THE HOLY SPIRIT'S DUAL WORK IN JESUS AND US – Charles Carrin

THE HOLY SPIRIT’S DUAL WORK IN JESUS AND US: CONCEPTION AND ANOINTING

Charles Carrin

Had Herod succeeded in killing Jesus at age two, Matthew 2:16, His blood would have been just as efficacious for the redemption of mankind as it was 31 years later. As an infant, conceived by the Holy Spirit, He was fully the Son of God when Mary gave Him birth; death by the Herodian sword or the Roman Cross would have made no difference. But, an additional work of the Holy Spirit was necessary before the benefit of His blood could be applied to mankind. As with Moses in Egypt, killing the Passover Lamb and putting its blood in the basin did not deliver Israel. The blood had to be applied to the doorpost of each person being saved. Without the application of the blood, the Israelite’s firstborn would have died with the Egyptians. Identically for us, the blood of Jesus must be applied personally to each one. It is this fact which necessitated the Holy Spirit’s second work in Jesus. By that, I refer to the anointing that came upon Jesus in the Jordan and which initiated His public ministry.

The two works of the Spirit which Jesus experienced were: Conception and Anointing. Conception occurred in the womb of the Virgin Mary and Anointing occurred during His baptism in the Jordan river. One without the other would have left His mission incomplete. Jesus’ conception by the Spirit was for the purpose of His incarnation and redemption; the angel explained this to Mary, “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.’” Luke 1:35. In calming Joseph’s fears about Mary’s pregnancy, the same angel said, “She will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21. The work of conception pointed toward the Cross and redemption.

Jesus’ anointing by the Spirit imparted the miraculous power needed for His public ministry. He explained this in His first sermon in Nazareth immediately following His baptism when He said,”The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.” Luke 4:18-19. Prior to His anointing, Jesus healed no sickness, cast out no demon, performed no miracle. That changed immediately with the Spirit’s descent upon Him.

To be thorough students of the Word, we must be theologically confirmed in both aspects of the Holy Spirit’s ministry in Jesus. Conception equipped Him for the Cross and mankind’s redemption; Anointing equipped Him for the miraculously endowed works of the gospel. Not only so, but we must realize that the Holy Spirit has more purpose for us than just our new-birth/conception. We too urgently need His anointing. Much of modern Christianity ignores this vital truth.

1. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit: Luke 1:35. “And the angel answered and said to Mary, 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.”

2. Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit. John 1:32-33: “John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ Jesus later explained to the synagogue in Nazareth, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.” Luke 4:18. “Anointing” and ministry are inseparably connected.

3. The first disciples experienced the new birth-conception by the Holy Spirit. The new birth: John 20:21-22. “So Jesus said to them again, Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you. And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.‘” The Resurrection now being historic fact and the New Birth having arrived with the New Covenant, these are among the first to officially witness the end of the Law and the introduction of the Reign of Grace.

4. The disciples’ anointing: Acts 1:5,8. Jesus said, “John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now” …“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Acts 2:1-4. “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

5. The Samaritans experienced the new birth-conception and anointing by the Holy Spirit. Their new birth: Acts 8:12. “But when the Samaritans believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.”

6. The Samaritans anointing. Acts 8:14-17. “Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.”

7. Saul of Tarsus experienced the new birth-conception and anointing by the Holy Spirit. Saul’s new birth: Acts 9:3-5. “As Saul journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”

8. Saul’s anointing. Acts 9:17-18. “And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.”

9. Cornelius, the Gentile, experiences the new birth and anointing by the Holy Spirit. Cornelius’ new birth: Acts 10:1-2. “There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.” Acts 10:4. “So the angel said to him, Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God.”

10. Cornelius and his household anointed. Acts 10:44-47: “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word … And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also … For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered, Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.”

11. Believers in Ephesus have been born again but not received the anointing. Acts 19:1-2. “Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples, he said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’ So they said to him,’We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.’

12. The Ephesian believers receive the Holy Spirit’s anointing. Acts 19:6: “When Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.”

