Knowing what’s on peoples’ hearts and minds is an indication of deity for Jesus (Luke 4:23; 5:22; 6:8; 9:47; 11:17). But as I was reading through Luke 3 tonight, I noticed something in vv. 15-16; “As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, John answered them all.” If no one told him these things, he then must have known what was on their hearts, which is attributed as a sign of deity in Jesus, but what is it in John?
I don’t mean to step on anyone’s Christology here, but this does seem to be something that one needs to wrestle with. Personally, I don’t think Luke is necessarily portraying John as being divine, but rather having a divine entity in him – that is, the Holy Spirit. And yet I don’t know. If it’s merely the Holy Spirit for John, then what is it for Christ? If Christ was merely empowered by the Holy Spirit, then where is God-the-Son’s divine power to read peoples’ minds and hearts? How does the Trinity still function if it’s only God in heaven and the Holy Spirit down on earth empowering characters like John and Jesus?
Anyone from Near Emmaus care to offer up their thoughts? Maybe I’m misreading the text; perhaps someone who knows a little bit more about how Greek words translate could offer up a piece of their knowledge? This is one of those things that keeps people like me up all night; trying to piece together a complex theological puzzle. Anybody’s thoughts on the matter would be great.
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