JESUS THE CHRIST
The word "Christ" means the ANOINTED one or Messiah. Jesus is our Messiah, or our anointed leader. The word "anoint" means the giving of power and AUTHORITY by God to perform a task.
In Luke 4:18,19 we read,
“The SPIRIT OF THE LORD is upon me (Ask yourself WHY? Why did Jesus need the Holy Spirit, if he was in fact truly God in the flesh ?), because he (God the Father) has ANOINTED me to preach the gospel to the poor; he (God the Father) has sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and the recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised., To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”
Jesus was quoting from the prophet Isaiah charter sixty one, verses one and two. Then in verse 21 of Luke Jesus says,
“This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.”
So you can clearly see that Jesus was given the POWER to preach the gospel to the poor and the heal the broken hearted, to recover the sight of the blind and all the Jesus did by his God and Father. You see, ALL that Jesus did was through the power or ANOINTING of the Holy Spirit, which was GIVEN him by God the Father. All through the word of God we find scriptures that clearly teach that Jesus did the works that he did THROUGH the power or anointing of the Holy Spirit, as well as scriptures that show that we as Christian have been given the promise of this SAME anointing of the Holy Spirit.
Moreover, we read in the book of Acts that the early church was told to tarry in Jerusalem, UNTIL they were ENDUED with POWER from on High, namely until they received the Holy Spirit. This same Holy Spirit is available for each and every Christian today, and not just for the apostles and the early church as some have FALSELY taught. It is God's will for every Christian to be endued with POWER from on High, that is to say, to be FILLED with the Holy Spirit and to REMAIN or to be continually full of the Holy Spirit of God.
Now the word "Christian" comes from the Greek root word "Christos", that means the anointed one, and is where we get the English word "Christ". The Bible tells us in Acts 11:26 that the disciples, referring to ALL believers or followers of Jesus, were first called Christians at Antioch. And the reason being is that they were so much like Jesus the Christ, hence they became known by the name CHRIST(ians), that is to say, Christians, simply interpreted as Christ like. Or more precisely, in the likeness of the anointed one. We are called God's anointed ones or God's christ in Revelation 11:15 and Revelation 12:10.
Now the purpose of this particular study is not simply to show that we as Christians are to follow the steps of Jesus, nor is it to show that the only way we can truly follow Jesus and do the works that he did is through the Holy Spirit. I have already covered these points in the studies called "JESUS THE SON OF MAN" and "HOW TO LIVE YOU LIFE FREE FROM SIN", which I highly suggest reading along with this study.
However, the point or object of this study is to take a close look at the scriptures to find out HOW Jesus lived out the anointing in his life, so that we as Spirit filled Christians may learn HOW to let the anointing of God flow through our lives. And therefore the world will see the difference between us and them and once again call us CHRISTians in the TRUE sense of the word, the ANOINTED ONES, as they did in the early church. God has called us to be his anointed LEADERS, his christ, to lead the world to God the Father through Jesus his Son by FAITH and the POWER of the HOLY SPIRIT. Most of us already know what we are supposed to do and not to do, but we lack the knowledge of HOW to carry out these things. This is because we have not CORRECTLY been taught the word of God. If you have not read the study entitled "JESUS THE SON OF MAN" then stop here and read this study first.
If you have already read the study about Jesus being a MAN just like you and I who was ANOINTED with the Holy Spirit, which EMPOWERED Jesus to do the miracles he did and to live his life WITHOUT SIN, then let us begin this study in God word on HOW Jesus used the ANOINTING of the Holy Spirit by taking a close look at Luke 2:40 which says,
“And the child (Jesus) grew and waxed strong (or grew strong) in SPIRIT, filled with wisdom: and the GRACE of God was upon him.”
Please notice that Jesus the SON of God that while he grew physically that he ALSO GREW STRONG in the SPIRIT and BECAME FILLED with wisdom.
Then we read in Luke 2:52 which teaches us that Jesus INCREASE in this WISDOM as he grew and became older. “And Jesus INCREASED in wisdom and in stature, and in FAVOR WITH GOD and man.”
The word favor here is the same word translated as grace (please refer to the study on grace the power of God, "WHAT IS THE TRUE MEANING OF GRACE ?" , where you will learn that the word grace means far more than just the unmerited favor of God.