13. Luke 11:13. “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

JESUS OFFERS THE HOLY SPIRIT’S ANOINTING

14. John 7:37-39. “On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

BELIEVERS ARE PROVIDED WITH SUBSEQUENT “FILLINGS” OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Acts 4:31. “When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.”

Acts 4:8. “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit …”

Acts 13:52.“The disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.”

Ephesians 5:18. “Do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.”

Ephesians 3:19. “Know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

IN TYPOLOGY, ISRAEL EXPERIENCED DUAL BAPTISMS

1 Corinthians 10:1-4. “Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud , all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.”

“Baptism in the cloud” corresponds to baptism in the Spirit. “Baptism in the sea” corresponds to baptism in water.

It was for a very necessary reason that Jesus told His disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they were “endued with power from on high.” Luke 24:49. Like His own, their ministry was not to begin until the Holy Spirit had equipped them. Their salvation was a past consideration. Anointing was not. Identically so with us, the all-important question for those born-again does not regard their new birth. Rather, it is precisely stated in Paul’s question to the Ephesian believers, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit (baptism) when you believed?” Acts 19:2. If you study this passage it is obvious that Paul knew these men were genuine believers. His concern for them rested wholly upon their very obvious lack of spiritual power. This points out the fact that regeneration alone does not equip us for ministry. Baptism in the Spirit does.

The original disciples preached with Jesus for several years before receiving their personal anointing. So may we. But the difference before and after with them was the same difference that “turned the world upside down”. Acts 17:6. After Pentecost, with the winds of the Holy Spirit within them, they covered the earth with the message of Jesus.

WORDS WE NEED IN OUR SPIRITUAL VOCABULARY

1. The Greek title “Christos” (Christ) means “Anointed One.” This is the exact equivalent of “Messiah” in Hebrew.

2. “Chrisma” means “the anointing.”

3. “Charisma” (with another “a” in the spelling) means “effects of the anointing”, or more explicitly, “Gifts of the Holy Spirit.” I Corinthians 12.

4. “Charis” is the Greek word for “grace” and is translated that way numerous times in the New Testament. In some scriptural instances, “gifts of the Spirit,” may more accurately be translated “grace gifts.” To claim that spiritual gifts passed away is to claim that a vital aspect of grace has also vanished. Not so!

At Pentecost the Holy Spirit identically anointed the second Body of Christ, the Church. I Corinthians 12:27. Jesus’ specific instruction to the disciples was “wait for the promise of the Father …You will be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now … You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.” Acts 1:4-8. The 120 disciples were already born-again before Pentecost; that work of the Holy Spirit in them was complete. But not so in the Holy Spirit’s anointing them for miraculous ministry and the evangelizing of the world. Without the anointing of God’s power upon them individually and corporately the gospel could not be presented to the “ends of the earth”.

The Holy Spirit’s provision for “getting the blood out of the basin” and onto the people occurred in two distinct events:

1. The anointing of Jesus in the Jordan. 2. The anointing of the disciples in the Upper Room.

In referring to the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Himself in the Jordan, Jesus said, :”The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel … ” Luke 4:16-20. Whether Christ or us, kingdom-preaching is inseparably connected to anointing. The words “Christ” and “Christian”–from the Greek word chrios–are not designations of the new birth but of the anointing. Information about the gospel may be learned academically but the actual ministry of the gospel can be rendered only by the Holy Spirit. The difference between preaching and lecturing is the presence or absence of the anointing. Tragically, there is much Christian “lecturing” in our day. Paul explained the difference, “Our sufficiency is of God who has made us able ministers of the New Testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” II Corinthians 3:5-7. The Apostle’s statement is unmistakable: Without the Holy Spirit’s illumination, preaching that relies solely on the letter of the New Testament produces death. Be certain that you personally have received both the new birth and the Holy Spirit’s anointing. The anointing “breaks the yoke.” Isaiah 10:27.

Charles Carrin
carrinmin1@aol.com