The Significance of Jesus' Encounter with the Holy Spirit at the River Jordan
Part Two of the Lucan Pneumatology Series
Introduction
The books of the Bible exhibit both unity and diversity, which seems natural when you consider how the Holy Spirit inspired its writing. Unity comes from the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and diversity comes from the Spirit’s accommodation of the human authors. In other words, although the human authors wrote perfectly under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, they wrote specifically about things they deemed important. Therefore, to determine what “the Bible says” about a given subject begins with an analysis of what an individual author taught about that subject. Then you can compare that teaching to the teaching of other authors to get the whole picture of what “the Bible says” about the subject. This concept becomes critically important regarding pneumatology because different biblical authors addressed the doctrine of the Spirit from different perspectives (Stronstad 2018, 140). This study of Lucan pneumatology will dive into Luke’s record of the beginning of Jesus’ messianic ministry in an attempt to demonstrate the paradigmatic significance of Jesus’ encounter with the Holy Spirit at the Jordan River to show that Christians today should expect to have similar experiences with the Holy Spirit. We need to start with a discussion of Jewish pneumatological expectations for the Messianic Age.
The Messianic Age: Pneumatological Expectations
What did the Jews expect to happen when the Messiah came? In the Jewish Scriptures, the Christian Old Testament (OT), the Holy Spirit dealt with people occasionally and situationally. An individual might receive empowerment from the Spirit for a specific task, such as building the tabernacle (Exod. 31:2-3) or for a specific person, such as King David (Ps. 51:11). Yet, Moses longed for a day when the Spirit would fill all God’s people (Num. 11:29 ESV). The prophets following Moses associated the Messianic Age with the Spirit’s universal presence among God’s people (e.g., Isa. 32:15; 44:3–5; Zech. 12:10).
Isaiah explained how the Holy Spirit would empower the Messiah when He came (61:1). Joel described how after the Messiah came, the people of God would receive a similar empowerment. “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions” (Joel 2:28). While Joel and Isaiah focused on the Spirit’s prophetic empowerment, Ezekiel introduced His soteriological (salvataion-related) function. Ezekiel quoted God, “I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules” (36:27). Thus, the OT describes multiple facets associated with the actions of the Holy Spirit leading up to and during the Messianic Age, which involves obeying the Lord, the Messiah’s anointing, and empowerment for service. However, the important thing to note pertaining to Luke’s doctrine of the Holy Spirit is that the Jews expected the Holy Spirit to do some new things in the world during the Messianic Age. Luke intentionally crafted his narrative to demonstrate how the events surrounding Jesus’ birth fulfilled the Jews’ pneumatological expectations for the Messianic Age.
The Messianic Age: Prophecy Restored
The Jews living during Jesus’ time believed that the Holy Spirit went silent after Malachi (late fifth century BC) and would remain silent until the time of the Messiah. According to Robert Menzies, “The silence of spirit-inspired prophetic activity to which the intertestamental literature attests is shattered at the very outset of the narrative, and pneumatic inspiration constitutes a recurring motif” (2004, 70). The first couple chapters of the Gospel of Luke are all about prophecy beginning again. Prophecy resumed when the angel predicted the birth of Zechariah’s son John, who would become the Baptist (Luke 1:13–17). That John would be “filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb” signified his prophetic vocation (Luke 1:15; Michaels 1988, 111). Later in the narrative, Luke recorded how the Holy Spirit also granted prophetic inspiration to Zechariah (1:67), Mary (1:46), Elizabeth (1:42), Simeon (2:25), and Anna (2:36). The Spirit of prophecy had broken His silence.
After this summary of the prophetic restart, Luke transitioned to the prophetic ministry of John the Baptist. John the Baptist served his prophetic role, preparing the people to hear from the Messiah, whose ministry Luke concluded with the summary statement regarding John’s assassination by Herod (3:18–20). Then, Luke introduced Jesus’ ministry by describing His baptism at the Jordan River by this new prophet John the Baptist. Luke recorded, “Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased’” (3:21–22). Since we are looking at Lucan pneumatology, we want to determine what, if anything, happened to Jesus when the Holy Spirit descended upon Him.
Researchers have disagreed regarding the purpose of the Jordan event in Luke’s narrative. Some scholars think that the events at the Jordan signaled the inception of Jesus’ role as Messiah—at the Jordan, Jesus became the Messiah (Dunn 1993, 16; Turner 1981, 28). Theologians such as Roger Stronstad and Robert Menzies suggested that the Jordan event functioned as Jesus’ anointing for messianic service. Jesus existed as the Messiah from birth, but the Spirit’s anointing at the Jordan equipped Him for His messianic ministry (Stronstad 2010, 35; Menzies 2004, 85). To solve the issue, we will consider two types of evidence: (1) echoes from the OT in Luke’s narrative and (2) Luke’s description of the event using Jesus’ own words.
