Section
One: The Son of God became the Son
of Man.
Lesson
2
Title:
The Anointed One
Text: Acts 10:38 'How God anointed
Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing
good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.'
Introduction:
The ministry of Jesus was in the power of the Holy Spirit
not through His inherent power as the Son of God.
Question: In His humiliation Jesus did nothing by
His power as the Son of God. Why
was this important?
Because He came to make us like Himself.
If Jesus did anything through His power as the Son of God
He could not have said 'Greater works shall you do because I go to the Father'
(John 14:12).
There is only One eternal Son of
God. We worship Him.
But we become like Him in character because our life is now
'hid with Christ in God' (Colossians 3:3). We can become like Him in ministry
'empowered by the Spirit', (Acts 1:8).
The name Christian means ‘a follower of Christ’. Believers were first called Christians
at Antioch (Acts 11:26). It was a
name given to them by those who saw them.
The world should see the life of Christ, the love of
Christ, and the power of Christ in believers.
People often see everything in the Church except the Lord
Jesus Christ.
Illustration: People are
drawn to Christ when they see Him in His people.
Prison ministry – prisoners see the life of Christ
and the love of Christ.
Drawn to new life in Christ
The light shines brightest in the darkest places. Going to people who nobody else cares
about.
Quote:
William Booth
told his workers to ‘Go for souls, and go for the worst’.
Main
Points:
1.
Jesus always produced the fruit of holiness, but He
performed no miracle before He was baptised with the Holy Spirit.
a)
Jesus in the temple.
Luke 2:46 'And
it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and
asking them questions.'
When Jesus was
twelve the doctors of the law were amazed at Him when He listened to them and
asked them questions.
His intellectual
ability as a young man was exceptional but this was not the power of the Holy
Spirit.
It was not a
miraculous manifestation.
He spoke like this
because of who He is and there was no darkness in Him.
His learning
developed as He grew from boyhood to manhood,
His character also
developed as He grew up, but His life always produced the fruit of holiness
because there was no sin in Him.
b)
And Jesus increased in
wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. (Luke 2:52).
Stature refers to
growing physically, growing to maturity.
Favour refers to
giving pleasure, delight.
The people of
Nazareth enjoyed Jesus, the son of Mary, being in Nazareth.
He was holy.
He was godly.
He was caring.
He was a carpenter
(probably the family provider after Joseph's death).
His custom was to
read at the synagogue.
He was in favour
with the people.
Their attitude
towards Him changed when He came in the power of the Holy Spirit.
2.
The ministry of Jesus was in the power of the Holy
Spirit.
a)
The Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus when He was baptised by
John the Baptist.
The ministry of Jesus began after He was baptised with the
Holy Spirit. Matthew 3:16-17 'And Jesus, when he was baptised, went up straightway out of
the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of
God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son,
in whom I am well pleased.'
b) Immediately He was led of the Holy Spirit to be tempted.
Matthew 4:1
'Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the
devil.'
He was tempted to
move in His inherent power as the Son of God instead of moving under the
leadership and in the power of the Holy Spirit. 'If you are the Son of God…' Matthew 4:3,6.
This would not only
be a rejection of the Father's plan and purpose and the Holy Spirit's
leadership, it would be a rejection of His people because He would be acting
only for Himself.
It was the same when He was on the cross. Matthew 27:40 'And saying, You that destroys the
temple, and builds it in three days, save thyself. If You
are the Son of God, come down from the cross.
c) Jesus came out of the wilderness in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Luke 4:14
'And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out
a fame of him through all the region round about.'
3.
The anointing brought persecution.
a)
Jesus was rejected when He returned to Nazareth in the power
of the Holy Spirit.
The people who had
seen Him every week were not willing to accept His ministry.
They sought to kill
Him when He told them He was the anointed One.
Jesus read from
Isaiah 61:1-2a. Jesus was
declaring that He is the Anointed One, the Christ.
The Christ - His
ministry
Son of the Living
God - His eternal nature and character
b) When Jesus read in the synagogue He did not read the whole passage, Luke 4:17-19.
He closed the book
and did not read 'the day of vengeance of our God' Isaiah 61:2b.
He did not come the
first time to bring in ‘the day of vengeance’.
They were so angry
they wanted to kill Him because He was claiming to be the Messiah.
Luke 4:29-30 'And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him
unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast
him down headlong. But he passing through the midst of them went his way,'
Summary:
1)
Jesus became like us so that we can
become like Him.
2)
His ministry began when He was baptised
with the Holy Spirit. This is why
He could say to His disciples 'as
my Father has sent me, even so send I you' (John 20:21b).
3) The
anointing of the Spirit brought Him into conflict with those with whom He had
favour before He was anointed with the Spirit. The power of the Holy Spirit will bring the body of Christ
into greater spiritual warfare.