Holy Spirit

Yes, weep and grieve until the Spirit is poured down on us from above and the badlands desert grows crops and the fertile fields become forests.

—Isaiah 32:15 MESSAGE

Key Thought​

Throughout the Old Testament prophets, there are statements made about the coming of a new day for God's people. It will be a day of healing, victory, and joy. It will be a time when bad things are made right, and even the land will be healed of harshness, desolation, and unproductivity. And the key...

 

"As for me, this is my covenant with [those who repent of their sins]," says the LORD. "My Spirit, who is on you, will not depart from you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will always be on your lips, on the lips of your children and on the lips of their descendants — from this time on and forever," says the LORD.

—Isaiah 59:21 NIV

Key Thought​

Isaiah 59:1-16 is one of the most crushingly sad sections in the entire Bible. God is frustrated and heartbroken...

 

Then Jesus came to [the eleven disciples] and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

—Matthew 28:18-20 NIV

Key Thought​

"All authority"! No one can legitimately contradict, challenge, or cast...

 

Then, surrounded by the Pharisees, Jesus asked them a question: "What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?" They replied, "He is the son of David." Jesus responded, "Then why does David, speaking under the inspiration of the Spirit, call the Messiah 'my Lord'? For David said, 'The LORD said to my Lord, sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies beneath your feet.'"

—Matthew 22:41-44 NLT

Key Thought​

We cannot forget the claims of the...

 

[Jesus:] "So I tell you, every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven — except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which will never be forgiven. Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, either in this world or in the world to come."

—Matthew 12:31-32 NLT

Key Thought​

While rejecting Jesus is sad, he states that it is forgivable. However, attributing his power to Satan rather than the Holy...

 

[Jesus:] "But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you."

—Matthew 12:28 NLT

Key Thought​

Jesus healed broken people. The results of his miracles were beyond dispute, even to his critics. His miracles forced everyone in his day — and they should force everyone in our day — to make a very clear decision. Either Jesus accomplished what he did by the power of Satan or by the power of God's Spirit. There was and is no...

 

"Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations."

—Matthew 12:18 NIV

Key Thought​

Matthew is quoting a prophecy from Isaiah 42, applying it to Jesus in a time of rising conflict. In spite of the conflict, Jesus refuses to stop ministering even though he is under intense scrutiny and faced fierce opposition. Instead, he takes his closest followers and teaches them his will and...

 

[After his baptism,] Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

—Matthew 4:1 NIV

Key Thought​

We sometimes miss part of the significance of this verse because some of the wording is different from Mark and Luke. Notice carefully that Jesus was LED INTO the wilderness TO BE TEMPTED by the devil. Jesus' temptations were no accident. Clearly, the evil one wanted to derail Jesus' ministry before it began. But Jesus defeating the devil in his...

 

The moment Jesus came up out of the baptismal waters, the skies opened up and he saw God's Spirit — it looked like a dove — descending and landing on him. And along with the Spirit, a voice: "This is my Son, chosen and marked by my love, delight of my life."

—Matthew 3:16-17 MESSAGE

Key Thought​

This moment is one of incredible holiness and transcendence. The Father looks down and delights in the Son. The Spirit descends from the Father to rest on and in the Son (Luke 4:1). The...

 

[John the Baptizer:] "I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am — so much greater that I'm not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire."

—Matthew 3:11 NLT

Key Thought​

There are two sides to baptism: (1) what happens to the one being baptized based on that person's intentions, and (2) what Jesus does through the Holy Spirit...