The Spirit of Christ Which Was in Them

2024-08-03

“Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow” (1 Peter 1:11). The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, was in the prophets, using them as vessels to show the coming sufferings and glory of Christ.

“To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?” (Psalm 22:1). Consider the specifics of the psalm, through the human vessel David, where the Spirit gave specific details of Jesus on the cross and then exalted. Note the first person.

“Michtam of David. Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust” (Psalm 16:1). Another Messianic psalm showing the sufferings of Jesus and the promise of His rising. “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption” (Psalm 16:10).

The Spirit is so identified with the Lord Jesus Christ as to expound all that the Lord said, felt, and did from eternity past. All this was written before the incarnation of the Lord.

The incarnation of the Lord, the Word becoming flesh, was brought about by the Holy Spirit. “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). And again, “...for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 1:20).

The Lord Jesus, though He be the Son of God, relied on the Holy Spirit throughout His life. “But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you” (Matthew 12:28).

The intimate connection between Christ and the Spirit shows us significance of our having the Spirit. He gives us all things from Christ.

This is a part of a series summarizing thoughts while reading Samuel Ridout’s The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit: Seven Lectures. Return to the summary home page here.