Jesus & the Holy Spirit — Don McClure

Father, we do Want to thank you and praise you for every opportunity you give to us to open a heart to you. To set aside all of the other issues in our life. Lord I thank you that as we come tonight that though we are here as a body you see every one of us.

You know every hair on a head, you know every burden we carry every trial in our life Lord every struggle every sin that you just long to wash away and forgive every weakness that you Want to give power every lack of Understanding that you want to give us wisdom to you know it all and Lord, I pray that tonight as we come before you that you would Open up your word in your heart to us and father that those things that each one of us Individually need that we might receive of it from you.

And so we do just open our heart and ask that you would feed us and minister to us in Jesus name. Amen. Tonight I just want to share some individual things and not take too long because. Because I don't know when this is supposed to be over, but I'm sure I'm well into my time length so far.

So anyway, and not having even started yet. But what I'd like to do is just go through a few of the scriptures together tonight on the ministry Of the Holy Spirit in the life of Jesus. Something that oftentimes we don't do many times.

The Holy Spirit in the Life of Jesus

We're used to looking at the Trinity and we see the Father and the Son the Holy Spirit. And oftentimes we may look at them individually. But we oftentimes I've noticed don't really study them in their relationship with one another.

And I think one of the most important things for a Christian to understand Is to be able to look at Jesus Christ the one that Peter tells us about Peter. You know about us that he is our example. Paul tells us that we are to be imitators of Christ.

And if I am to look at Jesus and say Lord you are my example in life. If I'm to look and say I am to be an imitator of Christ now on one hand. How in the world am I supposed to do that? I mean we're talking of somebody obviously walks on water multiplies loaves and fishes controls the weather.

Brings people back from the dead. When you start looking at the things that Jesus did and it is this there. Am I just supposed to be going out and doing these things just a manner of life and I'm not saying that those things don't happen.

But at the same time I believe that the issues that Peter and Paul are both referring to aren't so much the external behavior as The internal attitude that Jesus had that he lived by how did he live and how did he function?

And when you begin to look at the scriptures in Jesus and his wonderful dependence on the Holy Spirit for everything. Everything I hope as we go through a few scriptures and each one of us will tonight realize afresh How God wants us to have the same thing so tonight?

Jesus’ Birth by the Holy Spirit

I just I'll give you some scriptures. Turn with me first to Luke chapter 1 if you will with me and we will look at just some of the things that are revealed to us here about Jesus and his coming into the world and Then we'll look at his life.

But the most fundamental aspect in the of them all of course is just how he came. It tells us in Luke chapter 1 verse 26. It says in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God under the city of Galilee named Nazareth.

To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph of the house of David to him the Virgin's name was Mary. The angel came under her and he said hail thou art highly favored the Lord is with thee blessed art thou among women.

And when she saw him she was troubled at his saying and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said in her fear not Mary for thou has found favor with God and Behold thou shall conceive in thy womb and shall bring forth a son and shall call his name Jesus.

He should be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest. The Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever and of his Kingdom there shall be no end.

Then Mary said Mary unto the angel How should this be Seen. I know not a man. And the angel answered he said unto her the Holy Spirit Shall come upon thee the power of the highest shall overshadow thee therefore The holy thing that shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

Now here we have when we're looking at the life of Jesus and this is what we want to just focus in on tonight. But as we look at his life notice at his birth. The very fundamental thing even before he comes into the world.

We are told here that the as angel Gabriel comes to Mary and she tells him you are going to bring forth a son. You're gonna bring forth a child. He'll be the son of the mother the highest. He'll inherit the throne of his father David of his kingdom.

There'll be no end. She immediately she's listening to this and realizing she's a virgin obviously realizing that that the fundamentals of Producing a child have never occurred in her life whatsoever and she turns she's wait a minute.

I think you got the wrong address. I don't know what Mary you're looking for. There's a lot of Marys I'm sure but you got the wrong one. And he says no, I don't she said I've never known a man but here he says no.

