Sunday Morning IBC. 9/29/2013. Luke 6.

The Final Test of Discipleship. Luke 6:46-49.
Pastor Nam Park.

Luke 6:46 “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.”

Sunday Morning IBC. 9/22/2013. Luke 6.

Luke 6:43-49. The Fruit of Discipleship.

Pastor Nam Park.

Luke 6:43 For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit.44 For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush. 45 The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.

Builders and Foundations

46 “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.”

Sunday Morning IBC. 9/15/2013. Luke 6.

Luke 6:37-42 The Character of Discipleship.
Pastor Nam Park.

Luke 6:37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”

39 And He also spoke a parable to them: “A blind man cannot guide a blind man, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40 A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher. 41 Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 42 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.

Sunday Morning IBC. 9/8/2013. Luke 6.

Luke 6:27-36. Sermon on the Plain Part III. A Distinctly Christian Love.
Pastor Nam Park.

Distinctly Christian Love: Mirroring the love that is found in Christ. Vulnerable to being duped and taken advantage of. 

There needs to be something that distinguishes us in the concept of love in comparison to the world. A love of such a character that it is BEYOND NATURAL love. Not natural, because it's not what you'd expect.

Not loving your friends... but rather your ENEMIES. Those who HATE YOU. They are to damn you, they are to CURSE you. It's a vulnerable love. [However, remember that Paul does call upon the Roman law so that he would not be taken advantage of.]  

Luke 6:27 “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. 30 Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. 31 Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. 32 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

[[Nam's prayers :)]]
That you would inform our hearts and that we might bear fruit in regards to such love. That we might live in a way that is gracious and good so that the name of Christ would be magnified and that all may one day clearly understand what is the Love of God. Make us walk in a manner that would please You, for our good, and because You are our Heavenly Father. Amen.

Types of Love.
Storge: Natural love; mother's love for her children.
Eros: Romantic love; man and his wife.
Phileo: Friendly love
Agape: The Christian term for love. It was translated "charity." The kind of love, an unmerited affection that God granted when we did not deserve it. 
UNMERITED LOVE = Grace. 
It's not just what He says we should do, but is exactly what He has done for us.
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

What will be the distinguishing mark of a disciple of Christ?
Well, not quite our doctrine... they will know you are my disciples, BY. YOUR. LOVE.

John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

The Golden Rule.
John 13:31 Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. 
- Normally stated negatively by the world. But Jesus states this positively.
- Don't pull Suzy's hair and maybe she won't pull your hair. (You are getting something in return.)
- The idea of sharing. Kids soon expect others to share back.
- Yet as a Christian, we are to love vulnerably, without expecting ANYTHING in return.
- This is unnatural, and we need aid to do this.

Luke 6:32 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. 

Pattern: IF ______, then what credit is it to you?
- "credit" is translated as GRACE here.
- This love must be distinct from what normal, unregenerate individuals would expect.
- Unbelievers aren't necessarily wicked. Sinners would love those that love them.
- Just doing this basic type of love is NOT SUFFICIENT. You must go BEYOND this. For the Christian, it is the WILLINGNESS to do good to those who will not do good to us.
- "reward" is God's pleasure/favor in you.

Exodus 22:25 “If you lend money to My people, to the poor among you, you are not to act as a creditor to him; you shall not charge him interest.
- Unredeemed people also just lend and do not charge interest.
- On an ethical level, you expect that amount back.
- Yet what is distinctly Christian is to lend out, considering that you will not get it back.

Luke 6:35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
- Leon Morris suggests to take this "expecting nothing in return" literally... DESPAIRING OF NOTHING AND NOBODY. Not despairing of not getting love back. Since: "your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High"
- The Lord suggests that if we live in a Christ-like way, our reward will be great and imperishable. If our desire is the pleasure of our God, the natural reward is connected. Just as the natural reward of marrying someone is the reward of the marriage relationship.
- What is God pleased with? A: When we go above and beyond the call to love.
- We look to emulate the good things in our parents. Similarly, those that love the Lord will seek to emulate HIM. Sharing in the same nature as their Heavenly Father. And we will earn the title of "sons of the Most High."

If we think we're fairly good but just need to trim the last evil off, we have missed the gospel.

Romans 3:10 as it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one;

- There is NOTHING redeemable in you. Yet, God died for you. YOU, a wicked enemy of His.

In Romans 1, God's wrath is being poured out, because they didn't Honor Him or give Him thanks. If you are thankless, it's an ETERNAL CRIME and they do not Honor Him, it's an issue of worship. An eternal sin and eternal offense against an infinitely gracious and good God. 

Reminder to be like our Father. 

Luke 6:36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

- Emulate God.

