Acts 10:38 says, “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.”
We tend to forget the role the Holy Spirit played in the life of Christ. Jesus “went about doing good” but it was attributed to the power of the Holy Spirit in his life. Therefore, the Holy Spirit empowered Jesus! The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus was God, but it also explains that the Spirit was empowering him during his life and ministry.
The Spirit also had a sealing or approving role. Remember how Ephesians 1:13 teaches us that we are “sealed with the promised Holy Spirit”? In Acts 10:38, the Holy Spirit was similarly putting his stamp of approval on Christ. Darrell Bock says that the Holy Spirit was revealing his choice, much like a “political party puts its stamp on a presidential candidate, so here God has shown who will accomplish his plan” (Bock, 345).
This also leads to Jesus’ commentary about his relationship with the Holy Spirit. When he was at the beginning of his ministry he went into a synagogue and read from Isaiah 61 saying, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor” (Luke 4:18). The Holy Spirit is the one who was upon Jesus. The Holy Spirit was the one blessing and anointing him for the task at hand. He was validating his office and role, his person and his ministry.
The Holy Spirit related to Jesus by empowering anointing and approving Christ! In short, the Holy Spirit exalts Christ. The Holy Spirit empowered all his gospel works, put his stamp of approval on Jesus’ atoning work, and anointed and blessed Jesus as our Savior!
We tend to forgot about how active the Holy Spirit was in the life of Jesus. But here is the really good news for you and me…that same Holy Spirit is promised you at your conversion. That same Holy Spirit is working in you today to also exalt Christ. The Holy Spirit is our “helper” (John 14:16), but he was also Jesus’ helper.
We have seen the result of his work in the life of Jesus, which gives us hope that we can also walk in faithfulness. We have the same power tool that Jesus possessed!
Do some heart work today. What area of our life is not aligned to the desires of the Holy Spirit? In what ways are you seeking to do things in your own moral strength rather than in the power of the Holy Spirit? Following Jesus’ example, yield to the Holy Spirit’s leading in your life today.