Sanctification in the Jesus Tradition 163 sins in God’s authority (Mark 2,5.7.9 par. Matt 9,2.5 par. Luke 5,20,21,23) (30). All these examples demonstrate that Jesus purified the eschatological people of God from their sins and called them to obedience to the will of God. He sealed his claim to forgive sins by his atoning death, which was “for the forgiveness of sins”, as Matthew states explicitly (26,28). 4. References to the Holy Spirit An integral part of the eschatological sanctification of Israel according to Ezekiel was the outpouring of the Spirit. The early church was aware that he had not yet been poured out on the disciples during the earthly life of Jesus. Accordingly, references to the Holy Spirit in the gospels are sparse. However, Jesus is annointed with the Spirit at his baptism (Mark 1,10 parr.); he is led by the Spirit from the very beginning of his ministry (Mark 1,12 parr.). John the Baptist announces him as the one who “will baptize with the Holy Spirit” (Mark 1,8.10 par. Matt 3,11 par. Luke 3,16). This indicates the expectation that Jesus’ ministry would somehow bring about the pouring out of the Holy Spirit as it is promised in Ezekiel 36. Beyond that, the Sypnoptics show that Jesus worked in the power of the Holy Spirit in his earthly ministry. He claimed to drive out demons by his power (cf. Matt 12,28 to Mark 3,29) (31), thus proving to be “the stronger one” John had announced, who is even stronger than Satan (Mark 3,22-29 par. Matt 12,22-30; cf. Luke 11,15-22), and who is to baptize with the Spirit (Mark 1,7-8 parr.)(32). The fact that the disciples participate in Jesus’ ministry of exorcism (cf. Mark 6,7 par. Matt 10,1 par. Luke 9,1) implies that they, too, work in the power of the Spirit. However, the incident (30) On the forgiveness of sins by Jesus and its denial in research cf. C.-H. SUNG, Vergebung der Sünden (WUNT 57; Tübingen 1993) 186-191, 282-284 and HOFIUS, Neutestamentliche Studien, 38-56. C.-H. Sung concludes that the forgiveness of sins was at the core of Jesus’ ministry (ibid., 283). (31) According to J.E. Yates, Mark 3,22-27 and 3,28-30 belong together (J.E. YATES, The Spirit and the Kingdom [London 1963] 85-89). (32) For this and the following paragraph I am indebted to M. Hooker, who drew my attention to the ongoing presence of the Spirit in the life of Jesus. According to J. E. Yates, Matthew and Mark agree with respect to the meaning of the term “Holy Spirit”: “It bears the meaning of ‘God’s actual presence and activity’ among men”, and expresses the datum which is expressed or implied at every turn in the words and deeds of Jesus” (The Spirit, 179).