Jesus’ earthly ministry was limited to only a few years. However, after the Resurrection and Pentecost, it was and is still being multiplied through Spirit-empowered believers. Their ministries today, guided and equipped by the Holy Spirit, continue to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ and the coming kingdom of God. These called and chosen ones declare the biblical truths regarding justification, sanctification and Spirit-empowered service.
Promised Empowerment With the Holy Spirit
Jesus is the archetype of the Spirit-filled, Spirit-empowered life (Matt. 4:23, Luke 4:14-19, Acts 10:38). Pastor Jack Hayford wrote: “The book of Acts is the story of the disciples receiving what Jesus received in order to do what Jesus did!”
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As Jesus was about to begin His public ministry, He sought out John the Baptist to align with his ministry of repentance and confession as a requirement for entering the kingdom of God. After being immersed in water by John, Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit for public ministry in a miraculous display of our triune God: “As Jesus emerged from the water, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. And a voice from heaven proclaimed, ‘This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy'” (Matt. 3:16-17, NLT).
Then, on the day of Jesus’ ascension to heaven, He commanded the assembled disciples “not to depart from Jerusalem but to wait for the Promise of the Father … for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now” (Acts 1:4-5, NKJV).
Jesus promised His followers Spirit-filled empowerment for kingdom service: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8, NLT).
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