In Luke’s two-volumes, The Gospel of Luke and Acts, the Holy Spirit has a prominent place in the life of Jesus and his church. Whenever the Spirit shows up, our minds should race back to the first place we see him in Scripture: brooding in the darkness over the newly created, unformed and unfilled world. He is the Breath of God that carries the Word to tear apart and put everything back together in a new unified, fruitful relationship: light and darkness, waters above and waters below, seas and dry land, vegetation and ground, and man and woman. All of this is done with an eye on creating an environment for God and man to dwell together (Rev 21.3).
The desire and work of the Spirit is to create bonds. This has been in his work in eternity. He is, as Augustine said, the bond of love between the Father and the Son. We know this from the fact that he is said to be the Spirit of both the Father (Gen 1.2; Rom 8.9, 14; 15.19) and the Son (Gal 4.6; Rom 8.9). Jesus is the Beloved of the Father (Eph 1.6), and the Spirit creates that bond of love. He belongs to both of them. This is his work with and in the church as well. Through the Spirit we are all brought into the one body of Christ through baptism (1Cor 12.13), and we are to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph 4.1-2). As the Spirit binds Father and Son together in love, so he binds the church with the Father and the Son and with one another in love. He creates friendly environs for God and man to dwell together.
He has done this preeminently in the Person of Christ Jesus, brooding over the womb of Mary and knitting together God and man and, with that, uniting heaven and earth. In Christ Jesus the Spirit puts all of creation in right relationship, creating a bond of peace, love, joy, and fruitfulness. He knits together what was torn apart so that God and man may enjoy the bonds of communion.
The Spirit’s work is not only evident in creation of Jesus in the womb of Mary, but in the responses to his work by Zechariah, Elizabeth, Mary, the angels, and Simeon. They all rejoice and sing. Why? Because this is the environment that surrounds God himself. God is enthroned on the praises of Israel (Psa 22.3). His glory cloud is filled with seraphim and cherubim praising him. Where the Spirit is working, the mouths of his people are filled with singing and surrounded by music. It is no wonder, then, why the church has historically sung most of the liturgy. Where God meets with his people, where his glory dwells, there is music.
To walk in lock-step with the Spirit as the church, not to grieve the Spirit (Eph 4.30), we are to be environments of music, singing and instrumental, that reflect the environment of heaven. This doesn’t necessarily mean music that is designed to stir or manipulate emotions. This doesn’t mean, of course, that we are to be emotionally detached. The Spirit’s work does create joy, and joy is emotional at times. But the Spirit’s activity is not recognized in the mere display of emotion. The Spirit is working where singing and music are done as beautifully as we are able; where lyrics reflect what is true about God’s character and actions, where voices sing loudly and in love (Psa 47.1), where instruments are played skillfully (Psa 33.3). When you are in that place, you are in the environs of the Spirit.
