“And the power of the Lord was present to heal them…” Luke 5:17
The power of God is administrated and manifested by the Holy Spirit. We have seen the Holy Spirit working in power throughout the Bible. The Holy Spirit caused the world to be formed as the Father God called them into existence (Genesis 1:1-2). The Holy Spirit also supplied the power to raise Jesus from the grave (Romans 8:11). The Holy Spirit also provided the supernatural power for Jesus to perform His ministry on the earth. Jesus did not supply the power; the power was from the Holy Spirit.
Acts 10:38 “…God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”
In Luke 5:17, when Jesus was teaching, the Bible says, “And the power of the Lord was present to heal them.” The word “present” in the Greek is “eis” denoting “an entrance into.” When it is used before a noun, it designates an open place, a place that is ready to be entered. The anointing entered, or came in, because someone was open and in pursuit of God. In fact, there was a group who was pressing in to see Jesus, but they could not enter because the house was full of people. What happened next is a tremendous illustration of the kind of faith that not only is open to God’s power, but is also in pursuit of God’s power. This group of men had a friend who was paralyzed. They obviously believed Jesus could and would heal their friend. When they could not get in through the doors of the house, the men found another opening to go through. They lifted their disabled friend up to the roof of the home and lowered him into the room from above.
Luke wrote that Jesus saw their faith. He perceived their determination to press into the place where the anointing had entered. The power of God had entered the room, the paralyzed man had entered the room; and Jesus was in the room. Jesus ministered the anointing by speaking with authority, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” Jesus did not heal the man by His own power. Jesus healed the man because the power of God was present through the administration of the Holy Spirit.
After Jesus had been resurrected from the dead, He told His disciples that He had to leave so He could send the Holy Spirit into the hearts of men and women. The Holy Spirit has come so that we could minister like Jesus did, not in our own power, but in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Application: Ask the Lord to anoint you with the power of the Holy Spirit.