- Plummer: "the moral likeness proves the parentage." 

To love others requires a BIG THEOLOGY, a HIGH view of God. 

Believe that God is watching and that He cares.  

Living as a Christian over the years, you will be taken by others... you might think that you are "losing" in this life. But, if you raise your eyes beyond the spreadsheet of this life time, and you think about who God is, you will find supernatural strength to live in a manner that Christ expects of those who follow Him.

You have to believe in a BIG God and that He is a rewarder of those who follow Him.

Story of Sir Ernest Shackleton going to Antarctica. 
The most frightening night was a night living in a hut, and giving out the last ration. Shackleton watched in horror as a man grabbed another man's biscuit bag, a man that he would have entrusted his life to. Then he watched as that same man put his own last ration into his comrade's bag. "I dare not tell you that man's name, I felt that act was a secret between himself and God."

Application: How do we apply this distinctly Christian love to our lives? A: By praying for things and doing things beyond typical ethics, worldly morals. 
Do something that is a secret that maybe no one knows but you and the Lord. That is Distinctly Christian. It's okay if it becomes public and is made known.
There is something virtuous of serving others without intention of being noticed by men.
Because our theology is BIG, because we believe God is watching and that He is favorable of such acts of kindness.

May we take delight in You by loving others. Amen.

Retreat Monday Morning. 9/2/2013. Dr. Bruce Ware.

Retreat Monday Morning. 9/2/2013.
Jesus Facing Temptation and Growing in Obedience as a Man.
Dr. Bruce Ware.

I. Introduction – the fullness of Jesus’ full human likeness to ours is seen, in significant part, in how he resisted temptation, and in the growth he experienced in his own faith and trust in his Father. Just how did Jesus resist temptation? And how is it possible that he grew in obedience and faith?

II. Jesus’ Impeccability, Temptations, and Sinlessness

A. The Problem Faced with the Orthodox Doctrine of the Impeccability of Christ
Impeccable is the doctrine that HE COULD NOT SIN.

B. Features of Jesus’ Life that must be accounted for in relation to temptation and sin

1. Jesus was really and truly tempted – Luke 4:1-13; Heb 4:15
The temptation was for Jesus to use His deity, but He didn't.
2. Jesus was fully sinless (i.e., he “did not” sin) – 2 Cor 5:21; Heb 4:15; 1 Pet 2:21-23

2 Corinthians 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

1Peter 2:21-23 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, 22 who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; 23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;

3. Jesus was impeccable (i.e., he “could not” sin) – Luke 1:35; Heb 1:10-12; 13:8
Luke 1:35 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."

C. Explaining the reality of Jesus’ temptations in light of his impeccability. Three considerations:
1. He was really tempted “in all things as we are” (Heb 4:15). This cannot be jeopardized.

Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.
1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.
Christ faced ALL TEMPTATION and came out victorious.
Satan knew how many sins it takes to make a sinner: JUST ONE.

2. Because he never succumbed to temptation, he experienced its full force

Genesis 3:6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.

- Hedonist urge to eat apple VS. stones to bread (temptation)

- Covetous urge since it was pleasing to the eye VS. bow down to Satan (temptation)

- Prideful urge since it was desirable to make one wise VS. throw yourself from the temple (temptation)

1 John 2:15-16 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.

3. Distinction: Why Christ could not sin [He is God], and why Christ did not sin [Has nothing to do with the deity. All to do with His Humanity. He used resources given as a man to fight temptation.]
Illustration: swimmer and boat
Why something COULD NOT happen vs. Why it DID NOT happen.
This swimmer that wants to break the world record swims and swims for practice. Thus, for emergency, they would provide a boat to trail him. And he breaks the record!

Why couldn't he drown? A: The boat.
Why didn't he drown? A: He had trained and trained.
Question: Didn't the boat benefit the swimmer with a peace of mind? A: You don't know the mindset of the swimmer. He hasn't been training so that he won't drown, he is training to BREAK THE WORLD RECORD.
- The boat was not quite peace of mind, but posed a threat to not finishing the goal he had set out: To break the world record.
- Christ came to save humanity. If He succumbed to using His deity during the temptations, then He fails.

Justification is not only "as if I had never sinned," it's also, "as if I had always obeyed."
But, who's obedience is that??? It's not mine. It's Christ's obedience. 
He lived the way the Father wanted Him to live (Active obedience).
Placed on the cross (Passive obedience).
He did not rely on His divine nature.  He fought with the resources that were given in His humanity. Psalm 1, meditating on the WORD of God. He prayed reverently and regularly.

Question Dr. Ware wants to ask Jesus: Was your agony made more severe b/c your disciples fell asleep instead of praying? A: the guess is YES. Prayer matters, it's not just a throw away.

