God's Holy Fire: 'Strong in Spirit'

This verse doesn't speak directly to the work of the Holy Spirit. Luke does contrast the Spirit's work in John and the Spirit's work in Jesus. "And the child [Jesus] grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him" (Luke 2:40). While Jesus grew in every way like any other little boy, Luke is careful to make sure there is no sense of his growing in spirit or Spirit because there is no need for him to do so. The Holy Spirit is active in Jesus from his miraculous conception through the rest of his life. That may not seem like a major concern, but Jesus is Immanuel, God with us, from the moment of his conception through his death and his resurrection (Matthew 1:23). Jesus is God in human flesh, experiencing everything we as humans face and getting himself dirty with the realities of life that we endure as mortals. This truth reminds us of the sacredness of our humanity and the graciousness of God in Jesus, "Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness" (Philippians 2:6-7).