The Holy Spirit - God's Spirit
E-book and Audio series
PART 2 - The Roles and Activities of the Holy Spirit
Chapter 23 - The Holy Spirit's Role in Christ's Death and Resurrection
Summary: What role did the Holy Spirit play in these important events?
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Study Notes: No.23 - The Holy Spirit's Role in Christ's Death and Resurrection
(Some of these issues are discussed in more detail in the audio recording.)
See also the set of Outline Notes (PDF) for this study.
In the last study, we glanced at some verses through Matthew’s gospel, looking at only a verse or two here and there, and spent a little more time considering the terrible example of the leaders at the time.
It was then suggested that God's Holy Spirit seems to have played little or no role in assisting the Lord Jesus through the final days of His suffering and death. But what we read more about is the Lord’s obedience, something He had to do Himself, without external help. And the point was made that, whilst we are blessed with God’s Holy Spirit in our lives, that we also have the choice to obey or disobey God’s word.
In this study, I’d like to spend a bit more time looking at the Lord’s death and resurrection, and the role of the Holy Spirit amidst these events.
Early in the Gospels, we read of:
- outward miracles, overt signs that the Spirit was at work
- rejected by leaders
- "show us a sign"
READ Matthew 12:24…31…37-41
- no sign will be given except sign of Jonah
- both the Lord’s death and His resurrection were miraculous signs, accompanied by preaching
- “power” to lay life down and take it up again
READ John 10:17,18
- “power” / authority
- I think this might be another indication of the Holy Spirit at work in Him
- Christ’s miraculous death
- Up to this point for the previous few days, the Holy Spirit seems to have played little or no role in the events that saw the Lord Jesus suffer and be put upon the cross. But perhaps there was actually one more overt action of the Holy Spirit to go.
READ Mark 15:37-39…42-45 (see also Matthew 27:50-54)
- death by will, the centurion’s reaction, surprise by Pilate that He had died so soon
I suggest that this may also have been a working of the Holy Spirit – another “sign”. Not merely a wonder for the entertainment of the Pharisees, etc.
Cp – “power to lay life down” (John 10:18), “no sign except the sign of Jonah” (Matthew 12:38-41)
- the centurion saw and believed this sign anyway, even if the leaders didn’t.
- three days and nights in tomb
Cp Matthew 12:40 – three days and nights – the sign of Jonah
- God raised Christ from the dead
Numerous times we are told that "God" raised up the Lord Jesus from the dead:
Acts 2:24 whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.
Acts 2:32 This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses.
Acts 3:15 and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.
Acts 4:10 - the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead,
Acts 10:40 - Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;
Acts 13:30, 33, 37 - God raised him from the dead … [God] hath raised up Jesus again … he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption
1 Corinthians 15:15 - we have testified of God that He raised up Christ
Galatians 1:1 - Paul, an apostle (… through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead)
1 Thessalonians 1:9,10 - ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus
- God raised Christ from the dead … by His Holy Spirit (the intangible arm of God, interacting with mankind)
The Spirit may have enabled His death as well.
READ 1 Peter 3:18 - For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit
(some alternative readings have “made alive in the spirit”, but, as we shall see shortly, “by the Spirit” or “by way of the Spirit” is consistent with what we read elsewhere)
- Note: the Spirit’s work yet again rejected by the leaders
READ Matt 28:5,6 …11-15
Yet another work, so plainly from God, that was rejected by the leaders
Remember Matthew 12 – “no sign [implication – of the Holy Spirit] shall be given you except the sign of the prophet Jonah”
Here they were given this sign, and they again rejected the work of God through His Spirit.
Implications for us...
(1) The same Spirit will also raise us from death
- the same Spirit Who raised Christ will also raise us up from death
READ Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
(2) This is the same Spirit Who is also at work in us
- the same Spirit is also at work in us to help us walk in a way pleasing to God
READ Ephesians 1:15-20
v.19,20 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe (cp v.13,14 – sealed by the Spirit) according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places.
Cp – Ephesians 3:16 – strengthened with might through His Spirit
Paul prayed that we might know this power (or “get to know this power”) – through enlightenment – one of the activities of the Holy Spirit today.
More about this in chapters 36 to 43 of this series of studies. Also a help is Michael Penny’s booklet “The Work of the Holy Spirit in an Age of Grace”.
