WEEK 9

GRACED WITH SPIRIT

“God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and with power” (Acts 10:38 ESV).

“And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom” (Luke 2:40 ESV).

“[Jesus] was continually filled with new degrees ‘of wisdom.’ [T]his growth was the peculiar work of the Holy Spirit.”¹

Thus, JESUS as the Son of Man was “graced with the SPIRIT.” And I, once redeemed can say I am “graced with the SPIRIT.”

Jesus utilized all of the resources given to him in his humanity. He loved and meditated on God’s Word; he prayed to his Father; he trusted in the wisdom and rightness of his Father’s will and Word; and very significantly, he relied on the supernatural power of the Spirit to strengthen him to do all that he was called upon to do.²

“Christ at all times performed his preaching, worked his miracles, and yielded perfect obedience, in entire dependence upon the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit.”³ “He was led of the Spirit, taught of the Spirit, and strengthened in the Spirit. He was constantly dependent upon the Spirit.”⁴ CHRIST did exactly what we are called to do.

Jesus’ humanity is an example for believers, as it has to do with how we live our lives. The Christian life should be an imitation of the life of Jesus. We are called to live our lives as He lived His. Just as Jesus was tempted, endured suffering, and faced hatred, so as Christians we will also face those things in the world.⁵

“Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.” (1 Pet 2:21 ESV).

“Jesus’ life of obedience and faithfulness is an example to us when we face temptation since we have the same resources that Jesus relied on to fulfill His ministry: the Word of God, prayer, and the Holy Spirit.”⁶

“It is the Holy Spirit who also dwells in believers, thus creating, sustaining, and determining in them that life which is the life of Christ.”⁷

JESUS, coming from heaven to earth, was led by the SPIRIT to show earthlings the operations of His FATHER. Thus, He became our big brother—our example of how we can depend totally on the HOLY SPIRIT to live as our FATHER wishes. The SPIRIT changes us from stuck-in-the-mud-of-the-earth, GOD-hating, self-serving people to be fitted to carry out our FATHER’s desires.

“The Son of God became the Son of Man, that we, the sons of men, might become the children of God.”⁸

ENDNOTES

(9) Graced With SPIRIT

            1. John Owen, “Work of the Holy Spirit in and on the Human Nature of Christ,” 2018, Monergism, 28 January 2021 https://www.monergism.com/work-holy-spirit-and-human-nature-christ.

            2. Bruce Ware, The Man Christ Jesus: Theological Reflections on the Humanity of Christ, (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2013), 84 quoted in Simon Turpin, “Why Did Jesus Take on a Human Nature?” 14 June 2016, Answers in Genesis, 28 January 2021 https://answersingenesis.org/jesus/why-did-jesus-take-on-a-human-nature/.

            3. G. I. Williamson, The Westminster Confession of Faith for Study Classes (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing Company, 1964, 2004) 100.

            4. Samuel Chadwick, The Way to Pentecost (Fort Washington, PA: CLC Publications, 2000, 2014) 79.

            5. Simon Turpin, “Why Did Jesus Take on a Human Nature?” 14 June 2016, Answers in Genesis, 28 January 2021 https://answersingenesis.org/jesus/why-did-jesus-take-on-a-human-nature/.

            6. Turpin.

            7. G. I. Williamson, The Westminster Confession of Faith for Study Classes (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing Company, 1964, 2004) 255.

            8. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Children of God, Life in Christ, Studies in 1 John (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1993) 3:19.

            9. “And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD.  He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge . . .” (Isaiah 11:3-4 ESV).

            10. “ . . . you were washed, you were sanctified . . .” (1 Corinthians 6:11 ESV).

            11. “ . . . you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:11 ESV).

            12. “And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might . . .” (Isaiah 11:2 ESV).

            13.  “And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. . . .” (Isaiah 11:3 ESV).