The Jordan event may have echoed parts of the royal messianic Psalm 2 and the beginning of the Servant Songs in Isaiah (Ps. 2:7; Isa. 42:1). Both the Psalmist and Isaiah discussed the Messiah’s role. Isaiah described it this way: “Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations” (Isa. 42:1). Menzies believed the echoes of Psalm 2 and Isaiah 42 were enough to decide the point: the anointing at the Jordan marked Jesus’ empowerment for ministry (2004, 86). Stronstad and Turner agreed with Menzies regarding the viability of Lucan allusions to Isaiah 42 and Psalm 2, but they sought further evidence to determine the meaning of the Jordan event. They looked to Jesus’ sermon at Nazareth to decide the issue (Stronstad 2012, 45; Turner 1981, 14).
Jesus began the sermon by quoting Isaiah 62. He told the audience, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18–19). It seems like Jesus just told us right there exactly what happened to Him at the Jordan River. The Holy Spirit came upon Him and empowered Him for His charismatic ministry. Hence, the anointing at the Jordan signaled the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. Then, Jesus told the people about His ministry. Then, Jesus began His ministry.
Luke utilized Jesus’ inauguration narrative (3:1–4:44) as a programmatic description of Jesus’ messianic ministry (Stronstad 2010, 30). Luke introduced how Jesus’ ministry would simultaneously resemble the prophetic themes associated with David, Isaiah, Elijah/Elisha, and Moses (Stronstad 2012, 46). Luke tacitly introduced the Davidic aspect of Jesus’ ministry in the voice from heaven at the Jordan River, which echoed the line from the royal messianic psalm, “The LORD said to me, ‘You are my son; today I have begotten you” (Luke 3:22a; Ps. 2:7). Isaianic themes abounded, especially in Jesus’ sermon. Jesus quoted from what became known as Isaiah 61:1–2 to explain the events at the Jordan and to begin His ministry (Luke 4:18–19). Jesus also compared himself to Elijah and Elisha in the sermon (4:25–27). The Mosaic eschatological prophet theme lied in the background of the narrative (Deut. 18:15). Luke developed each of these themes throughout the rest of the Gospel.
Like Elijah and Elisha, Jesus healed, multiplied food, controlled the elements, and even raised the dead (e.g. Luke 4:39; 9:16–17; 8:24; 7:15). As Isaiah predicted, Jesus became the so-called suffering servant who died for the sins of His people (Isa. 52:13–53:12; Luke 24:46). Jesus ultimately ascended to the heavenly throne as the Davidic King (Luke 24:51; Acts 2:34–36). Luke explicated Jesus’ fulfillment of Moses’ prophecy (Deut. 18:15) with his record of the events on the mountain when “two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah…And a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!’” (9:30, 35). On the mountain, both Moses and God confirmed that the eschatological prophet had come.
Luke described how the Spirit empowered Jesus with all sorts of charismatic gifts, which Jesus deployed in a manner reminiscent of (and even exceeding) the great OT prophets. Jesus healed people, multiplied food, controlled nature, and even raised the dead. Jesus credited His charismatic ministry to this Spirit-anointing at the Jordan River (Luke 4:18–19; Stronstad 2018, 120; Michaels 1988, 116). “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,” Jesus said. Then, He began to do all of the amazing miracles and things that He did. Are there implications here for us, Jesus’ followers?
The Messianic Age: Pneumatological Implications
Jesus informed His disciples that they would also receive empowerment for ministry from the Holy Spirit. When Jesus “appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him,” they proclaimed the gospel and executed the same types of miracles as Jesus (Luke 10:1, 9, 17). Although Luke did not explicitly attribute these miracles to the Spirit, the echoes of Numbers 11 implied that the Spirit was the source (Stronstad 2012, 51). In that story, God, by way of Moses, appointed seventy elders to judge Israel. God told Moses, “I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them, and they shall bear the burden of the people with you” (Num. 11:17). Luke clarified the source of empowerment when he subsequently recorded Jesus’ instructions for His disciples to pray for the gift of the Holy Spirit (11:13).
After His resurrection, Jesus instructed His disciples, “Behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high” (24:49). What did the promise of the Father entail? Jesus explained, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8). The restoration of prophecy for the community of Christ’s followers became “actualized in the experience of the 120 disciples who all prophesy when Jesus pours out the Spirit upon them on the day of Pentecost” (Stronstad 2010, 34). The Messianic Age had begun, and the Holy Spirit became active among His people on a level never seen in history.
