JESUS of Nazareth WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND WITH POWER, who went about DOING GOOD and HEALING ALL who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. (Acts 10:38 NKJV).

Now, catch this revelation and understand the parallels between the life of Jesus Christ when He walked here on earth, and the life of the New Covenant believer today. I'm going to make this as brief as possible, because I want you to read it to the very end. Yes, it is that important. Beloved, Jesus, when He first made an entrance into this world as a Man born of a woman (see Galatians 4:4), was also born of the Holy Spirit (see Luke 1:34-35), just like every born-again believer today (see John 3:5-6, with Titus 3:5). And so Jesus was called the Son of God (see Luke 1:35), just like every believer today. (see John 1:12; Galatians 3:26; 1 John 3:1). The Spirit of God (or the Holy Spirit) that overshadowed Mary to conceive and give birth to Jesus, remained in Him; in fact, the Holy Spirit was His seal of Sonship, just as He is our seal today. (see John 6:27; Galatians 4:6, with Ephesians 1:13, and 2 Corinthians 1:22). Thus, Jesus was as much the Son of God as He was the Son of Man, just as all believers are today. Yet, Jesus couldn't or didn't perform a single miracle (at least, there is no record of one in the Bible), until the Holy Spirit descended (or came) upon Him and remained on Him following His water baptism by John the Baptist. (see Luke 3:21-22; John 1:33). Indeed, Jesus didn't perform a single miracle until He was anointed by God with the Holy Spirit and with power. (see Acts 10:38). The Bible says of this anointing, that the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus in bodily form like a dove (WHILE He PRAYED) and remained on Him. (see Luke 3:21-22, with John 1:33). And from that moment, Jesus received power, walked in the power of the Holy Spirit, and went about DOING GOOD and HEALING ALL who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him (see Acts 10:38, with Luke 4:14); Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit, and He was led by the Spirit. (see Luke 4:1). And yes, Jesus knew and acknowledged that the Spirit had come upon Him. He said, “The  Spirit of the Lord IS UPON Me, Because He HAS ANOINTED Me TO PREACH the gospel to the poor; He has SENT Me TO HEAL the brokenhearted, TO PROCLAIM LIBERTY to  the captives AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT to  the  blind, TO  SET AT LIBERTY those who are OPPRESSED; TO PROCLAIM the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Luke 4:18‭-‬19 NKJV, emphasis mine).

Thus, after Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power, He began His ministry (at age 30) -- see Luke 3:23). He didn't begin His ministry a minute sooner. From then, the Bible says, “And Jesus went about all Galilee, TEACHING in their synagogues, PREACHING the gospel of the kingdom, and HEALING ALL KINDS of sickness and ALL KINDS of disease AMONG THE PEOPLE." (Matthew 4:23 NKJV, emphasis mine). Jesus, after being anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power, went on to perform His very first miracle, changing water into wine at a wedding in Cana of Galilee. (see John 2:1-11). But until then, He walked here on earth as much a Man, as though He wasn't God. (see Philippians 2:5-8; Hebrews 4:15). The Bible says that this miracle of changing water into wine was the BEGINNING (or the first) of signs (or attesting miracles) that Jesus did. (see John 2:11). And He was able to perform this sign (or attesting miracle) only after being ANOINTED with the HOLY SPIRIT and with POWER. Thus, the Holy Spirit was the One who powered all the miracles Jesus performed while He walked here on earth as a Man as though He wasn't God.

Beloved, the Holy Spirit was the secret to Jesus’ power and ministry. Jesus in His previous 29 years of existence showed no such power. The Bible only says of Him while He was growing up, that “the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him” (see Luke 2:40 NKJV); and that, “Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” (see Luke 2:52 NKJV). He had no notable accomplishments of His own at this point in His life prior to being anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power. Jesus was only known in His hometown as Mary's Son, as the carpenter, as the carpenter's Son, and as brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon. (see Mark 6:3; Matthew 13:55). He was described in very ordinary terms. But now at age 30, Jesus began His ministry with such great power that those same people in His hometown who had considered Him an ordinary Man all this while, were now puzzled; and while they still disparaged Him, they couldn’t help but notice the change (or the transformation) in Him, and they expressed their bewilderment over what had become of Him; they queried if Jesus wasn't that (same) carpenter, if He wasn't that same carpenter's Son, if He wasn't that same Son of Mary whom they knew, if He wasn’t the same Man whose brothers and sisters were walking around town. (see Mark 6:3; Matthew 13:55). They wondered where this same Man got these things (see Matthew 13:56) -- the, power, the knowledge, and the wisdom. And so they took offense at Him. (see Matthew 13:57). “But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except IN HIS OWN COUNTRY, among HIS OWN RELATIVES, and IN HIS OWN HOUSE.” (Mark 6:4 NKJV, emphasis mine). How true this statement is!

