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This morning, um, we're looking at, um, continuation, I guess, of what we started last week, the baptism. of Jesus. Um, and my study,
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uh, just because Luke has been kind of the place where I've been camped. Um, a lot of what I'm looking at is that comes
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out of the words of of Luke, uh, chapter 3. But um
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the things that I want to bring out this morning um we are going to look at connections to the Old Testament, the prophets uh what they had to say and uh
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want to look at the significance of the coming of the spirit at Jesus baptism. Um, one of the commentators asked the
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question in his book, um, if Jesus received the Holy Spirit, if the Holy Spirit came upon him and he as he
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grew up and as he matured, what is the significance of the Holy Spirit coming at his baptism? Now, um,
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and I'm hoping that I can at least begin an answer to that, uh, question, the significance of this coming. Um,
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and it's based on a promise, I believe. um although it's it's not as clear perhaps as um we would want it to be but looking at um
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Isaiah what he says and how Jesus then as u a perfect expositor of the Old Testament scriptures in his first uh at
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least recorded preaching um in the synagogue. Oh. Um,
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anointing. And uh, I don't know when it when it ends in the s, can you just put an apostrophe? Is that possessive or do I need another s? I don't know. Um, and I didn't look it up. Um, I was
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Okay, thank you for that. There's your grammar lesson for this morning. Luke chapter 3 verse 21. Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized. And
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while he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came out of heaven, you are my beloved
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Peter says this is Jesus anointing in Acts I think it's verse 38 of chapter Peter says, "You know of Jesus of Nazareth,
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how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how he went about doing good and healing all who are oppressed by the devil, for God was with
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him." this anointing, this um scene that we have of being coming up out of the water, being um baptized uh by John.
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And yet here we see a baptism with the Holy Spirit. Um I believe um that this is this is public. This is um Jesus
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And again, it's important in itself, but it's but it's important because of what's changed here. Um Erin and I were
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talking after Sunday school and he pointed out to me um just realizing that John's baptism by water was significant.
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It had meaning and yet that meaning became more full. It became in its richness and fullness and completeness
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in the baptism of Christ and um the symbol or the power of that baptism that he submitted
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to John's baptism. Um, I I want to address that a little later because I didn't mean to say that um
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that Jesus did not that the baptism of of John was was not significant enough for him.
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um and that he was and I did say that he was not baptized as a sinner, but just um in reading some more things
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um came across two or three times uh the phrase from Isaiah chapter 53 that Jesus was numbered among the
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transgressors. And so there is this significance that he entered into that right of John's baptism. But it comes becomes more full here. Let me read from um from
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Isaiah 59. Do these markers just dry up because I use them? use them? Okay. I try to keep them sealed, but uh
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I don't know if that helps or not. Isaiah 59, Isaiah 59, a redeemer will come to Zion, he says, and that and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob, declares the
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Lord. As for me, this is my covenant with them, says the Lord, my spirit which is upon you, singular, and my words which I have put in your
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mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring. The word is seed, nor from the mouth of your offspring's offspring, your seed's
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seed, says the Lord, from now and forever. Um, I don't know that all the commentators agree that that singular my spirit is which is upon you
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is Christ. It could be that he's speaking of the the people, the believers, but there's a covenant promise. And if you go back, um, I
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started at Isaiah 61, which is one we we are more familiar with because that's the one that Jesus quotes in Luke 4, but I kind of leafed back for the context.
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And in 59, we see this covenant promise of a redeemer that God would give and continue to give his word
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his word and his spirit to believers to his children throughout the generations. But there it seems to be that there is a
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promise to the one person who would who would um be the one to receive the spirit. Or as one of the
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commentators says it says it um better than I can
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And to me, to me, Jesus received the spirit in order that we might
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receive he that he might give. And I believe if you were to kind of condense down the significance of the
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coming of the spirit at Jesus baptism, it's to symbolize this.
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So hang with me, but that's where I'm driving. The spirit promised to the church first came upon Jesus. And the spirit given to him will always be on our hearts. I think that's what
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Isaiah 59 is saying. That spirit will always be on our hearts and his words will always be in our mouths.
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More familiar to you is Isaiah 61 and following uh where Jesus quotes and I'm going to read
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from Luke 4, but he's quoting the first verses of Isaiah 61.
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And he came to Nazareth where he had been brought up. And was with, as was his custom, he entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood to read. And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to
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him. And he opened the book and found the place, Isaiah 61, where it was written, "The spirit of the Lord is upon me because he anointed me
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to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of the sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable
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year of the Lord. And he closed the book and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he
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began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." Um
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hearing." Um Jesus acknowledging the spirit rested upon him upon him because he's been anointed,
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but he's been anointed to preach. He's been anointed to have the spirit as his his counsel. And I I think um his
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encouragement, he's been anointed to be a preacher and to execute that office of the prophet. And I don't know where to put this, but
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the three offices that Jesus fulfilled, Luke seems to bring out maybe more than the others. Um the idea of the the office of the
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prophet, the the one who came to preach and to be a healer, to be a deliverer.
