Instagram Jesus Week 4: Devotional Day 3

DAY 3 – Wednesday

Daily devotional

Read

Mark 1:10b; Isaiah 61:1

Ask

Consider the role that the Holy Spirit plays in your life. Have you invited him into your new beginnings, or your tough times? Do you experience his presence with you? Spend some time inviting him into these circumstances in prayer.

Reflect

I was surprised to find that the definition of “spirit” on Merriam-Webster’s website is quite extensive, 14 different entries in fact. You can drink spirits, you can be strong spirited, you have a spirit, and you can obey the spirit of something, among many other usages of the word. No surprise, then, that the Spirit of God is an oftentimes confusing subject.

We don’t have time to dive into the mysteries of the Spirit here, but suffice it to say that the Spirit descending on Jesus means good news for us. If the violent rending of the heavens meant justice had come, then the gentle descent of the dove means Mercy is on the scene too.

In another Gospel passage in Luke, Jesus uses Isaiah 61 to describe his ministry. It is precisely because the Spirit had descended on Jesus that he brings good news to the poor and binds up the brokenhearted. There is a partnership here that should not be missed.

When we fast-forward the story, we see in Acts 2 that the end result of Jesus’ ministry is that the Spirit comes down and visits the disciples the same way he does Jesus. In other words, Jesus’ ministry, powered by the Holy Spirit, has become the disciples’. And if you are a disciple, it has become yours through the Holy Spirit, too.

Romans 8:29 tells us that Jesus is the “firstborn among many brothers.” What is true of Jesus has become true of us too, including the incredible experience of his baptism. Today, I want you to consider that the same Holy Spirit who descended on Jesus is available to you. Have you invited him to empower you, to fill you, to commission you on that mission of mercy and grace? Spend time today inviting the Holy Spirit to do so.