By the writings of Luke, we refer to the gospel that bears his name and the Acts of the Apostles.
In his writing on the Holy Spirit, Luke highlights His work by describing individuals as being, “filled with the Holy Spirit”.
In his gospel, the work of the Holy Spirit centres on the Lord Yeshua and those closely connected with Him – John the Baptist; Elizabeth and Zacharias, the parents of John; Miryam, the mother of the Lord; and Simeon. Each of these is filled with the Spirit at times. The Lord was permanently filled with the Spirit.
The Book of Acts could be reasonable renamed “The Acts of the Holy Spirit through the Apostles”. We see in Acts that the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit is more significant than that of any man. It is He who directs, controls and empowers the work of ministry; thus, making it most effective.
The work of the Holy Spirit in Acts results in the formation of the church and the expansion of its realm. We see the use of unlikely instruments, the employment of unconventional methods and the achievement of remarkable results.
The Book of Acts depicts the New Covenants’ practical outworking in the life of the nascent church.
We will start on the gospel of Luke.
The Holy Spirit and John the Baptist.
Luke 1: 13 – 17.
“But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
The angel was probably responding to the prayer of Zacharias for the redemption of Israel and for a son for himself and Elizabeth. And how that prayer was answered!
When Adonai names a child, greatness usually follows e.g. Ishmael (Genesis 16), Josiah (1 Kings 13) and of course Immanuel (Isaiah 7: 14). And indeed, Zacharias is promised that his son “will be great in the sight of God.”
From conception (life before birth) John would be “filled with the Holy Spirit” and thus equipped for his work of drawing people to Adonai, to repentance and thus to prepare the way for the coming Messiah.
Being “filled” with the Spirit means being directed by and obedient to Him and His guidance. John, like Elijah, would be known for his bold, uncompromising stand for the word of Adonai. Both faced ruthless evil monarchs – Ahab in Elijah’s time and Herod was John’s enemy.
Matthew 3: 11. (the words of John).
“I indeed baptise you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. “
The Conception of Messiah.
Luke 1 30 – 35.
“Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord will give Him the throne of His father, David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.”
The virgin birth was a miracle of the Holy Spirit. Not surprisingly Miryam was struggling. The virgin birth had been foretold by Isaiah, but this unique human experience was coming to her! Clearly the child to whom she would give birth was the Messiah and would fulfil the Davidic covenant with its promise of an unending reign and eternal throne.
The deity of the Holy Spirit is absolutely evident here.
The Filling of Elizabeth.
Luke 1: 39 – 42.
“Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Eilzabeth. And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then she spoke out in a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!”
No wonder Miryam hasted off to visit relatives. There may have been scandal if she had remained in Nazareth. She may also have needed support to come to terms with what she had been told.
Miryam’s visit brought a reaction from John in Elizabeth’s womb; his first encounter with the Messiah.
Elizabeth was “filled with the Holy Spirit” i.e., she was controlled temporarily by the Holy Spirit, who undoubtedly guided her remarkable expression of praise. Note that there was no trace of jealousy in Elizabeth; only joy and delight that the unborn child of Miryam would be the Lord.
Elizabeth’s praise was not for Miryam but for the child she would bear. It was a profound expression of Elizabeth’s confidence that Miryam’s child would be the longed-for Messiah. Elizabeth’s grasp of the situation was extraordinary. She understood the reaction of her child in the womb.
The Filling of Zacharias.
Luke 1: 67 – 69.
“Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying: “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David.”
Zacharias regained his voice at the ceremony of circumcision for his son John and immediately started to prophesy as he was “filled with the Holy Spirit”. In the Spirit, the priest Zacharias was enabled to announce the provision of Adonai’s promise in the Messiah.
Zacharias was able to expound each of the three kinds of prophecy: foretelling future events, forthtelling the word of Adonai and praising Adonai. He could praise Adonai for the national and spiritual salvation of Israel. He proclaimed what the angel had told him in the temple; his son would prepare the way for the Messiah.
Since both he and Elizabeth were Levites, the One “raised up in the house of David” could not be their son, but someone greater.
Zacharias could foretell that Israel would be “redeemed”. Forgiveness of sin is the heart of salvation. Adonai saves sinners from separation from Him and from eternity in hell, only by the atonement for and the forgiveness of sin.
The Filling of Simeon.
Luke 2: 25 – 27.
“And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, he took Him up in his arms and blessed God …”
Simeon was waiting for the “Consolation of Israel” i.e., the comforter of Israel – the Messiah. His hope for Israel was national salvation and national deliverance. It is significant that with messianic expectation running high in Israel at this time, and with so many prophets having spoken of His coming, that still only a handful of people realized the significance of the birth of the Lord Yeshua.