Not everyone agrees with this analysis of Holy Spirit empowerment in Luke and Acts. James Dunn, Max Turner, and others have argued that Luke intended his readers to understand the events at Pentecost and the Jordan River as unique, unrepeatable, epoch-shifting events (Turner 1981, 40; Dunn 1993, 16). However, Stronstad and Menzies argued for the repeatability of these events in the lives of Christians today (Stronstad 2018, 130; Menzies 2004, 89). The structure of Luke-Acts supports the conclusions of Stronstad and Menzies. According to Stronstad, “The Pentecost narrative stands in the same relation to the mission of the disciples as the inauguration narrative does to the mission of Jesus” (2018, 130). The two events were “functionally equivalent,” preparing the individuals involved for charismatic ministry (Stronstad 2018, 130). Jesus received empowerment from the Holy Spirit at the Jordan River and then began a charismatic, miraculous ministry. The disciples received empowerment from the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and then began charismatic, miraculous ministries.
The events at Jordan and Pentecost exhibited functional equivalence, and Luke described similar events preceding the charismatic ministries of such prophets as Stephen, Philip, and Paul in a kind of continuation and advancement of the Spirit-inspired prophecies of people sch as Zechariah and Anna at the beginning of Luke’s Gospel, (Luke 1-2; Acts 6:3–5; 9:3–18). Luke emphasized this pattern on purpose. Luke’s repetition commends the paradigmatic significance of Jesus’ anointing. Jesus received empowerment for charismatic ministry as a model for His disciples, not a one-off event. The twenty-first century church needs to embrace Luke’s doctrine of the Spirit and ask the Holy Spirit to equip them for service. Many Bible-believing Christians today are simply ignoring Lucan pneumatology to the detriment of their churches and to the detriment of the mission Jesus assigned. J. P. Moreland lamented, “There is too little power in your churches, too little extravagant worship in which your people pour out their hearts to God on Sunday. Too much of your church’s accomplishments can be explained without there needing to be a God to explain them” (2007, 180, italics added).
Conclusion
Luke established the anointing of Jesus at the Jordan River as a paradigmatic, repeatable empowerment for service in the kingdom of God. The Messiah had come, and by the time He finished His work, the Holy Spirit had granted Moses’ wish for His universal presence (Num. 11:29; Acts 2:39). Believers today should follow Luke’s pattern and pray for the Holy Spirit to empower them for service. Then, they will be equipped to achieve the task Jesus assigned—to proclaim His gospel to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).
Reference List
Dunn, James D. G. 1993. “Baptism in the Spirit: A Response to Pentecostal Scholarship on Luke-Acts.” Journal of Pentecostal Theology 1, no. 3 (October): 3–27. https://web.a. ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=2&sid=d88e0929-d7a2-40f0-8dfb-b28d43c9d2c0%40sessionmgr4008.
Lotz, Carsten Timothy. 2010. “A Critical Evaluation of Youngmo Cho: Spirit and Kingdom in the Writings of Luke and Paul: An Attempt to Reconcile these Concepts.” The Evangelical Quarterly 82, no. 2 (April): 124–141. https://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/ pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=9&sid=bb2a06e6-6bc6-4d92-8ffc-9417852f1e10% 40sessionmgr103.
Menzies, Robert P. 2004. “Empowered for Witness: The Spirit in Luke–Acts.” In Pneumatology in Lucan Literature: Reading and Resource Materials. 4th ed., edited by Global University. 69–108. Springfield, MO: Global University.
Michaels, J. R. 1988. “Luke–Acts.” In Pneumatology in Lucan Literature: Reading and Resource Materials. 4th ed., edited by Global University. 109–128. Springfield, MO: Global University.
Moreland, J. P. 2007. The Kingdom Triangle. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan
Stronstad, Roger. 2010. The Prophethood of All Believers: A Study in Luke’s Charismatic Theology. Cleveland, TN: CPT Press.
———. 2012. The Charismatic Theology of St. Luke: Trajectories from the Old Testament to Luke-Acts. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.
———. 2018. Spirit, Scripture, and Theology: A Pentecostal Perspective. 2nd ed. Baguio City, Philippines: Asia Pacific Theological Seminary Press.
Turner, Max. 1981. “Jesus and the Spirit in Lucan Perspective.” Tyndale Bulletin 32: 3–42. https://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=9&sid=3a272113-6d58-43fa-8212-a4bf7f298543%40sessionmgr4008.