Jesus and the Spirit in Lucan Perspective

Abstract

This article challenges the widely held assumption that Luke considers Jesus' relationship to the Spirit to be archetypal for the Christian. Rather, Luke regards Jesus' baptismal reception of the Spirit as a unique anointing, constituting him the eschatological prophet empowered to effect the messianic "release" of "the poor" (cf. Lk 4:18ff.; 7:22; Acts 10:38): this is neither the Jewish Spirit of prophecy (contra Schweizer) nor is it the Christian's existential power of sonship and "life" (contra Dunn). The redemption through the Spirit continues after the Ascension through his second "receiving" of the Spirit (Acts 2:33): this this is understood as the power to dispose the charismata of Joel's promised Spirit of prophecy.