The Holy Spirit
Course:
The Ministry of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament Church
Section Two: The Ministry of the Holy Spirit in the
Gospels
Lesson 3
Lesson Title: The Gifts of the Spirit in the ministry of Jesus (Isaiah 61:1-2)
Text: Isaiah 61:1-2 ‘The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me;
because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath
sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim
liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are
bound; To proclaim the acceptable
year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that
mourn;’
Theme: The Lord
Jesus Christ ministered in the power of the Holy Spirit
Introduction: The
character of Jesus was respected but ministry in the power of the Holy Spirit brought
hostility.
When Jesus was a young man the doctors
of the law were impressed with his intellectual ability, Luke 2:47.
In Nazareth Jesus increased in
favour with God and man, Luke 2:52.
They were impressed with His
character.
When the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus
at His baptism the attitude of the religious leaders changed towards Him.
The men of
He was obedient to the Father and
anointed of the Holy Spirit.
Introductory Story: The
humiliation of Christ. Philippians 2:5-11.
Jesus
became like us so that we can become like Him.
The Son of God became
He identified Himself with us so
that we can be identified with Him.
‘The Son of God became the Son of
Man so that sons of men can become the sons of God.’
Jesus told His disciples – ‘The works that I do shall you do because I go to the Father’
John
He
ministered in the power of the Holy Spirit knowing that His disciples would also
minister in the same power and anointing.
Main Points:
1. Before the ministry
of Jesus. The Holy Spirit
ministered through a selected few who were anointed for ministry.
This ministry lasted until
John the Baptist.
John the Baptist was the descendant
of Aaron – Luke 1:5. He
had the right to be High Priest.
Prophets and the law
prophesied until John. Matthew 11:11-13
‘Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there has not risen a
greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom
of heaven is greater than he. And from
the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence,
and the violent take it by force. For
all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.’
Then the ministry changed
when Jesus was anointed of the Holy Spirit in the
John’s ministry decreased
when the ministry of Jesus had begun. John 3:30
John was a voice crying in
the wilderness.
Jesus came to set captives
free in the power of the Holy Spirit.
2. The
ministry of Jesus.
Jesus only ministered in the power of the Holy Spirit, 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.’
1)
Ministry in the power of the Holy SPirit
Jesus did nothing
by His inherent power as the eternal Son of God. He was always the Son of God
but He only performed miracles in the power of the Spirit, Matthew 12:28. Jesus was tempted to reject His people and
act by His own inherent power. The devil
tempted Jesus ‘If you are the Son of God…’, Luke 4:3,9. On the cross the people shouted ‘If you are
the Son of God… save yourself’, Matthew27:40.
Jesus only ministered in the power of the Holy Spirit because He
identified Himself with His people. Jesus
did not perform a miracle until after He was baptised. Then Jesus went in the
power of the Holy Spirit, Luke 4:1. He ministered in the power of the Holy Spirit so that He could tell His
disciples the works that I do shall you do and greater works because I go to
the Father. John 14:12 ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that
believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than
these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.’ Jesus taught His
disciples to do the same things that He did.
2)
The character of the ministry of
Jesus (Luke
a)
Preach the gospel to the poor (to bring good news to the destitute)
b)
Heal the broken hearted (to make whole those who are broken)
c)
Preach deliverance to the captives
(to be a herald of release from bondage to captives)
d)
Recovery of sight to the blind
(blindness of the mind)
e)
Set at liberty them that are bruised
(smitten).
f)
Preach the acceptable year of the
Lord (to proclaim the acceptable time of the Lord)
The character of the ministry of Jesus should be seen
in the light of Jesus closing the book (Luke
‘To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the
day of vengeance of our God;’
He did not say ‘the day of vengeance’ because that is
yet to come.
First He came to preach the acceptable time of the
Lord’. See 2
Corinthians 6:2.
3. Jesus moved in the Gifts of the Holy
Ghost.
Holy Spirit ministered through Jesus.
a) Delegated
authority - Others were sent by Jesus but they were not anointed
themselves. They received a delegated
authority because they were with Jesus.
Compare Old Testament:
Elisha and his servant
– sent servant with his staff couldn’t do it.
Needed the anointing.
Elisha’s
servant had a delegated authority. Wasn’t able to raise the dead boy. Needed the anointing. Elisha was the
anointed prophet but even then the miracle was not automatic. Elisha had to put
himself on the boy and breathe into him. Why didn’t he just pray? Faith in action. Gift of faith and the
Working of Miracles. He expected
something to happen and Elisha’s faith was active.
Compare Matthew
18
There were things Jesus
disciples could not do – needed the anointing.
The disciples of Jesus could not
heal the paralytic.
Jesus said this kind comes only
through prayer and fasting’.
Prayer and fasting is built upon
relationship with God.
Relationship
that could only be realised after the ascension.
Only the anointing could break the
yoke of the oppressor.
An anointed ministry operates through
relationship.
b) The Gifts of the
Spirit. Jesus said to the
woman of
Similarities between the ministry of Jesus
and the ministry of Elisha.
The ministry of Jesus had similarities to other
ministries in the Old Testament. This is
because Jesus ministered in the power of the Holy Spirit. For instance: 2 Kings 4:42-44, Elisha fed a hundred men with twenty loaves of barley. John
6:5-13, Jesus fed five thousand with five barley loaves and two fish.
Summary:
1
Jesus ministered in the power of the
Holy Spirit not in His inherent power as the Son of God.
2
Jesus could not have told the
disciples that they would do ’greater works’ if he had not ministered in the
power of the Holy Spirit.
3
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit are
evident in the ministry of Jesus and the purpose of the gifts was to show that
Jesus is the Messiah.