The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 138

98

THE MEDIATOR

ing by the mouth of Isaiah

The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek." But the great fact which could not be learned from prophecy is that of the descent of the Holy Spirit at Jordan. "

:

Surely Isaiah referred partly to this event, but principally to the anointing in the counsel of peace.

However, when Jesus went up

out of Jordan, and the Holy Spirit descended upon

Him

like a dove,

and a voice was heard from heaven saying, " This is My beloved Son," then only the anointing became actual. That Christ's In regard to the event itself, only a few words. Baptism was not a mere form, but the fulfilling of all righteousness proves that He descended into the water burdened with our sins. Hence St. John makes the words, " Behold the Lamb of God," precede the account of His Baptism. Wherefore it is incorrect to say that Christ was installed into His Messianic office only at His Baptism. On the contrary. He was anointed from eternity. Wherefore He may not be represented as being for a moment unconscious, according to the measure of His development, of the Messiah task that rested upon Him. This lay in His holy Person it was not added to Him at a later period, but was His before Adam fell. And as in His human consciousness His Person gradually attained This is evident stature, it was always the stature of the Messiah. from His answer when, at the age of twelve. He spoke of the things of His Father which were to occupy Him; and still more clearly from His words to John the Baptist commandingly saying: " Suffer it to be so now, for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness."" And yet it is only at His Baptism that Jesus receives the actual consecration to His office. This is proven from the fact that immediately after this He entered publicly upon His office as a Teacher; and also from the event itself, and the voice from heaven pointing to Him as the Messiah and especially from the descent of the Holy Spirit, which can not be interpreted in any other way than as His consecration to His holy office. What we have said with reference to the communication of the Holy Spirit qualifying one for office, as in the case of Saul, David, Altho in His human and others, is of direct application here. nature Jesus was personally in constant fellowship with the Holy Spirit, yet the official communication was established only at the time of His Baptism. Yet with this difference, that while in others the person and his office are separated at death, in the Messiah the ;

;

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