IVING BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. (Part 29).
Isaiah 11. Verses 1-3 read:
And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: and the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; and shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:
Having considered the fruit of the Spirit, we are proceeding to pick some lessons from operations of the Holy Spirit in the life of Jesus Christ. This aspect of the teaching is very important because Jesus Christ exemplified the life of the Spirit to perfection. To begin with, we want to consider some prophetic declarations that were made with respect to the partnership Jesus had with the Holy Spirit, which culminated in his stance in life.
Today’s text predicts Jesus’ emergence on the world stage as a rod out of the stem of Jesse and a branch growing from Jesse’s roots. These expressions refer to the natural descent of Jesus Christ. Prophet Isaiah emphatically states that the Spirit of the LORD would rest or abide on Christ. The abiding presence of the Holy Spirit on a man is key to the man’s ability to operate in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit came upon Jesus with the full expression of himself. Today, we want to discuss three of these expressions as follows:
- The spirit of wisdom: This refers to the ability to discern into the issues of life, distinguish between right and wrong, and always choose the right through the help of the Holy Spirit. This divine wisdom provides man the best line of action coupled with the right attitude to carry out the action. On several occasions, Jesus was confronted with very tricky questions and situations from the scribes, teachers of the law, the Pharisees, and the Sadducees with the goal of setting him up for errors and attacks. However, through the spirit of wisdom, he provided answers that silenced his opponents. In addition, through this wisdom, Jesus conducted himself in a manner that pleased God and left his accusers baffled.
- The spirit of understanding: This is a spirit that gives true meaning to the issues of life and the demands God makes of men. Where there is a lack of understanding, men do things as a chore and without inner motivation. Understanding positions men to do things with conviction, and this was evident in the life of Christ. Through the spirit of understanding, he knew what he was about and did not compromise it for anything else.
- The spirit of counsel: This refers to a spirit that is well versed in the plans and purposes of God and is able to provide accurate guidance to others. The presence and reign of the spirit of counsel in the life of a man makes him acquainted with the ways of God and a teacher of those who lack guidance in the ways of God. This was a strong feature of the life of Jesus Christ.
Beloved, as it was in the life of Jesus Christ, all who have received Christ and the filling of the Holy Spirit are capable of expressing the wisdom, understanding, and counsel that proceed from the Holy Spirit. Through these, they live an orderly life as Jesus did, and they make positive and lasting impact on those who encounter them in life.
SHALOM 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