Now, what made such a dramatic difference in Jesus’ life? What brought such a transformation -- such power -- that offended people who knew Him prior to this day? I will tell you what: it was the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit came upon Him and remained on Him, Jesus received power; He was anointed with the Holy Spirit and with POWER. (see Acts 10:38). He was filled with the Holy Spirit, and was led by the Holy Spirit. (see Luke 4:1). The Holy Spirit made all the difference. Jesus was no longer just the sinless Man and carpenter walking the streets of Nazareth of Galilee; He was now a Man anointed with the Spirit of God and the POWER of God, a Man filled with the Holy Spirit. The fullness of God was in Him bodily. He was God manifested in the flesh. The Holy Spirit had equipped Him and strengthened Him with the power He needed for ministry as He represented God as a Man here on earth. And so Jesus’ Words were now God's Words (see John 12:49-50); His works were God's works (see John 5:19-20; John 14:10-11). He spoke boldly, taught as one having authority (see Mark 1:22; Matthew 7:29), and performed all His deeds in the name (i.e. the authority, power and identity) of God the Father, as He went about doing God's will. (see John 6:38). That is the difference the  Holy Spirit makes and made in Jesus’ life. And Jesus wanted His disciples (those of us who believe in Him) to have the same experience, to have the Holy Spirit come (or descend) upon us, and fill us, so that we will receive power (see Acts 1:8) to be just as Himself, to be witnesses to Him, doing the same works He did and even greater works than He did (see John 14:12); so that (as Paul admonishes us) whatever we do in word or deed, we will DO ALL IN THE NAME (i.e. the authority, power and identity) OF THE LORD JESUS, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. (see Colossians 3:17 NKJV). This is what it means to be a witness to Jesus.

And so, before Jesus ascended into Heaven, even though He had breathed on His disciples and spoken to them to receive the Holy Spirit (see John 20:22), and thus His disciples had been born of the Spirit at that point (just like Jesus when He was originally born of the Spirit through Mary), and just like all of us when we also believed in Jesus (see 1 Corinthians 12:13; John 3:5-6; Titus 3:5), Jesus still told them not to begin their ministry yet, but to wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit (the Promise of the Father) comes upon them and they are “ENDUED WITH POWER FROM ON HIGH.” (see Luke 24:49 NKJV). He said, “But YOU SHALL RECEIVE POWER when the Holy Spirit has COME UPON YOU; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8 NKJV). This became a reality for the early disciples on the Day of Pentecost.

Beloved, the Holy Spirit brought power to the early disciples, and they became Spirit-filled men who were so bold and powerful that (in the words of the unbelieving Jews) they “turned the world upside down.” (see Acts 17:6). The Holy Spirit belongs to you also if you're a  believer. The Holy Spirit is already in you through the born-again experience. But Jesus wants Him (the Holy Spirit) to come upon you also, and fill you, so that you will be ENDUED WITH POWER from on high, and BE A WITNESS to our Lord Jesus Christ, in your immediate locality and all around the world. Jesus said that God will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him. (see Luke 11:13). So if the Holy Spirit hasn't come upon you yet, ask our Heavenly Father in prayer; and Jesus Christ who baptizes with the Holy Spirit (see Matthew 3:11; John 1:33) will send Him upon you. You can also ask any Spirit-filled believer to lay hands on you to receive the Holy Spirit. (see Acts 8:18). Indeed, when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and fills you, and you yield (or surrender) to Him and walk in the consciousness of His presence, exercising His power, you will never be an ordinary man; you will be a man in whom the fullness of God dwells and manifests, and to whom all things are possible. And your works will testify of you that you are truly the son of God, thus bringing glory to God the Father and to our Lord Jesus Christ. May this be a reality in your life. Remain blessed.

To learn more, order my glorious book, "Spirit Life"