September 12, 2009

Beggars before the Spirit - 1

Every time Matthew uses the word SPIRIT, he's talking about something that is supernaturally experiential. Every. Single. Time. The words in, out and upon also show up a lot, near the word SPIRIT, in a virtually physical way. Right from the start, the SPIRIT conceived in Mary.
After that, the pattern continues.

John said Jesus would dunk people into the SPIRIT. Then Jesus himself was alighted upon by the SPIRIT (apparently baptized into the spirit, after the Father had already been well pleased in Him) and the SPIRIT led Jesus into the wilderness. Later, Matthew cites God, according to Isaiah, as being well pleased in his servant before putting his SPIRIT upon Him. (The same sequence as the baptism: in, then upon.)

Jesus cast out SPIRITS and gave his disciples the ability to do the same. Jesus said the SPIRIT of the Father would speak in the disciples, if they got in trouble. Jesus cast out demons in the SPIRIT of God and describes SPIRITS that move in and out of people like houses. Jesus warned people not to blaspheme or speak against the SPIRIT or risk being unforgiven.

Jesus says David once spoke in the SPIRIT. He told his sleepy disciples that SPIRIT, wherever it was at that moment, had its own desire. Dying, Jesus released his SPIRIT. Resurrected, Jesus sent the eleven to baptize people into the name of the Father, Son and Holy SPIRIT.

As you may have already noticed, this post includes every reference to SPIRIT in Matthew, except one.

To be continued...

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