But for now let us read Isaiah 50:4,5, where we learn that Jesus was GIVEN a tongue of the learned by the Holy Spirit of Almighty God AWAKENING him every morning and teaching him the SAME way that the Holy Spirit teaching those of us who have the Spirit of God.
“The Lord God (God the Father) has GIVEN me (Jesus) the tongue of the learned, that I should know HOW to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he (God the Father) WAKENS morning by morning, he (God the Father) wakens mine ear (Jesus’ ear) to hear as the learned. The Lord God (God the Father) has opened mine ear, and I (Jesus) was not rebellious, neither turned away back. I (Jesus) gave my back to the smitters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off my hair: I (Jesus) hid not my face from shame and spitting.”
So HOW did God GIVE his son Jesus the tongue of the learned that he should know when and how to speak to the weary? Notice the phase he, referring to God the Father, wakens MORNING by MORNING, or in other words God speaks to us each new day by the Holy Spirit. So every day set your ear to hear from God, and then, be not rebellious, but rather be you obedient to the Holy Spirit. It is a LEARNING process, so don’t give up the first time you make a mistake or think that you do not hear anything from God.
Job 7:17,18 says,
“What is man, that you should magnify him? And you should set your heart upon him? And you should VISIT him EVERY MORNING, and try him every moment?”
When God created man he walked with him in the cool of the day. Genesis 3:8 tells us that Adam and his wife Eve HEARD the VOICE of the Lord God in the cool of the day.
Psalms 5:2 says,
“My voice shall you hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto you, and will look up.”
Now this does not mean you cannot pray at other times of the day or night. It simply means that each new day we should seek the Lord. Early mornings seem to be good because are minds are more quiet before the days activities begin, but we can learn to be still and quiet our minds at other times of the day as well and pray to our heavenly Father.
Now take a look at Isaiah 7:14,15 which says,
“Therefore the Lord (speaking of God the Father) himself shall give you a sign; Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a SON and shall call his name Immanuel. Butter and honey shall he eat, (why?) that he (Jesus) may KNOW to refuse the evil and choose the good.”
So what is meant by butter and honey? Does this mean that literally eating butter and honey causes us to KNOW to refuse evil and choose the good? No, this is symbolic language. But what does it mean?
The twentieth chapter of Job talks about the wicked and in verse seventeen we read that the wicked shall NOT see the rivers, the floods, the brooks of honey and butter. It is certain that the word of God is not speaking of literal brooks of honey and butter. So what does the word of God mean by brooks of honey and butter that the wicked CANNOT SEE?
Read Job 29:1-6 for a little more insight,
“Moreover Job continued his parable, and said, Oh that I were as in the months past (without sin in my life)…when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle. When the Almighty was yet with me… When I washed my steps with BUTTER, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil (where oil is a type or figure of the Holy Spirit).”
Now compare this passage of scripture along side of Proverbs 30:33
“Surely the CHURNING of MILK brings forth BUTTER…”
The Bible likens the WORD of God to MILK or more precisely “sincere milk” which we are to desire and grow thereby. Now think about the CHURNING of God’s word (milk) over and over in our hearts until it becomes “BUTTER”. What does the word of God say in Psalm 119:11,
Your WORD have I hid in my heart (why?) that I might NOT sin against you.”
So when the WORD of God becomes hidden in our heart by meditating on it day and night (churning it into butter, so to speak), then we KNOW to refuse evil and to choose good just like Jesus did. Remember Jesus resisted the devil by saying, “It is written.” Jesus hid the word of God in his heart and used word of truth against the enemy, the devil.
Psalm 20: 7-10 tells us that the WORD of God is sweeter than honey and the honeycomb. To a believer the word of God is pleasant and is to be desired in order that we may grow strong in the Lord and in the POWER of HIS might. This is HOW Jesus overcame sin, BY feeding upon butter and honey, the very WORD of his God and Father. And by hiding the WORD of his God in his heart so that he would not sin against his God is HOW Jesus OVERCAME the devil and REFUSED to sin.
Then again in Psalm 119:103,
“How sweet are your WORDS unto my taste! Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth.”