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And yet that was again the anointing that happened that happened at his baptism. Yes. And anointed to give that Holy Spirit which he possessed. Yeah. That's Yeah. And hopefully we'll
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see that that that's again the significance of of what we're talking about that, you know, why did Jesus have
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to be baptized? Um I think it's it's heralding what's to
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was eternal God. We don't spend this much time discussing
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100% God. Frankly, we did believe that he was it would be no big deal. In fact, that's a heresy. Jesus was simply a man that God blessed.
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Yeah. Eternal son of God and he's receiving the spirit the spirit with whom he is eternally one. It's mindboggling, but it isn't mindboggling unless you fully believe
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that he is fully God. Yes. Um, and I want to I have a quote from someone I think John Owen to that
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regard is as we look at Christ as a man and his human nature um there's a need of what he would face with the
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persecution, the threats and then finally with death conquering death um the spirit has a
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vital vital role there and even though he is son of God
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um Deuteronomy so we'll talk about the prophet priest and king here um Deuteronomy 18
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Deuteronomy 18 this is um God speaking through Moses I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you. I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them
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of all that I command him. It shall come about that whoever will not listen to my words which he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him. It's
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speaking generally of the prophet and yet can we can we not hear that background especially background especially it it seems to um resonate of Jesus
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speaking of himself uh that whoever will not listen to my words in which he will speak in my name. Um,
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and in John chapter 1, we um we see a denial from John the Baptist that helps us understand Jesus is the the coming
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prophet. Uh he says they asked him, John the Baptist, are you Elijah? What then? And he said, I am not. Are you a prophet? He answered, no. They said to
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him, "Who who are you so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?" He said, 'I am the voice of one crying in
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the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord, as Isaiah the prophet said, referring to Isaiah chapter 40, speaking
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of the one who would come as the suffering servant. Um John is saying, "No, I'm I'm not that guy. There's one coming after me. I am
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preparing the way for him to come." And then um in Romans 15, Paul seems to acknowledge this
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acknowledge this when he says,"For I say that Christ has become a circum servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the
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father and for the Gentiles to glorify God for his mercy." Does that not fulfill Deuteronomy 18 that that he will
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take my words and he will disclose them and he will speak in my name and Paul says this
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confirms that he speaks the truth of God. Um, so we see the as as Chuck pointed out, um, we see the difference
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between the Old Testament, the spirit coming upon men
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the baptism of Jesus with the spirit that he was anointed to preach the gospel. He was anointed to do these things. He was
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given that which he needed for his um service, his ministry as prophet. But we also see that um from the
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scripture um and Luke just um kind of alluding to it in the um his words here of Jesus
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idea being as priest. Um now we read this um in numbers chapter 4. chapter 4. It says, "So Moses and Aaron and the
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leaders of the congregation numbered the sons of the Kathites by their families and by their fathers households for 30 from 30 years old and
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onward or upward even to 50 years old everyone who entered the service for the work in the tent of meeting." Um there
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are some places in scripture um during the time of David there were those who served who at 20 years old uh my research says that some were entered
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into service at 20 years old but it was almost like a 10-year training program. Um what do they call it in in work these days? You have a um what is it called?
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Um Yeah. Yeah. You know, junior junior development um Levite or something. Um I can't there's a there's a name for it. But
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the descriptions given in numbers 4 and 8 are descriptions of the of the washing and the anointing of the high high priests. They're preparing for atonement
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day ministry and they they seem to indicate that the the Levites priests were they they took on the higher order of the task of Israel's
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sacred worship sacred worship and were faithful to the divine law. But it didn't begin until age 30. And we
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know, you know, Luke says this in chapter 3, when he began his ministry, Jesus himself was about 30 years of age, being as was supposed the son of Joseph.
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And just an aside here, um, when it says as was supposed, it's not like we think of supposed that they were looking at
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Jesus physical appearance and going, is he really the son of it? means according to the law. That's what as supposed means.
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According to the law, he was legally the adopted son of Joseph. That's all that means. So don't let it, you know, go the neighbors are talking. All right?
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It's it's just according to the law. And then is there any connection to Christ as king here? I I
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think these are in again not my phrase but phrases that stick in my mind enthronement words.
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Okay. Psalm 2 Psalm 2 which is closely related to Psalm 110. But this is the one um that we um
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I think we sing a song something like this. Why are the nations in a rage? Why are the people devising such a vain thing? It's in that context.
