In the Power of the Spirit

Simon Cayzer

Jesus stepped into his mission among us, having heard his Father say to him, “You are my son whom I love; with you, I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:21-22, NLT). This declaration must have strengthened Jesus’ sense of identity as the loved son of God and freed him to carry out his mission despite opposition. As we move into a new year, we, too, need this clear sense of identity as the loved children of God. As Paul says in Romans 8:16 “Now we call him, ‘Abba, Father’. For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.” (NIV) As I move into new situations, I often remind myself that Jesus is with me, and I ask the Spirit to lead me as I engage with others. I did this two weeks ago when I worked together with neighbours for a day building a retaining wall. This sense of being with Jesus freed me to serve and love well and to introduce a story about God into conversation naturally.

In Luke 4, we see the Holy Spirit clearly empowering Jesus in his work. As Jesus faces being tempted by the devil for 40 days, we read in Luke 4:1-2 that Jesus is “full of the Holy Spirit” and is being “led by the Spirit”. After this experience, Jesus returned to his hometown and spoke in his local synagogue. He announces his mission by quoting from Isaiah 61, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor…” (Luke 4:18, NIV). At the start of this story, Luke says Jesus returned home “in the power of the Spirit”.

Like Jesus, we can move into this year with the power of the Spirit. It’s amazing how many ways the Holy Spirit works in and through us, and each one of these is powerful. In the Navigator Backpack section on the Holy Spirit there is a table of what the Spirit does in Study 1 (pages 45-46) – Link to Backpack. Galatians 5:25 says, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” (NIV) We have the choice of stepping out on our own or cooperating with the Spirit as we go about our daily lives. For me this means asking the Spirit to lead me and empower me, actively listening to what the Spirit might be saying to me through Scripture during my day and seeking to respond immediately to what the Spirit asks me to do. As the writer of Hebrews says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts” … instead respond in faith and obedience.