Jesus Living His Life and Accomplishing His Mission as the Spirit-Empowered Messiah.
Dr. Bruce Ware.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for Your obedience to the Father. Help us to obey like You obeyed.
I. Old Testament Background for Understanding Jesus and the Spirit
A. Three groupings of OT texts announce the Arrival of the Age to Come
1. The Age to Come Comes when the Messiah, the Son of David, comes. E.g.:
1. The Age to Come Comes when the Messiah, the Son of David, comes. E.g.:
Isaiah 9:6-7 – 6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.
Rooted in Second Samuel Seven ("SSS" helps you remember)... the Davidic Covenant.
To bring about this age of restoration, the Father brings Messiah.
Ezekiel 37:24-27— 24 My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd; and they will walk in My ordinances and keep My statutes and observe them. 25 They will live on the land that I gave to Jacob My servant, in which your fathers lived; and they will live on it, they, and their sons and their sons’ sons, forever; and David My servant will be their prince forever. 26 I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will place them and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in their midst forever. 27 My dwelling place also will be with them; and I will be their God, and they will be My people.
The Father will also bring about restoration by bringing the Spirit.
2. The Age to Come Comes when the Spirit comes. E.g.:
Isaiah 44:1-5 – 1 But now listen, O Jacob, My servant, And Israel, whom I have chosen: 2 Thus says the Lord who made you And formed you from the womb, who will help you, ‘Do not fear, O Jacob My servant; And you Jeshurun whom I have chosen. 3 For I will pour out water on the thirsty land And streams on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring And My blessing on your descendants; 4 And they will spring up among the grass Like poplars by streams of water. 5 This one will say, “I am the Lord’s”; And that one will call on the name of Jacob; And another will write on his hand, “Belonging to the Lord,” And will name Israel’s name with honor.
This was written at a time when the people of Israel were embarrassed to be God's people. And how will God change their prideful hearts? A: He will send His Spirit.
This was written at a time when the people of Israel were embarrassed to be God's people. And how will God change their prideful hearts? A: He will send His Spirit.
Ezekiel 36:22-28 – 22 Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. 23 I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord,” declares the Lord God, “when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight. 24 For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. 25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. 28 You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God.”
Paraphrase v.22: Not because you deserve this... not for your sake. No, you have profaned my name, but I'm going to bless you, for the sake of my Name. What is behind it? A: The Covenant. Dispense the old covenant (the external law) and makes a new covenant (writes the law on their hearts. It becomes their delight to do their duty. He does this by sending His Spirit to them.)
v.24: Exile is over.
v.27-28: Covenant Kept. God gives them a new heart (by the Spirit), so that they will love walking in His ways. Restoration by the Spirit.
Paraphrase v.22: Not because you deserve this... not for your sake. No, you have profaned my name, but I'm going to bless you, for the sake of my Name. What is behind it? A: The Covenant. Dispense the old covenant (the external law) and makes a new covenant (writes the law on their hearts. It becomes their delight to do their duty. He does this by sending His Spirit to them.)
v.24: Exile is over.
v.27-28: Covenant Kept. God gives them a new heart (by the Spirit), so that they will love walking in His ways. Restoration by the Spirit.
3. The Age to Come Comes when the Spirit-anointed Messiah comes. E.g.:
Isaiah 11:1-5 – 1 Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse (background in 2Sam7), And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3 And He will delight in the fear of the Lord, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear; 4 But with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. 5 Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, And faithfulness the belt about His waist.
Jesus quotes this in Luke 4, announcing His public ministry.
Isaiah 61:1-3 – 1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners; 2 To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, 3 To grant those who mourn in Zion, Giving them a garland instead of ashes, The oil of gladness instead of mourning, The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.
Jesus, the Spirit-bearer, then goes to the Father and then becomes the Spirit sender.
The primary reason for the coming of the Spirit, is to work within our hearts to become Holy people.
Jesus, the Spirit-bearer, then goes to the Father and then becomes the Spirit sender.
The primary reason for the coming of the Spirit, is to work within our hearts to become Holy people.
B. The Nature of the Fulfillment of the Promised Age to Come – Progressive, not Punctiliar; Incremental, not Instantaneous – sometimes called an “already / not yet” fulfillment.
Helps explain, e.g., John the Baptist’s puzzlement and bewilderment in prison (Matthew 11:2-5)
From prison, he sends disciples to ask this amazing question. "Are you the anointed one/Messiah, or shall we look for another?" John, who baptized Jesus. What would lead him to ask this question? Did John not understand the prophesies? A: John understood very well. Yet the kingdom didn't look like imagined. Jesus' response was not to miss it; most prophesies were being fulfilled but not all were fulfilled yet. Promises fulfilled in an "already/not yet" fashion, inaugurated by Jesus, but will be fulfilled in the 2nd coming.
Isaiah 61:1-3 – 1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners; 2 To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, 3 To grant those who mourn in Zion, Giving them a garland instead of ashes, The oil of gladness instead of mourning, The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.
- So the favorable year of the Lord (first coming)
- the day of vengeance of our God (second coming)
All sandwiched together... but not all fulfilled yet.
Progressive Sanctification. "already/not yet." We've received the Spirit but we're not yet completely sanctified.
From prison, he sends disciples to ask this amazing question. "Are you the anointed one/Messiah, or shall we look for another?" John, who baptized Jesus. What would lead him to ask this question? Did John not understand the prophesies? A: John understood very well. Yet the kingdom didn't look like imagined. Jesus' response was not to miss it; most prophesies were being fulfilled but not all were fulfilled yet. Promises fulfilled in an "already/not yet" fashion, inaugurated by Jesus, but will be fulfilled in the 2nd coming.
