Jesus Receives the Holy Spirit (AI generated image)

This is Part 1 in a series about the timing and precedent of receiving the Holy Spirit.

When did Jesus receive the Holy Spirit? Was it in his baptism (during the down and up motion of his water baptism), or was it sometime after?

This question may seem trivial, but it has important implications. In Part 2, I will examine whether Jesus’ experience serves as a precedent in any way concerning when new covenant believers receive the Holy Spirit.

Before we look at the scriptural data, understanding the physical nature of baptism is important for this discussion. The English word baptize is a transliteration of the Greek word baptizó. This word means to immerse, dip, plunge. When John baptized Jesus, he would have held on to Jesus, probably by his arms, back, or shoulders, or some combination of these. He would have lowered Jesus under the water and then brought him back up. This whole motion would probably take about two or three seconds, maximum.

Let’s now take a look at the biblical accounts. I will focus on Matthew, Mark, and Luke. (John’s account lacks the actual real-time narrative of John baptizing Jesus and does not really add any further real-time narrative details, but it serves as another witness that John saw the Spirit descend on Jesus at his baptism.)

And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him. (Matthew 3:16)

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. (Mark 1:9-10)

Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove. (Luke 3:21-22)

If you only read Mark’s account, you might think that “when he came up out of the water” could refer to John bringing Jesus up from being submerged in the baptism motion. You could then think Mark is saying that the Holy Spirit came to Jesus during the upward motion of his baptism, for he says, “immediately” the Spirit descended on Jesus. Of course, Mark could also be referring to Jesus getting out of the water after his baptism.

When more than one gospel tells a particular story, the reader must be aware of the similarities and differences among the versions. As a general principle of interpretation, the account that has the fullest and more intricate detail will give more information and a better overall grasp of the happenings and context. Any details the more intricate version has can bring clarity to the more general details from shorter versions.  

Matthew’s account brings a little more clarity to the sequence of events. Here, “when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water.” What is translated here as “was baptized” is more accurately reflected in the Greek as “having been baptized” (baptistheis is an aorist participle which shows the action of being baptized has already happened before Jesus immediately gets out of the water). Matthew gives a clearer sense of the finality of the up and down motion of baptism, and then Jesus goes “up from the water.” This going up from the water cannot be referring to the upward motion of his baptism, for his baptism was already completed. Would Matthew even comment on the upward motion of baptism? I do not think so. Matthew’s focus is not on the speed or intricate detail of the baptism motion. Instead, he is telling us that Jesus got out of the water after he was baptized.

If the reader has any doubt that Mark and Matthew are talking about Jesus getting out of the water after he was baptized, Luke has the convincing details in his narrative: “when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove.”

Luke’s account encompasses the fullest sense of the completed sequence of events concerning Jesus’ baptism and when he receives the Holy Spirit. Luke shows that Jesus “had been baptized” before he was praying—meaning that his baptism was complete, and then he prayed. Luke says that it was when Jesus was praying (after he had been baptized) that the Holy Spirit descended on him. Luke’s details give Mark and Matthew a greater context.

Matthew and Mark report Jesus getting baptized and walking out of the water, and then he receives the Holy Spirit. Luke adds that Jesus was praying after his baptism, and while he was praying, he received the Holy Spirit. A careful reading of these three accounts shows that Jesus did not receive the Holy Spirit in his baptism, but very soon afterward, when he had walked out of the water and was praying.

So, in considering all three narrative accounts, the sequence of events looks something like this:

1. Jesus walks into the water.

2. John baptizes Jesus in the water (the down and up immersion motion of baptism).

3. Jesus walks out of the water back onto the shore.

4. Jesus prays (perhaps while walking out of the water, but also when he was fully out on the shore).

5. Jesus receives the Holy Spirit.

Why did Jesus “immediately” get out of the water after he was baptized? Because he knew what was coming next. He did not hang out with John in the water and talk about how great it was that he got baptized. He knew he first had to be baptized in order to receive the Holy Spirit. His praying was also a significant part. While we do not know the content of his prayer, it is not a stretch at all to infer that his prayer probably included asking to receive the Holy Spirit. After all, it is Luke’s account that details Jesus praying before/while receiving the Spirit, and Luke is the one who later tells us that Jesus said,

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! (Luke 11:13)

In Part 2, I examine whether Jesus’ experience serves as a precedent in any way concerning when new covenant believers receive the Holy Spirit.