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And he says, uh, he who sits in the heavens laughs. The Lord scoffs at them. Then he will speak to them in his anger and terrify them in his fury. But as for
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me, I have installed my king upon Zion, my holy mountain. I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord. He said to me,
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"Thou art my son. Today I have begotten thee." Um, the language to me again is
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is echoing up into Luke when he says, "A voice came down from heaven, thou art my beloved son. In you I am well pleased."
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Um this is this is Luke is in his genealogy that follows these events. He's tracing the royal line, the royal lineage lineage uh of of
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Jesus. Um and and here's the quote. This is G. Campbell Morgan. Jesus was the son of God in his human nature as well as in the profounder and eternal sense of his
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divine nature. divine nature. all of these things, these offices that Jesus was to fulfill, maybe not very loudly, maybe not very
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forwardly by the evangelists here, but um I think I think they're they're here. These these things are part of that
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significance of his his anointing for the ministry to come. And again, as I say, Luke seems to put more emphasis
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on the prophetic. And I mean, even in the scriptures, Jesus does not refer to him. You know, there's there's very little here and here partly because
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there were those who who didn't understand his role as king that, you know, when are you going to come with your kingdom? When are you going to set these things up? So there's I don't know
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if it's an intentional downplaying, but it's it's here. The anointing that Luke brings out is you're he's preaching.
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He's healing. He's coming as redeemer, as deliverer. He's fulfilling the prophecies of what the spirit would do in him and through him.
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And so the emphasis again perhaps more in Luke than others, but um is is
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in John's baptism, baptism by John. Um, as we said, John was a witness to Jesus as savior because John says, "Behold the lamb of God who takes away
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the sin of the world." Not that that's all that it is, but I think there's an emphasis there. But Jesus baptism with the Holy Spirit
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is an announcement of purpose, an announcement of of the goal of his presence among men. Um, one requiring
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for the work that he would do as man, as in the frailty of human flesh, needing,
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requiring even the anointing of the Holy Spirit, as Sinclair Ferguson wrote, so that he might through death,
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resurrection, and ascension become the one who would baptize with the spirit. Again, the one who receives is going to be the
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one who gives. But he's coming here to announce that, to show that. Um
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To me that makes the connection referring to We're not talking about that was the beginning of the deity. Yeah. That's where a lot of people get hung up. He becomes the son as as he becomes
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representative of all of Israel. He's God's son Israel. He's God's eternal son. I think that is
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that plural my servant seems to collapse down a singular servant very steadily. Yeah, that reality is there to be observed that would be so would come who would in
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fact be Israel. Okay. Is that similar to what the statement he did not say seeds but seed singular? Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. Um I'm
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I'm we're talk about the son. My my my thought there um of of God's statement thou art my son and his delight. Um my mind went back to
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the u appearance of the the angel um and and the glory of the angels to the shepherds out in the field keeping watch of their flock by night. So um
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that's the connection that I was making. But um yes, so let's let's look at these facts uh from again from Luke uh just kind of one at a time as we um just
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here's the beginning of the messianic mission. Um, notice um, and again, as I've said several times, it it's
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we're speaking of the Holy Spirit and his role, but you you can't help but notice and and and rejoice um over how Jesus how great he is. um
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baptism and again um numbered with the transgressors is where many people go with that. But he also submitted here
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at at this time there's a picture of his submission to the father. Notice how Luke puts it that
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while he um and Jesus was also baptized and while he was praying, Jesus is in in an attitude of complete submission here as he comes up out of
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the water that he's um it's prayer is is is an attitude of of worship. It's a
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attitude of dependence and that's how we see Jesus as he embarks on this mission um that he's in full submission
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to the father and then the heavens the heaven singular was opened and I haven't studied a lot about heaven and the
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heavens plural the how the Israelites those and the Old Testament seems to indicate the the near heavens the the atmosphere and then on up to the third
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heaven. But it the idea here is that the heaven opened was the supreme place of the dwelling place of God. The throne
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room of God opened to Jesus and the Holy Spirit descended from heaven and came upon him in bodily form like a
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Um, before I try to weasle out of trying to explain the Holy Spirit in bodily form as a dove,
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I'm going to I'm going to try to put a difference emphasis in your mind, but it it is interesting to see the Greek
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the spirit, the holy there there's an emphasis here in Luke on the holiness of the Holy Spirit. And it just signifies
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emphasizes to us um that nothing was unholy about what was going on here. Um the fact that the Holy
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Spirit came upon him again perhaps reinforces that divinity of Christ even as he came as an aid in his
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But isn't it also true that the Holy Spirit only enters those through whom the Holy One of God has
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chosen and redeemed and brought into the family of God. that we are born again through a miracle of divine grace of
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regeneration and then the Holy Spirit is given that the Holy Spirit only comes upon those in those who are
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separated who are set apart for God. um and the Holy Spirit descending as a dove in bodily form. Um,
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I'm told that even from the very beginning in Genesis 1 where we we learn of the spirit at creation hovering or brooding
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over the formless void earth that the Jewish Talmud Jewish Talmud writes it in as a known fact that he
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appeared as a dove. Um, but as I read about, you know, what the Talmet is, it's it's a text central to rabbitic
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Judaism and um I read this um that it it includes discussions among thousands of rabbis, discussions of the laws and the
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customs, the religious life, the history of Judaism. But it said it was discussions and commentaries and commentaries and arguments
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and arguments about all of those things. So take that for what it's worth. But they would say that he brooded he brooded as a dove. Um
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the only connection um that I can find right now uh Matthew chapter 10 where Jesus refers to doves as he was sending
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out his men. Behold I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. So behold I send you out as sheep um to in the
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midst of wolves. So show yourselves to be shrewd as ser serpents and innocent as doves. Um
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innocent, without deceit, without deceit, without guile. without guile. But it also has the idea of sacrifice. Sacrifice as to your effect on others.
