16. (a) From the time of Jesus’ being anointed, what qualities were imparted to him by Jehovah’s spirit? (b) Had like qualities been imparted prior to this to any human by means of God’s spirit?

¹⁶ From the time of Jesus’ being anointed after his water baptism, the spirit of Jehovah did indeed settle down upon him. It did prove to be the “spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the spirit of counsel and of mightiness, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Jehovah.” (Isaiah 11:2) Those qualities that were imparted to Jesus Christ by the spirit of Jehovah correspond with the qualities imparted to the constructor of the sacred tent of meeting in the days of the prophet Moses. We note this fact from Exodus 31:1-3: “And Jehovah continued to speak to Moses, saying: ‘See, I do call by name Bezalel the son of Uri the son of Hur of the tribe of Judah. And I shall fill him with the spirit of God in wisdom and in understanding and in knowledge and in every kind of craftsmanship.’” (Also, Exodus 35:31; see Zion’s Watch Tower, under date of November 15, 1907, pages 349, 350.) Now if Bezalel the constructor of the sacred tabernacle of worship needed God’s spirit in wisdom, understanding, knowledge and craftsmanship, most certainly Jesus the Messiah would need those same qualities in his more responsible office of King.

17. In the operation of God’s spirit on David and on Jesus following their individual anointings, what parallel do you observe?

¹⁷ We remember that, after the prophet Samuel anointed the shepherd boy David of Bethlehem to be the king-designate of Israel, then, as 1 Samuel 16:13 informs us, “the spirit of Jehovah began to be operative upon David from that day forward.” Similarly, after Jesus’ anointing with God’s active force at the Jordan River, God’s spirit specially became operative upon him.

18. Give examples showing that, in what Jesus did, there was evidence that special wisdom, understanding and knowledge had been imparted to him by God’s spirit.

¹⁸ “Now Jesus, full of holy spirit, turned away from the Jordan, and he was led about by the spirit in the wilderness for forty days, while being tempted by the Devil. Furthermore, he ate nothing in those days.” With the wisdom, understanding and knowledge imparted to him by God’s spirit, Jesus successfully resisted the propositions presented to him by the Devil as temptations. “Now Jesus returned in the power of the spirit into Galilee. And good talk concerning him spread out through all the surrounding country. Also, he began to teach in their synagogues, being held in honor by all.” (Luke 4:1-15) In the synagogue of Nazareth, his former associates marveled at his speech and asked: “Where did this man get this wisdom and these powerful works? Is this not the carpenter’s son?” (Matthew 13:53-55; Mark 6:1-3) Jesus’ special abilities were now his because, as he had earlier told them, God had anointed him with holy spirit to be Messiah.​—Luke 4:16-22.

The spirit that has settled down upon the King operates against a ruling by him as though he were not accountable to anyone higher. The spirit upon him is not only that of wisdom, understanding, counsel and mightiness, but that of knowledge and “of the fear of Jehovah.” He fears Jehovah, and such fear will control in the exercise of his Messianic rulership.