III. Jesus’ Growth and Maturity in FaithSeeing this helps explain some things that otherwise are quite puzzling, to be sure. Consider for example, the following statements about Jesus:

Hebrews 5:8-9 – 8 Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. 9 And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation.
- It cannot mean "He finally got it!" (having failed many times before). But prior in Hebrews we see:
Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.
- Rather, He learned to obey increasingly difficult commands of His Father, preparing Him for increasingly difficult things in His ministry. Ultimately, the cross. 
- He had to be prepared for the cross, through SUFFERING.
- He didn't lack faith, but His faith grew in quantity. [The Father is more and more trustworthy by example after example, experience after experience.]
- The Father knew that the Son needed to be tested by trials and temptation. Intended for His strengthening. Likewise, we are to use trials to strengthen our faith.
- Every step of faith is either a step UP or DOWN.  Believe His promises and step UP. Don't second guess God's wisdom.

IV. Jesus Promises that His Followers will receive the same Spirit who has been and is on Him so we, too, can live lives of Spirit-empowered, new covenant, obedience (cf. Ezek 36:25-27)

John 7:37-39 – 37 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’ ” 39 But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

John 14:15-17 – 15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. 16 “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.

John 15:26-27 – 26 “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me, 27 and you will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning.

John 16:5-15 – 5 “But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ 6 “But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. 8 “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; 11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. 12 “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. 14 “He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. 15 “All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.
- The single greatest mark of a Spirit-filled community.. by the Spirit, they LONG to see Jesus glorified. The Spirit is ALL ABOUT EXALTING JESUS.
- FB gives us permission to be self-promotive. Yet the Spirit wants more than anything, is to make MUCH OF JESUS.
Can we live exactly the way Jesus lived?
A: Not the miracles, since the purpose of that was to demonstrate His Messiah-ship. We will also not die on the cross for sinners. We are not to do what Jesus did, bit by bit. Instead, we are to live out our lives by the Spirit.

When we falter in our lives. Instead of despairing, ask the Lord to help us get back up.
Yet we do have the Spirit. And thus, we can live in obedience with the help of the Spirit.

VI. Conclusion
Jesus’ life, ministry, miracles, obedience, resisting temptation, and accomplishing the mission which the Father sent him to accomplish – all this was done in the power of the Spirit. Jesus, then, is the epitome of the new covenant person, living in the power of the Spirit. And as he has now given us his Spirit, we are called to live lives modeled after him. Indeed, we are called to follow in his steps (1 Pet 2:21) and live new covenant lives that bring honor and glory to Christ, by the power of the Spirit.

Question and Answer time.
Q: Did Jesus have the Spirit as a child? A: Yes. He was always sinless, morally. He also had a longing to know the Lord. There was no mistake that His parents were Mary and Joseph.
Q: As a 12-year old boy, did He have supernatural capabilities of intelligence? A: I don't want to guess on that. He was fully human. It was not uncommon for young boys to memorize the Torah. An earnest longing to know the Lord and follow His ways.
Q: Were the temptations of Satan to tempt Jesus to rely on His Deity? A: The temptation to throw Himself off the temple for sure and have the angels catch Him. Other temptations possibly as well since Satan left Him and returned to test Him again at an opportune time.
Q: Jesus is immutable, how does He grow if He is already Holy? A: He's not immutable in things that have to grow, physically.. and in knowledge. But in moral character, He is immutable.
Q: How do old testament Saints obey without the Spirit? A: Others think that they had to have the Spirit. But there are remarkable instances of obediences: Joseph, Daniel, etc.  Dr. Ware doesn't have a good answer for this. In the OT, the Spirit was in the midst of the people. The temple was "out there" in the OT, but in the NT, "don't you know that your body is a temple of the HS." Yet, unknown how to answer this one.
Haggai 2:5 ‘As for the promise which I made you when you came out of Egypt, My Spirit is abiding in your midst; do not fear!’

Retreat Sunday Night. 9/1/2013. Women's Session.

A Recipe for Contentment 

E.B.Pusey (1800-1882)

1. Allow thyself to complain of nothing, not even the weather.
2. Never picture thyself to thyself under any circumstances in which thou are not.
3. Never compare thine own lot with that of another.
4. Never allow thyself to dwell on the wish that this or that had been, or were, otherwise than it was, or is. God Almighty loves thee better and more wisely than thou doest thyself.
5. Never dwell on the morrow. Remember that it is God's not thine. The heaviest part of sorrow often is to look forward to it. "The Lord will provide."

Retreat Sunday Morning. 9/1/2013. Dr. Bruce Ware.

Retreat Sunday Morning. 9/1/2013.
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.:

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.