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and perhaps this is what is in Luke's mind here. Uh, as people witness this bodily form of the spirit a as a dove. Um,
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that's as far as I think I can take it. When we talk about a dub descending on
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opening the door and sending out anywhere to light from teaching about
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the son of god traveling through the wilderness he could not dwell with them close he could get on the mountain they And they even talk to Moses, but they would stay in the camp. And he most had
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to cover his face. And this is such an inflection point. Here we see holy man who's also God, son of God. And the spirit
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on him on him for the first time since God created man. We have the spirit of God
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not having or or man not having to flee from the spirit of God. Because he is the son both the son of God and
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yet holy man, right? And I think having worked through the Old Testament and seen and seen frequently you made the comment that
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these men didn't even put on the spirit like you put on a jacket. The spirit was put on them almost like a jacket that didn't fit right and they did things in the spirit but it
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was not who they were. And here we see the union the union and it's a picture of what the New
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Testament shows for us. Yeah. I think I think I've said this before, but I believe we're talking about the
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essence of Christ's humiliation. Never ceasing to be eternal God, he submitted to receive the spirit as we
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would as he would give it. Everything is what he will then like give to his
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own. Right. Right. And that's where Again, I think the significance of us seeing and reading about the baptism of the Holy
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Spirit here is so important that we we see how this comes about. Yes.
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Yeah. Yeah. This is uh pretty hefty stuff, right? Um right? Um and uh I'd like to go on and complete the picture, but we'll have to we'll wet
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your appetite. your appetite. Um what do they say? This preview is approved for all audiences. Um, let's look at the voice out of heaven. And
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then he says literally, so this is this is God the Father's
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The approval we 30 years of age approving of those 30 years in a sense and approving this is my chosen one. This is the one who will
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now in the next what three years will execute my the plan of redemption. But it's like if I could borrow from
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Galatians 30 years of the sun keeping in step with the spirit the spirit and announcing that
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in you I I'm well pleased with these these years perfect obedience perfect delight
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perfect delight no thought word or deed by Jesus that was unholy. was unholy. And in the
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um words of of John Owen, that is God's starting point for a new humanity. that that this starting point, this
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announcement, this significance of this happening and these sequence of events here is where humanity be starts to become
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true personality, true personality, true men and women as God intended from creation for them to be. Um I'll end
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with this from Acts chapter 1 verse one. Luke writing to Theophilos, but he reminds him about his first account as he's going to tell of the
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acts of the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts. He looks back and he says in my first account first account that I composed Theophilos about all
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that Jesus began to do and teach until the day when he was taken up to heaven after he had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles when he had chose
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whom he had chosen. He's saying he he began to do and teach these things. He had that foundation from the Holy
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Spirit. But now a new day, a new day for all
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um is is coming and is now inaugurated. all the things that all of you have mentioned the the the fact that um that there was a time when the spirit was not
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doing that he was doing functions but now there's a difference now in Christ and this combination um
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it it's a new day it's a new time it's a time of true personality you new humanity. Let us pray.
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Our Father, we marvel at these things. We're they're wonderful and we we try to grasp them and we ask that by your spirit you might lead us into all the truth. We we we worship you. We adore
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you. This plan of redemption that you have brought to us through your son Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. all of these
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things working together for us to see, to enjoy, to to live in, participate in. And Father, we we pray that there one
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day this this faith that we have in these things will become sight as we gather together as a great your great people at that great day. So we thank
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you for these things and we rejoice and thank you that you allow us to to teach and to read and to the freedom to to worship you. We ask
