By Chalcedony Williams & Shirley Rosemarie Evans
Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness…Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power. Reports about him spread quickly through the whole region…
The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favour has come.”
Luke 4:1, 14, 17-19 NLT
In an age where signs and wonders do not seem to happen as a regular occurrence, we can be fooled into thinking that the power of Jesus’ earthly ministry was unique to Him and His time. This is felt more strongly when we consider that Jesus was the Son of God, the almighty Creator in human flesh. Although we are not ‘little gods’ and we will never possess the characteristics unique to the Son of God, the recordings of Luke in chapter 4 give us much to consider as it relates to empowerment for ministry.
Jesus was God. He was also human, and because He was human, He experienced the limitations and frailties of humanity. Like us, He had to be cared for and taught, and He had to grow. And, like us, Jesus knew what it was like to be weak and to need to rely on a power outside of Himself for help. The Son carried out the kingdom mission of God, but through the indwelling influence and power of the Holy Spirit, the Father’s plan was realised in the world.
Jesus is our great example; if He accomplished all through the Spirit, then so must we. The Holy Spirit lives in the believer and controls our lives as we yield to God and submit to His Word and His will. Romans 6:11 says, “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you.” Take a moment to consider the implications of this: the great death-defying power living in us and working through us to accomplish the mission of the Kingdom!
Now consider the dangers of relying on self in ministry, the struggles, the loneliness, the opposition which must come our way. Imagine facing these without the wisdom, the comfort and the power that comes from the Spirits’ indwelling presence – seems pretty impossible, right? In fact, Jesus tells us that unless we abide in Him we can do nothing (John 15:5)!
Before He ascended to heaven, Jesus handed over His ministry to His followers. We are to continue the work He started; we are to walk in His footsteps, led by His Spirit, fulfilling His assignment until He returns and His Kingdom is fully established on earth.
Ask: What does Jesus Spirit-empowered ministry tell us about how we should be on mission?
Seek: What is the evidence that the Spirit is at work in your life as a citizen of the Kingdom what areas of your life do you yet need to yield to the Spirit’s control?
Knock: Having identified the areas in your life that you need to yield to the Spirit take them to God in prayer asking Him through the Spirit to surrender those things to Him and to fill you afresh each day with the Spirit’s power.
