We have covered the Spirit’s person, symbols, attributes, and coming. Now we shall go on to the Spirit’s work. We shall consider the Spirit’s work on John the Baptist, on the saints in the transitional period, in Christ, and in the believers for the divine dispensing.
First, the Spirit worked on John the Baptist. The Spirit filled him with power to carry out his ministry. According to Luke 1:15, John the Baptist was filled with the Spirit in this way from his mother’s womb.
Second, the Spirit worked on the saints in the transitional period between Christ’s incarnation and resurrection. These saints-Elizabeth, Zachariah, and Simeon-were filled with the Spirit economically (Luke 1:41, 67; 2:25). In particular, the Spirit communicated to Simeon that “he would not see death before he should see the Lord’s Christ” (Luke 2:26). The Spirit also inspired him to speak prophetically concerning Christ (Luke 2:27-35).
The Spirit worked in Christ by working out His conception and bringing Him forth. In Christ the Father’s divine essence was mingled with the human essence by the Spirit. Through the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit, the divine essence was generated in Mary’s womb (Luke 1:35) so that she was “with child of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 1:18). Thus, that which was begotten in her was of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:20). The birth of Christ was directly of the Holy Spirit. This Spirit was the Spirit of God the Father, the essence of God the Father. When the Spirit entered in through the womb of Mary, that was the essence of God the Father entering into the virgin. This was a divine conception accomplished in the womb of a human virgin. The divine essence was mingled with the human essence to produce a child born as a God-man. The Son was conceived with the Father’s essence and by the Spirit. As the God-man, Christ has two natures-divinity and humanity. The work in Him related to His divinity was absolutely a work done by the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit continued His work in Christ by descending upon Him and abiding upon Him. When Christ came out to minister, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him and abode upon Him as the economical power for His work. At the age of thirty the Lord Jesus was baptized. After He came out of the water, the Spirit of God descended as a dove and came upon Him (Matt. 3:16). The Lord had been born of the Spirit, the Spirit was one of the essences of His being, and He had the Holy Spirit within Him. Essentially He already had the Spirit of life for His existence. But economically for His ministry He still needed the Spirit of power. Therefore, at the time of His baptism the Holy Spirit came upon Him economically, and this economical Spirit abode upon Him (John 1:33).
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