The the Spirit of God the Holy Spirit will overshadow you. Here as he looks there and he says he'll come upon thee and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee. Therefore the one that will be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

But here we have that the very first thing that had to happen in Jesus coming into the world is notice. Jesus was born of the Holy Spirit. It wasn't born of man. He wasn't born of Adam. He wasn't born of Joseph.

You see one of the fundamental things that happened when God obviously created man. He created somebody as he reached down into the ground took up the you know The the the clay up the dirt and he breathed life into it the Spirit of God and dwelt man.

In man there essentially is the Spirit of God even brewed it over and created and breathe this very life in there God created a man but a man that was filled with the Spirit of God and They're filled and born of the Spirit.

That is what Adam was that is what Eve was. But there God of course told Adam as you know only too well in the Bible He says now the day in which thou sinnest and in the Hebrew its present progressive.

He says dying thou shalt surely die. In other words, it isn't just you will just die out there somewhere. Literally God told Adam at in the moment you sin. The consequence you will be you will die at that moment to go on to ultimate death dying.

Then you will then go on to die fully later. And of course now we understand essentially that what did happen when man sin was precisely that man spiritually died. God took his spirit out of man in there man died at that moment.

Sin, Spiritual Death, and New Birth

The wage of sin is death not will be it is in a received right then he spiritually died. Now God graciously gave him the capacity in his in in God's grace in his mercy to live on. He gave him kind of a grace period to repent where he was still bodily alive.

And he was still mentally and emotionally there but spiritually he was dead. But he gave him time to repent that he might once again come back to a relationship with God. Now, of course, we realize today.

That's what Jesus Christ fundamentally came for us for. John 3 16 Says for God so loved the world. That he gave his only begotten Son that what that whosoever believeth in him and it's literally should not go on perishing but have everlasting life.

Jesus Christ reverses the perishing process you and I we were all born in the likeness of sinful Adam Adam and Eve. They were bodily alive soulishly active, but spiritually dead. And so what they reproduce in their own image.

That's why everyone in Adam. We've all been born dead. We were all born though, you know from spiritually dead. But the only that's why of course when Jesus and Nicodemus met and Nicodemus came to him by the dead night.

And he said we know that thou art come from God for no man can do the things out do us except God be with him. Here Nicodemus. He's asking Jesus. I know you're from heaven. I know you're from God. You couldn't do these things if it wasn't God and some people reading that might think Jesus was changing the subject or being brief.

Or just wanted to cut to the chase or something, but he said you must be born again. And all he was doing was answering his real question here Nicodemus. He's wanting to where's the spiritual life come from that you come from and Jesus simply smile.

He says Nicodemus you must be born again. Nicodemus says how can a man who in his old enter a second time into his mother's womb says no. No, you don't need that. You've all you you know, that which is flesh is flesh that which is spirit is spirit.

He says the words I speak this spirit in their life. I'm not you don't need a body. You've already got one Nicodemus. But you do need spiritual life. You need to be born of the Spirit as he goes on and explains and that's of course.

Interestingly enough the Bible tells us that Jesus himself When he came into the world though the second person the triune Godhead, how was he born of? The Spirit. He didn't come in the will of his own.

He came in the exact same way that in a sense there that for you and I we he was born of God. Born of the Holy Spirit. The most fundamental aspect therefore the Christian life is and perhaps even ask yourself.

Are you born of the Spirit? Now, do you a Christian by will or by effort or by your own, you know promise or your commitment or church attendance? But are you born to the Spirit of God? Can you say I'm a Christian because the fact I have been born of the Spirit of God.

I've been brought back into fellowship and communion with God by the the receiving of Jesus Christ and of his spirit into my life. Well, Jesus, of course was not simply born in the Spirit. We're also told in Hebrews chapter 9 14, you might turn over there if you'd like to but in Hebrews 9 14 The author of Hebrews presumed by many to be Paul.