Yet, Simeon, a man who walked in quiet contemplation with Adonai, received supernatural revelation of the fulfilment of these prophecies and was guided by the Holy Spirit to the presentation of the Lord Yeshua at the temple; the Child who represented salvation from Adonai.
The Baptism of the Lord Yeshua.
Luke 3: 21 and 22.
“When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in you I am well pleased.”
This is one of two heavenly endorsements of the Lord Yeshua’s ministry. The other came at the Transfiguration (Luke 9: 35, “This is My beloved Son, Hear him!”).
This endorsement combines two ideas.
The idea of Adonai’s chosen king as His Son comes from Psalm 2: 7.
“I will declare the decree: the Lord has said to Me, “You are My Son, today I have begotten You.”
The idea of Adonai’s pleasure comes from the image of “the Servant”. This image depicts the Lord Yeshua’s election by Adonai and the special favour He enjoyed. The fact that the Lord was both King and Servant is fundamental to his identity.
Isaiah 42:1.
“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.”
At the baptism of the Lord, all three persons of the triune Godhead are distinguishable; with the Holy Spirit “in bodily form” i.e., a physical presence visible to all and “like a dove”; a picture of gentleness.
Adonai clearly wanted to bring the attention of the people present to the Son at the inauguration of His ministry. We see here the Holy Spirit giving vindication and empowerment at this vital moment.
The Temptation of the Lord Yeshua.
Luke 4: 1 – 13.
“Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness … Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time. Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee …”
Adonai Himself is never the instigator of temptation (James 1: 13 “… for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He himself tempt anyone.”). But here Adonai uses even Satan’s tempting for His own purpose. The Lord Yesua, filled with the Spirit, resists all temptation. He succeeded where Adam failed. Satan was warned off. Messiah could not be tempted to deviate from the plan of Adonai.
There was never a time in the Lord’s life when He was not full of the Holy Spirit. It is specifically mentioned here in connection with the temptations. To be “filled with the Spirit” means to be completely yielded to Him and to be completely obedient to every word of Adonai. The Lord was “led by the Holy Spirit”.
The Inauguration of the Lord’s Ministry.
Luke 4: 14 – 21.
“Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee … He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book He found the place (Isaiah chapter 61) where it is written; “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor …”
The Spirit Himself has appointed Messiah. In the power of the Spirit the Lord Yeshua announced Himself to be the Messiah; a royal figure and the possessor of a prophetic mission.
The Lord Yeshua’s promise about the aid of the Holy Spirit to His disciples which would come after His death.
Luke 12:11 and 12.
“Now when they bring you to the synagogues and the magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
This promise was given by the Lord Yeshua to His disciples but is applicable to all of Adonai’s people. At times of persecution, either before criminal or civil or religious tribunals, there is no need for concern as the Holy Spirit will provide suitable words and arguments for defence.
This would be of particular significance at times of life-threatening persecution where there had been no opportunity to prepare a defence. However, this power is no excuse for a lack of study and preparation.
The Lord Yeshua’s prophecy concerning the Holy Spirit at Pentecost forty days after His Ascension.
Acts 1:4 – 8.
“And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which”, He said “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptised with water, but you shall be baptised with the Holy Spirit not many days from now … But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
The “Promise of the Father” was the promise of baptism in the Holy Spirit. Notice the passive tense of the verb, you shall be baptised with the Holy Spirit”. That baptism is not brought about by our efforts to obtain the promise; it depends absolutely on the Lord’s will.
Spiritual baptism means that we (believers) have been placed in spiritual union with one another in the body of the Lord; the church.
1 Corinthians 12:12 and 13.
“For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, whether slave or free – and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.”
The Old Testament prophets knew that the messianic kingdom to come would be characterized by a great display of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the people of Adonai.
Isaiah 44:3.
“For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring.”
Water is a physical representation of the future life that the people who follow the Lord Yeshua will receive.
The Spirit of Truth would inform believers of sin, righteousness and judgment. This would take place first in the city of Jerusalem. The disciples would receive the Holy Spirit where they themselves had forsaken the Lord and fled to save themselves. Now through the Holy Spirit, they would be made strong and fearless.
Some, if not all, of the disciples had already been baptised by John with water. But John’s baptism was cultural and physical. Before long, the Lord Yeshua told them, they would be baptised with the Holy Spirit and this baptism would be inward and spiritual. Their first baptism identified them with the repentant portion of Israel. The second would incorporate them into the church, the body of the Lord Yeshua, and would empower them for service.
The Coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Acts 2:1 – 21.
We should not perhaps be surprised that the Holy Spirit came at the feast of Shavuot. Shavuot is a pilgrimage feast through which the Jews remember Adonai’s revelation of Himself, His power and His Torah. The miraculous events accomplished by the Holy Spirit amount to a reversal of Babel concerning the ability of people to communicate. Previously weak and frightened disciples such as Peter became emboldened.