One of the reasons we fail to have the POWER to overcome sin in our lives is because we do not DAILY feed upon God's WORD and fellowship with or heavenly Father DAILY and on a continual basis throughout each and every day. Oh we may do it for awhile just like many of us do a New Year resolution that is soon forgotten shortly after we make it. In short, out of sight, out of mind. You see, if we do not DAILY seek God through conversation with him and read and meditate upon his word DAILY as well, then we will little by little put him out of our minds, unintentionally, of course, but nonetheless out of or minds, and the cares of this world will choke the word of God that was sown in our hearts.
You see, the less we think upon God and his word the more we will think on things of the world and how we can solve life's problem our OWN way and in our own strength. There is a way that SEEMS right to man, but our way leads to death. We are not to lean upon our OWN understanding, but we are to trust and depend upon God.
We sometimes lose sight of the fact that Jesus, the Son of God, was made in our likeness and spent time in the flesh and that Jesus had to LEARN to depend upon the Holy Spirit for guidance just as we do. Look at Hebrews 5:7.8 which says,
“Who in the DAYS of his FLESH, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him (his God and Father, Almighty God) that was able to save him death and was heard in that he feared. Though he were a SON, yet LEARNED he obedience by the things which he suffered.”
Jesus had to learn obedience. In other words obedience did not come to him automatically just because he was the SON of God. Jesus had to work through his feelings and FEARS in the flesh. He did this through prayer, and in this particular instance it was agonizing prayer with strong crying and many tears. Then we read in Hebrews 12:2 these words,
“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the JOY that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Jesus learned through the scriptures of his eternal reward, the JOY that was set before him, and knowing his reward he obeyed his God and Father and endured the cross. And now he is sat down at the right hand of the Father, the JOY that was set before him, but this was not the only joy that was set before him.
Jesus said in John 8:28
“…I do nothing of myself; but as my Father has TAUGHT me, I speak these things.”
From the very beginning of the gospels we see that Jesus was LED FORTH by the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 4:1 says it like this,
“Then was Jesus LED UP of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.”
And we read in Luke 4:1
“And Jesus being FULL of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was LED by the Spirit into the wilderness.
Now skip down to (verse14),
“ 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.”
The POWER that Jesus operated in was not his OWN, but RATHER the POWER that Jesus operated in was in the ANOINTING of the Holy Spirit, the SAME Holy Spirit that is made available to EVERY believer. Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit and obeyed the leading of the Holy Spirit, again, the SAME Holy Spirit that is promised to every believer. Jesus heard the voice of the Holy Spirit and then obeyed His leading or instruction. Sometimes this voice of the Holy Spirit is just a perception in our minds, a gut feeling, so to speak, an intuition. It may be a thought, an unction, or simply an impression. The word of God often says in that Jesus PERCEIVED. The word "perceive" means to become aware of in one's mind, to detect, to achieve understanding of or to notice. Sometimes we make hearing and following the voice of the Holy Spirit so spiritual that we no longer grasp the simplicity of God.
Please do not misunderstand what I am saying. I do not want to make light of the authoritative audible voice of God, but in reality the voice of the Holy Spirit comes to us mostly as a quite small still voice within us. And sometimes we have to stop an think to ourselves if this is our own thoughts or is this the Holy Spirit leading us? It is a learning process to hear and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit just as Jesus had to learn to hear and follow his God, the Father, the ONE true and ONLY wise God.
To me just KNOWING that Jesus had to LEARN how to hear and obey the voice of the Holy Spirit gives me encouragement to continue to pursue a closer relation with God. We also have a JOY set before us, and that joy is the joy of eternal life, which is promised to us IF we are found to be faithful unto the end. Therefore I encourage you, the reader, to press on toward the mark of your high calling. Be patient and the Holy Spirit will lead you and guide you into all truth.
Jesus was the CHRIST or the ANOINTED ONE of God, and he has passed this SAME anointing on to us, believers in Jesus the SON of God and our Messiah, in order to preach the gospel to the world and to heal the sick AND to live our lives WITHOUT SIN. We are now the CHRIST of God the Father. We are the body of Christ, or the body of the anointed ones. Please read the study entitled "THE POWER AND AUTHORITY OF THE BELIEVER" for a deeper understanding of HOW to walk further in this ANOINTING.
Yours in Christ Jesus,
Always and Forever,
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