Hebrews 9 14 says how much more shall the blood of Christ through the eternal spirit? Pardon me who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

Christ Offered Himself Through the Spirit

Now another little insight that we're given here to about Jesus here in Hebrews 9 14 tells us there that Jesus Christ Who through the eternal spirit he offered himself without spot to God? So when we're looking at Jesus, not only was he born of the Holy Spirit, but he also offered himself to God through the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is the one through whom you and I give our lives to Jesus Christ. He is the one that we give ourselves to God. The Holy Spirit is the one that God uses to give himself to you and I. In here Jesus there.

Not only was he born of the Holy Spirit. He offered himself to God through the Holy Spirit and Interestingly enough you might say well, when did he do that and his baptism when he was 30, maybe. Wasn't many maybe when he was 12 and he was in the temple well Hebrews chapter 10 Verse 5 or actually Psalm 40 turn there and return to both of them.

You got two hands just to take one to the old one to the new but in Psalm 40 a wonderful Psalm in verse 6. It's a prophetic Psalm as we'll see in a moment when we get to Hebrews. But in Psalm 40 in verse 6, it says sacrifice an offering you did not desire.

My near you have pierced. Burn offerings and sin offering you did not desire then I said behold I come in this role of the book. It is written of me. I delight to do your will. Oh my god. Your law is within my heart.

Here the psalmist tells us there that this is this wonderful little psalm there of sacrifice and offering burnt offerings for sin. You have no desire. He says my near you have pierced. Which is a picture of surrender going we don't have time for that tonight, but back in the Exodus chapter 21.

But he says behold I come in this and they scroll to the book. It is written of me. But this we know is a Messianic song. It's one there specifically about Jesus Christ because Hebrews chapter 10 tells us that Hebrews 10 verse 5 now turn on over there in Hebrews 10 5 it says therefore.

When he came into the world he said Sacrifice and offerings you did not desire. But a body you have prepared for me and burnt offerings and sin offerings for sin. You had no pleasure then I said behold I come in the volume of the book.

It is written of me to do your will. Oh God and now think of this. This is one of the most awesome concepts to me. When you stop to think of it, but the Bible tells us you want to know when did Jesus offer himself to God without spot?

When did he come and say God here I am and when he offered it's interesting here Hebrews and Psalms. Tell us when he came into the world. When He was born of the Holy Spirit. Imagine this a little baby six seven eight pounds.

You and I of course because we were born when we were born. We were bodily alive soullessly who knows. Empty blank, you know, I don't remember where my you know, you'll back your Your first thoughts you remember and you're two three four years old.

Maybe the What they may have been. I've got some Memories there of my mother loving me. My dad beating me as a child. No, I'm just getting it. My folks are here. It was my mother that beat me. I'm just kidding.

No. They've been here. It's funny when I was here years ago, and I left they said they used to be Don's parents now I come back here. Oh, you're John's kid. Yeah, but anyways, it's turned full circle.

But anyway, I don't you look back and what do you remember when you were two or three or four? You got a little vague things in the thought of being able to make a Decision in your life with any conviction.

Is something you know, you're 10 12 13 14 years. It took you to make something to say. This is what I believe. This is what I want to do. And then that changed how many times over the next 30 years. But when you stop to think Jesus Christ born of the Holy Spirit, I Mean the most amazing thing there, you know that here he is.

There's six seven eight pounds. Takes upon himself the form of human flesh. He indwells it. But there with the wisdom of the Spirit and the depth of the Spirit the consciousness there of having God by the Holy Spirit teach His mind control his emotions direct his will flood through his life and his being the capability.

They're of being able to look and say our father sacrifice and offerings and burn offerings for send Alice no desire. Do we all look there and say, you know a little time a little energy a little effort a little sacrifice a little tithe here here I'll give a day of my week to ministry here.

Oh here. I'll give a little by a little money there to help missions. I'll do this. I'll do that. That's what many people consider great spiritual life. Jesus when he came into the world. I'm not giving you a little here a little there a little sacrifice and an offering or burn offering or something here or something there.

But a body thou has prepared me then said I low it is written to me in the volume of the book to do Thy will. Oh my god. Yea thy law is written within my heart. Imagine that that anybody that is born of the Holy Spirit is Capable by virtue of that spiritual birth of presenting their entire being to God.