“A sound” like a “rushing wind” was needed to attract the attention to the small gathering of apostles who were “sitting” i.e., the normal position for listening, rather than standing for prayer. Along with the sound of rushing wind, came “tongues of fire”. The apostles could not comprehend the significance of the Spirit’s arrival without the Lord sovereignly illustrating what was occurring through a visible phenomenon. Fire is often associated with divine presence. The “tongues” may refer to the various languages which they became able to speak and understand.
They were “all filled with the Spirit”. Birth in the Spirit is a one-time event at the moment of conversion. Up to this point, the Spirit of God had been with the disciples, but now He took up residence with them. This is an important turning in the Spirit’s dealings with mankind. The Holy Spirit had previously come upon men. Now He became resident with believers.
On the day of Pentecost, the disciples were not only indwelt by the Spirit, but they were filled with Him as well.
We are indwelt by the Spirit at the moment we are saved, but to be filled with the Spirit is at the discretion of Adonai but may occur as we worship together, study, have a special time of meditation or prayer and continue to live in obedience to the Lord.
At Pentecost, with the arrival of the Holy Spirit, there occurred the first major event in church history; Peter’s sermon which resulted in the conversion of 3,000 saints and the establishment of the church.
If time allowed, we could go through the Book of Acts and see the great extent of the work of the Holy Spirit through the apostles to build the church. For now, we shall be satisfied with a list of His actions: people who had died were restored to life; people received miraculous spiritual and physical healings; the apostles were empowered to answer their opponents and keep on preaching in joy; the apostles were empowered to understand the intent of others (e.g. Ananias); the apostles were aided to administer the church; the apostles were able to face death fearlessly; they were provided with supernatural transportation (Philip in 8:39); the apostles’ work was directed by the Holy Spirit; He gave them the ability to speak languages; and He gave them protection from dangerous snakes (28:6).
All this was achieved by the same Holy Spirit who indwells all believers. We underestimate His power and his loving desire for our good. He is to be listened to and never neglected, grieved or ignored; He is much too powerful an asset.
We cannot bring the filling of the Holy Spirit upon ourselves; this is an act of divine sovereignty. Sadly, of course, we can hinder the filling of the Spirit.
1 Thessalonians 5:19.
“Do not quench the Spirit”.
This idea concerns resisting His influence; like smothering a fire. One of the fundamental rules of walking with Adonai is that we do not say “no” to the Spirit. To “quench” means to suppress or subdue. Sin quenches Him. Traditions quench Him. Man-made rules quench Him. Disunity quenches Him. The Spirit is quenched wherever His ministry is stifled by an individual or by an assembly.
Ephesians 4:30.
“… do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God…”
We cannot command the Holy Spirit. But we can grieve and quench Him. So, what do we need to avoid doing to give ourselves any hope of being filled with the Spirit?
Naturally, we need to do our very best to avoid sin. If we are obedient the Holy Spirit will feel at home with us. 1 John 3:22 “And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.”
To reject holiness, is to reject the ministry of the Holy Spirit within us. 1 Thessalonians 4:7 “For God did not calls us to uncleanliness but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects does not reject man, but God who has given us His Holy Spirit.”
We should seek every opportunity to replace anger and to express Adonai’s love to everyone Ephesians 4:29 – 31 “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth … Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.”
We have looked at our actions which can distance the Holy Spirit from us. What can we do to have Him feel at home with us and improve our chances of being filled with the Spirit?
There is but one way of true life. We can find real joy and fulfilment, not in the world, but in the word of Adonai.
Psalm 1:1 and 2.
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law, he meditates day and night”.
By immersing ourselves in the will of Adonai with the correct attitude, we may well find ourselves going beyond being “sealed” to being actually filled.
Ephesians 5:18 and 20.
“… be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things in God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.”
We must listen to the Holy Spirit and His guidance.
Ephesians 4:32.
“… and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you”.
To walk in the Spirit is to listen to His prompting and follow His lead.
Galatians 5:25.
“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
Conclusion.
Through the writings of Luke, we saw the power and might of the Holy Spirit. That Spirit who provided the power and the direction for the creation of the church, is the same Spirit who indwells all believers. He demonstrates the lovingkindness of the triune Godhead and is our great asset in walking in the ways of Adonai. But He will not impose Himself on us. We can sadly subdue Him in His desire to guide us. But although we cannot command the full experience of the Spirit, we can of course request it , and there is much we can do make sure that the Spirit is aware of our desire to live a life worthy of Adonai’s great mercy and to ensure that He feels “at home” with us.
AMEN.