Isaiah 61:1-3 – 1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners; 2 To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, 3 To grant those who mourn in Zion, Giving them a garland instead of ashes, The oil of gladness instead of mourning, The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.
- So the favorable year of the Lord (first coming)
- the day of vengeance of our God (second coming)
All sandwiched together... but not all fulfilled yet.
Progressive Sanctification. "already/not yet." We've received the Spirit but we're not yet completely sanctified.
II. Jesus’ Life of Submission and Obedience in the power of the Spirit – to fulfill his role as the Spirit-anointed Messiah
• Why would Jesus, the God-man, need to have the Spirit of God upon him? What can the Spirit of God add to the deity of Jesus? A: Nothing. The spirit of God cannot add to the deity b/c Jesus is infinitely full. Answered beautifully b/c Jesus came to live as the 2nd Adam, the seed of Abraham, a man. The Spirit of God can add to the humanity of Christ; Jesus was going to live in humanity, through the power of the Spirit upon Him. • How can Jesus in his sinless obedience and sacrificial service rightly be upheld as a model for how we should live, since he was the God-man and we are not?
Jesus lived as a man with resources that were also given to us.
- He had the Word of God. Do we make use of it?
- He used Prayer. Prayed with fervency. Do we make use of prayer?
- He had the Spirit upon Him.
The Son submits fully to the direction and empowerment of the Spirit. The humility of the Son is shown not only in the kenosis, but also in placing himself under the Spirit’s leading, the One over whom he otherwise has authority, and relying on the Spirit’s empowerment.
The Angel Gabriel to Mary:
Bookends around the story of the childhood of Jesus (12-year-old boy). And how was Jesus able to hold-his-own with these Phd of Phd men? A: Luke says "increasing in wisdom." God doesn't increase in wisdom, so then this is a REFERENCE TO THE HUMANITY OF CHRIST.
- He had the Word of God. Do we make use of it?
- He used Prayer. Prayed with fervency. Do we make use of prayer?
- He had the Spirit upon Him.
The Son submits fully to the direction and empowerment of the Spirit. The humility of the Son is shown not only in the kenosis, but also in placing himself under the Spirit’s leading, the One over whom he otherwise has authority, and relying on the Spirit’s empowerment.
Isaiah 11:1-5 – (see above)
Isaiah 61:1-3 – (see above)
The Angel Gabriel to Mary:
Luke 1:32-35 – 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; (2Samuel7 Promise) 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” 34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.”
The repetition of "holy" shows that the Spirit was with Him from birth.
The repetition of "holy" shows that the Spirit was with Him from birth.
Bookends around the story of the childhood of Jesus (12-year-old boy). And how was Jesus able to hold-his-own with these Phd of Phd men? A: Luke says "increasing in wisdom." God doesn't increase in wisdom, so then this is a REFERENCE TO THE HUMANITY OF CHRIST.
Luke 2:40, 52 – 40 The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him. . . . . 52 And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
Psalms 1 that describes the person of Jesus; Meditating on the law of the Lord.
Jesus meditated on Psalm 22 (why have you forsaken me?), He's learned His mission by meditating on the Word of God.
Psalms 1 that describes the person of Jesus; Meditating on the law of the Lord.
Jesus meditated on Psalm 22 (why have you forsaken me?), He's learned His mission by meditating on the Word of God.
Luke 3:21-22 – 21 Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”
Luke 4:1-2a – 1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. [Or, even stronger is Mark’s account. Mark 1:12 reads – Immediately the Spirit impelled Him to go out into the wilderness.]
Tree: Good for food, make one wise, delight to the eyes.
The 2nd Adam succeeds where the 1st Adam had failed.
Jesus didn't pick Isaiah 53, but instead picked Isaiah 61. They needed to understand his ministry.
Tree: Good for food, make one wise, delight to the eyes.
The 2nd Adam succeeds where the 1st Adam had failed.
Jesus didn't pick Isaiah 53, but instead picked Isaiah 61. They needed to understand his ministry.
Luke 4:14 – And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district.
Luke 4:16-21 – 16 And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. 17 And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written, 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed, 19 To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.” 20 And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
Matthew 12:28 – “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
Acts 2:22 – “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know
Acts 10:38 – “You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
Hebrews 9:14 — how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Jesus was enabled by the Spirit.
Jesus was enabled by the Spirit.
Acts 1:1-2 – 1 The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen.
The orders were the great commission. Luke includes "by the Holy Spirit."
The orders were the great commission. Luke includes "by the Holy Spirit."
III. Conclusion: Jesus lived his life, performed his miracles, obeyed the Father, and fulfilled the mission he was sent to accomplish largely by living as a genuine and authentic man, relying on the power of the Spirit who indwelt him, and carrying out the word and work the Father gave him. It is largely “the man Christ Jesus” whom we encounter throughout the incarnate life and mission of Jesus.
His obedience was not automatic. It was hard, fought, won. And, HE ALWAYS OBEYED. Jaw-dropping amazement at the sinlessness of Christ. Fought for by prayer and meditation, in reliance upon the Spirit.
His obedience was not automatic. It was hard, fought, won. And, HE ALWAYS OBEYED. Jaw-dropping amazement at the sinlessness of Christ. Fought for by prayer and meditation, in reliance upon the Spirit.
