Question 44 - Did the Holy Ghost favor or not?

Luke 1:15 NKJV - "For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.”

Luke 1:15, 41 NKJV - "For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. ... And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Luke 1:67 NKJV - Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied.

Luke 2:25-27 NKJV - And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law.

John 7:39 NKJV - But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Answer:

                According to the said verse in Luke 1:18, How could John the Baptist born to the old aged parents in their ripe age? So, it is written in Luke 1:15, that the Holy Spirit helped the John to give baptism to the Lord to straighten His path and by giving foundation to the baptism from the womb of his mother.

                Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave good news to world about the Virgin Mary and Lord Jesus, who was in womb according to the said verse in Luke 1:41. In this, it is written that the babe (John the Baptist) leaped in her womb. Thus, the babe recognized Him.

                The ordinary man was not useful to give baptism to the Lord Christ, who is the image of the Creator the Lord God. So, the Holy Spirit entered in John the Baptist from the womb of his mother and strengthened him. After the deeds of the baptism of the Lord Christ, the Holy Spirit left the John the Baptist.

                But, Zechariahs did not trust the words of the angel. So, he was cursed as the dumb one. Thus, he lost the voice and led his life without praising the Lord for 9 months. Here, the Holy Spirit helped him to write the name given by the angel, and glorified the Lord God; but the Holy Spirit did not favor him completely.

                Simeon was not worthy to consecrate Jesus the Son of Lord in the temple. The one who strengthened Simeon was the Holy Spirit only. Refer Luke 2:25-27. Here, the Holy Spirit strengthened all these people for the sake of the Lord Christ. But, He did not do any miracles and signs expect the matter of the Lord Christ.

                It is written in John 7:39 that the Holy Spirit was not yet given to the believers as Jesus was not yet glorified. If the Lord Christ was not favored by the Holy Spirit, how could He have done the miracles like healing sick and raising dead? John 10:30, “I and My Father are One”.

                When was the Holy Spirit favored to those, who believed in Him? After the Lord Christ ascended up to heaven, the Holy Spirit came upon them and they were filled with the Holy Spirit. So, they spoke with different tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. The sick person could get healed by touching the shadow of Peter. Paul did many miracles including raising the dead. The inner meaning in this is the Spirit lived in them permanently. Here, we must grasp that this is only the way of favoring the Spirit.

                But, the Holy Spirit helped temporarily to give baptism to the Lord Christ and to the birth of John the Baptist. The Holy Spirit did not live permanently in John the Baptist.

                The proof that spirit left him is written in Luke 7:19-20. “And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, “Are you the coming One, or do we look for another?” This doubt arose in John the Baptist and sent his disciples to the Lord Christ. Here, we must grasp that the Holy Spirit left John the Baptist.

                The one, who gave witness words like, “Be hold! The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” is John the Baptist only. What is the reason to the doubt in John? The Holy Spirit left him. Because of the Holy Spirit was favored to the disciples, they became the apostles and spread the kingdom of Christ. The way of Christ and His kingdom gets the first place in this world, because the Holy Spirit performed His deeds amidst the believers. The Christians could get forward in the scientific knowledge, because the Holy Spirit favored them.