Concluding Prayer –
“that we might be granted a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You … that we might get to know something of the mighty power of your Holy Spirit at work in us. … for Your glory.”
(Some of these issues are discussed in more detail in the audio recording.)
See also the set of Outline Notes (PDF) for this study.
In the last study, we glanced at some verses through Matthew’s gospel, looking at only a verse or two here and there, and spent a little more time considering the terrible example of the leaders at the time.
It was then suggested that God's Holy Spirit seems to have played little or no role in assisting the Lord Jesus through the final days of His suffering and death. But what we read more about is the Lord’s obedience, something He had to do Himself, without external help. And the point was made that, whilst we are blessed with God’s Holy Spirit in our lives, that we also have the choice to obey or disobey God’s word.
In this study, I’d like to spend a bit more time looking at the Lord’s death and resurrection, and the role of the Holy Spirit amidst these events.
Early in the Gospels, we read of:
- outward miracles, overt signs that the Spirit was at work
- rejected by leaders
- "show us a sign"
READ Matthew 12:24…31…37-41
- no sign will be given except sign of Jonah
- both the Lord’s death and His resurrection were miraculous signs, accompanied by preaching
- “power” to lay life down and take it up again
READ John 10:17,18
- “power” / authority
- I think this might be another indication of the Holy Spirit at work in Him
- Christ’s miraculous death
- Up to this point for the previous few days, the Holy Spirit seems to have played little or no role in the events that saw the Lord Jesus suffer and be put upon the cross. But perhaps there was actually one more overt action of the Holy Spirit to go.
READ Mark 15:37-39…42-45 (see also Matthew 27:50-54)
- death by will, the centurion’s reaction, surprise by Pilate that He had died so soon
I suggest that this may also have been a working of the Holy Spirit – another “sign”. Not merely a wonder for the entertainment of the Pharisees, etc.
Cp – “power to lay life down” (John 10:18), “no sign except the sign of Jonah” (Matthew 12:38-41)
- the centurion saw and believed this sign anyway, even if the leaders didn’t.
- three days and nights in tomb
Cp Matthew 12:40 – three days and nights – the sign of Jonah
- God raised Christ from the dead
Numerous times we are told that "God" raised up the Lord Jesus from the dead:
Acts 2:24 whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.
Acts 2:32 This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses.
Acts 3:15 and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.
Acts 4:10 - the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead,
Acts 10:40 - Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;
Acts 13:30, 33, 37 - God raised him from the dead … [God] hath raised up Jesus again … he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption
1 Corinthians 15:15 - we have testified of God that He raised up Christ
Galatians 1:1 - Paul, an apostle (… through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead)
1 Thessalonians 1:9,10 - ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus
- God raised Christ from the dead … by His Holy Spirit (the intangible arm of God, interacting with mankind)
The Spirit may have enabled His death as well.
READ 1 Peter 3:18 - For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit
(some alternative readings have “made alive in the spirit”, but, as we shall see shortly, “by the Spirit” or “by way of the Spirit” is consistent with what we read elsewhere)
- Note: the Spirit’s work yet again rejected by the leaders
READ Matt 28:5,6 …11-15
Yet another work, so plainly from God, that was rejected by the leaders
Remember Matthew 12 – “no sign [implication – of the Holy Spirit] shall be given you except the sign of the prophet Jonah”
Here they were given this sign, and they again rejected the work of God through His Spirit.
Implications for us...
(1) The same Spirit will also raise us from death
- the same Spirit Who raised Christ will also raise us up from death
READ Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
(2) This is the same Spirit Who is also at work in us
- the same Spirit is also at work in us to help us walk in a way pleasing to God
READ Ephesians 1:15-20
v.19,20 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe (cp v.13,14 – sealed by the Spirit) according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places.
Cp – Ephesians 3:16 – strengthened with might through His Spirit
Paul prayed that we might know this power (or “get to know this power”) – through enlightenment – one of the activities of the Holy Spirit today.
More about this in chapters 36 to 43 of this series of studies. Also a help is Michael Penny’s booklet “The Work of the Holy Spirit in an Age of Grace”.
Concluding Prayer –
“that we might be granted a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You … that we might get to know something of the mighty power of your Holy Spirit at work in us. … for Your glory.”
