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 Nazareth and the religious leaders sought to kill Him, Luke 4:16-30, 19:47.

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 Man.

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 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.

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 Jordon River.

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 4:18-19).

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 4:20).  Jesus stopped in the middle of a sentence. 

‘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 Samaria, ‘You have had five husbands, and the man you are now with is not your husband’.      John 4:17-18.  The Word of Knowledge concerning her private life opened the woman's eyes to see that Jesus was the Messiah, John 4:29.  

 

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.