You may have only come to Christ yesterday or a week ago or a month ago or a year ago. But the capacity there to know What it is to fully yield your heart in your life over to be able to say I'm not here to give you a little Time a little tidbit a little something now and then to throw towards heaven of my extra stuff my entire life a body that was prepared me a whole being.

And it isn't a piece of it's yours all of it's yours. That's the wisdom that the Holy Spirit gives to anybody that understands him. Wants to be born of him and then wants to offer himself. You can do it all.

Pleasing God by the Holy Spirit

But Jesus was not only born and not only offered to God, but he also he was somebody pleased God by the Holy Spirit. It's interesting to me there. Of course that Jesus is baptism. It's given to us both in Matthew and in Luke.

But there you know the story there is Jesus walks out in the water and as he walks out and John looks at him. Recognizing him seeing who he is. He says wait a minute. You should baptize me not me you.

Jesus turned he said what to John he says no John. Suffered to be so night. He'd be so for now here. It was something that behooved him. The Bible says to be made like unto his brethren. Everything that Jesus was ever going to ask any of his followers to do.

Any of his children to do any of his redeemed to do he did it himself? Anything whatsoever and so here when he walks out he says John baptize me. I want the public display of a surrendered life. And there is in chances.

Wait a minute. Only did no no. No, you should be me. Being baptized by you and he said no John. This is what I'm gonna ask many to follow and do and he says I'll do it myself first. And there of course, you know that as John then baptized Jesus.

The Bible says the heavens were opened in the Spirit of God descended as a dove upon Jesus and there as he descended there. You hear a voice from heaven says this is my beloved son in whom I am. Well pleased hear ye him.

Here the next thing, you know as God looks there at Jesus. It was all we know so far born of the Spirit it offered to God through the Spirit and yet he pleased God. By the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God descends upon him so often.

Yeah, many of us we may wonder tonight. What can I do to please God? What is it? I could really do that would please God does he you know? Does it maybe maybe I should get involved with Sunday school or maybe I should help with missions or maybe I did.

Join, you know some music team or usher or and that all of that. Hopefully that is part of our surrender. But the things that please God it is not what we do. That is not what pleases God. It's what we are.

Jesus so far at this point in time. He hadn't done a thing and priest a sermon healed the sick. Hadn't done a thing at all yet. But the father looked at him and he says you want to know how to please me be filled with me.

You want to know how to please me be born of my spirit and then offer yourself Fully to me through the Holy Spirit. That'll please me. You can sit right where you are right now tonight and please God more than you've ever pleased him.

You can do more in the sense that it has nothing to do with what you do. It's what you are many people think if I do this I know if I do this then God will be then he'll be happy with me gotta be pleased with me.

Now you can sit there and say Lord, I know what you want a Body that was prepared me. It's yours. I give it to you. I want to hold nothing back. It's all yours. That'll thrill heaven and it are through you too, but it's something there that don't get me wrong.

What you do will please him later on. John 8 29 Jesus said I do only always those things that pleased my father what he did pleased him. But what he did pleased him because of what he was was pleasing to him.

He was filled with him. And being filled with him anybody that is filled with him what he does will please him as a by-product. Many people we get it backwards. We try to go do stuff that please and then if I do enough stuff, then he'll say I Always knew I liked you.

I just forgot why you know or something if I did if somehow or another Enough stuff happens that kind of weighs out the bad stuff and I get in some good stuff. You know, you know if all of a sudden many of us maybe if we thought the Lord was coming tomorrow.

And we really believe that we do. I got 24 hours to do good stuff, you know I'm gonna go, you know. Give away all the stuff that I'm gonna hear you can have it. You know, you know, but you'd have this and Lord you better come tomorrow or else, you know I'm gonna go back and steal it all back, you know, or whatever and me and.

But and our goodness is so superficial. Until it comes down to its spiritual. I'm yours. And Jesus though he was not only born he was not only offered he was not only pleased God by the Holy Spirit but Luke chapter 4 verse 1 tells us there and Jesus being full the Holy Spirit returned from Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness being tempted.

