Jesus’ ministry begins with this mention of the Spirit and power:
“And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee” (Lk. 4:14 ESV)
Jesus launches his public ministry “in the power of the Spirit.” It was, of course, power that led to the worst misunderstandings of what Jesus was about. Many of his followers desired for him to use divine power in violent ways so that they might recapture their position of dominance in the world. It was, of course, a power-play that led to Jesus’ murder–the political and religious elite using their power over his very body to assure their own privilege and position in their worlds.
The abuse of power lies behind the worst we saw in Jesus’ day, and the worst we still see today. Racists using the power of savagery to subjugate people of color, and racists using the power of silence to permit this subjugation. Politicians shaping policy to retain their place and their followers using those same policies to keep their place. Abusers using power to get what they want from their victims. Legal systems neglecting their power to seek justice for those same victims.
Notice, however, what Jesus’ Spirit-given power was directed toward:
God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him (Acts 10:38 ESV)
The power of the Spirit was marshalled by Jesus for the “doing of good and healing of all who were oppressed.” By the Spirit, Jesus possessed the power to do remarkable harm. He was possessed by that Spirit, however, to do remarkable good–the healing of all who were oppressed.
The same power is prayed for us by Paul:
16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ (Eph. 3:16-18 NIV)
Paul prays that the Spirit’s power might enable us to grasp the width, length, height and depth of Jesus’ love. The purpose of the power is to empower us to experience and express the love seen in Jesus.
The Spirit’s power is what makes possible lives flowing with hope:
I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with much joy and peace as you trust in him. Then you will have more and more hope, and it will flow out of you by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Rom. 15:13 ERV)
So much power is used today to demolish hope, or to hold hostage hope, or to nurture hopelessness. The Spirit has been given, however, so that he might empower hopefulness through us for the good of the world.
We are, to be sure, caught up in a power-struggle of cosmic proportions:
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (Eph. 6:12 ESV)
There are cosmic forces at work within our world. And that’s why, perhaps as never before, followers of Jesus need the power of the Spirit. Not so that we may assure a place of privilege and position over others. Not so that we may imitate the misuse and abuse of power so rampant in our world. But so that we, like Jesus, might do good and heal the many who are still oppressed by forces of evil rampant in our world. So that we, as Paul prayed, might experience and express unfathomable love in a world that only seems to understand the lack of love. So that we, as Paul prayed, might flow with hope in a world so filled with hopelessness.
May the power of the Spirit be with you today.
