THE KING’S BUSINESS
781
3. The descending Holy Spirit. We are told that the Spirit descended like a dove and abode upon the head of Christ. Was it a real dove? Did the Spirit just descend as a dove, in the likeness of a dove? This question seems perplexing to some people. They find difficulty in connecting spirit and matter. They cannot see how the Holy Spirit can be put into bodily shape, and yet that is what the narrative seems to declare, and thus the question is answered by illus tration, if not by exposition. We need to be reminded constantly that there are some things that we must accept without hand ling. It has been well said that you handle the earth, but you cannot ,lay a finger on the sky. Was not the incarnation the com ing of God, who is spirit, into matter? Did not the Spirit clothe Himself with Gideon? Does not the Spirit today fill these human bodies of ours with His power and grace? The Spirit is coming down like a dove, even today. This old world needs something to come down from heaven. It is in sore need of something that it hasn’t got. What meaning did the descent of the Spirti have to Jesus? If Christ’s sermon in the synagogue at Nazareth is of any help here, we must believe that at His baptism, so much more than at the age of twelve, He was conscious that in thus being anointed He was associating Himself in some peculiar way with the prophecy of Isaiah, chapters xlii. and lxi.: “Behold my Servant . . . I have put my Spirit upon Him.” All, therefore, that must have been wrapped up in the thought of the “Servant of the Lord” in the Old Testament would assuredly be quickened in his consciousness that day when the Spirit descended upon Him. See also Luke iv. 16-17 ; Acts x. 38 ; Matthew xii. 28. Doubtless the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Christ at this time was also prophetic of the manner and method by which He would carry out His Messianic and redemp tive work. He would depend upon the Holy Spirit for power and equipment for service. There are two passages of Scripture which are of great interest in this connection :
Luke iv. 14-21—“And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit unto Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” Acts x. 38—“How God anointed Jesus of Naz areth with the Holy Ghost and with po’wer: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil: for God whs with him.” One passage is used by Christ Himself, and the other by the Apostle Peter to describe the power and means by which His wonderful works were done. How fully Christ depended upon the Holy Spirit! How full He was at all times of this divine power and' Person! His very garments seemed to be full of this power. The afflicted woman said, “If I may but touch the hem of his garment, I shall be whole.” She touched, and forth from the garment there went the power. His voice was full of the Holy Ghost, “Never man spake as this man spake.” His hands and touch bore the impress and power of the Spirit. Whoever they touched they healed. We speak a good deal now adays of mental healing; Jesus practiced manual healing. There was a motherly touch in His hands; they seemed to heal
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker