The First Gospel Act of Jesus.

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The First Gospel Act of Jesus.


We will be starting a new series in Luke called the Acts and Stories of Jesus. We just finished the People Around Jesus in Mark series. To read that series start here. 


What is the first act of Jesus in the gospel? Filling His older cousin John with the Holy Spirit, while they were both still in the womb. But to this justice, we have to back up six months. John’s dad is serving God as high priest and applying incense to the incense altar. Then an angel appears to him standing on the right side and says,


”But the angel said to him: Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. There will be joy and delight for you, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord and will never drink wine or beer. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit while still in his mother’s womb.“

‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭13‬-‭15‬ ‭HCSB‬‬


Zachariah is in unbelief but God has spoken and it will happen, but Zachariah will be mute until it does happen. 


Now six months have passed and Mary, the soon-to-be mother of Jesus, shows up, and as soon as Mary’s words hit the baby John he was filled with the Holy Spirit. Why?


”The angel replied to her: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.“

‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭35‬ ‭HCSB‬‬


The Holy Spirit was all over Mary! 


Have you guys been in a room where the mood is kinda lacking any excitement but in walks someone and the room is a buzz of excitement, or the music starts playing and the room is overfilled and the mood is broken? I think this is what happened when Mary walked into Zachariah’s house.


How about us? Do we walk into the room and lighten the mood or do we continue to drag it down? When we are walking with the Holy Spirit I think most of the time we will bring the mood up. For the mood of the Spirit is joy and peace. While at the same time, He also brings conviction but never condemnation. 


Elizabeth was also filled with the Holy Spirit and she prophecied,


“You are the most blessed of women, and your child will be blessed! How could this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?“

‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭42‬-‭43‬ ‭HCSB‬‬


Elizabeth, according to the gospel record, had no knowledge that Mary was carrying “her Lord”. 


It seems to me that God is working on prophecy in my life, I keep bringing it up. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Yes, God!


The way the Spirit is upon John and Elizabeth is consistent with how the Holy Spirit operated in the Old Testament, with a limited number of people for a limited time. He would move upon a person and then move out. Saul is an example.


”When Saul and his attendant arrived at Gibeah, a group of prophets met him. Then the Spirit of God took control of him, and he prophesied along with them.“

‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭10‬:‭10‬ ‭HCSB‬‬


”Now the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and an evil spirit sent from the Lord began to torment him,“

‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭16‬:‭14‬ ‭HCSB‬‬


The largest number of people that the Holy Spirit was upon was the 70 elders with Moses.


”Then the Lord descended in the cloud and spoke to him. He took some of the Spirit that was on Moses and placed the Spirit on the 70 elders. As the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but they never did it again.“

‭‭Numbers‬ ‭11‬:‭25‬ ‭HCSB‬‬


But since Jesus God has poured His Spirit upon all flesh to dwell with them as He did before the days of Noah.


”And the Lord said, “My Spirit will not remain with mankind forever, because they are corrupt. Their days will be 120 years.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭6‬:‭3‬ ‭HCSB‬‬


But in Joel, he prophesied that God will once again pour out His Spirit upon all flesh.


”After this I will pour out My Spirit on all humanity; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will have dreams, and your young men will see visions. I will even pour out My Spirit on the male and female slaves in those days.“

‭‭Joel‬ ‭2‬:‭28‬-‭29‬ ‭HCSB‬‬


And it came to pass in Acts 2


”Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages, as the Spirit gave them ability for speech.“

‭‭Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭4‬ ‭HCSB‬‬


And has continued until today!


”I wish all of you spoke in other languages, but even more that you prophesied. The person who prophesies is greater than the person who speaks in languages, unless he interprets so that the church may be built up.“

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭14‬:‭5‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

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