Filled and Led by the Spirit in the Wilderness

Or for 40 days being tempted of the devil in those days. He did eat nothing and when they were ended he afterwards hungered. Here we have now Jesus born of the Holy Spirit offered to God through the Spirit.

Please God by the Spirit. And now Luke chapter 4 where tells and Jesus being filled with the Holy Spirit Was led by the Holy Spirit. That word led by the Holy Spirit was quite gracious of the the translators.

But notice here first of all, it wasn't just enough for Jesus to be born and to be offered. And and to be pleasing God by the Spirit. Jesus filled with the Holy Spirit Filled with the Holy Spirit and then he was led more accurately driven.

I Suppose the translators thought wait a minute. This is the second person that God had to look around there as if the third person is shoving him around. Driving telling him what to do. But essentially this is what the core of the word means there.

It's one there to where he was leading his life in a sense of saying do this. You see with Jesus though on one hand God always God fully God never less than God in the beginning was the word the word Was with God the word was God the same as in the beginning with God and by him were all things made that were made.

And he says and we beheld his glory. The glory is the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth. He says there when he came he was the second person that God had fully created the universe. And we saw him and he was always that but yet when he humbled himself.

And he took upon himself the form of a servant he became obedient obedient even under the death of the cross. Obedient to who? The Holy Spirit. Telling him what's it when the Holy Spirit said he you must needs go through Samaria.

Yes. You must do this he led him here. But here there was something where Jesus is life born offered filled. Driven by the Holy Spirit and then also notice can't miss this notice the first record of where Jesus was driven Into the wilderness where he was tempted to the devil for 40 days.

How do you like that? Still want to be filled with the Spirit. You know sorry here's something where you come along and now where the Spirit of God takes up and control somebody's life. They're born of him.

They're offered. They're filled. And here the Holy Spirit now when he gets control Wendy one of the most interesting thing. He leads them right into the trial of his life. Make no mistake about it. This was the Holy Spirit.

He led him into the wilderness and then he didn't let him eat anything for 40 days. Lets him rot. Lets him there come to where literally he's beginning to starve after the end of the 40 days. He hungered in the Bible initially when somebody goes on a fast.

There's the initial hunger pains that can last a couple of days then they wear off. Then you can literally go on a fast for weeks. But then there's a point to her now the body literally begins to eat upon itself devour itself and At that point when a body begins literally to have to have nutrition to live to keep its Heart beating and his blood flowing and needs to have energy it literally begins to destroy and and eat its own intestines and Here is this process is starting to happen.

We're now after 40 days the hunger is so great where there is now a message that goes to his body his body sending him Feed me or I'm going to die. It's beginning to devour itself. Sometimes you'll see these tragic little pictures.

You know and little or little shows to where there's something of a little baby in a in a famine torn land where the baby's brought In and in his eyes open. It's his eyes are open. It's blinking. It's it's very much alive.

It's breathing and they say it's starving to death and yet the child's all bloated. It looks huge. I mean, it's got a tummy on it. That's unbelievably big. He said kid doesn't look hungry to me. And then the doctor say it's too late.

We can't save him. What do you mean? You can't save him? Breathing get him in there. It's got to be something you can do. No. Because what has happened at that point literally the digestive system is already destroyed if you put any food in it.

There is nothing to digest it with the very system that is required to digest it has now been all is has been destroyed. And it can't do it. The baby's got a few days at the most to live to linger. Mostly it hours by then but here is something where Jesus now 40 days the Holy Spirit drives Jesus into the wilderness tempt to the devil for 40 days and Then at the end of this time the Holy Spirit just send him out there to rot.

That's a fine out of you. But here when you look wondering what in the world is it that could possibly be going on here? And then finally it tells us there. That the devil verse 3 said unto him if thou be the Son of God command this stone that it be made bread.

Here the Holy Spirit drives him out lets him you know He has to meet absolutely nothing. He's literally starving to death and as now he's really starving to death the devil looks at him and he said and by the way in The King James, it's as if you're the Son of God as if he's clueless.

As if the devil didn't know. As if he's just saying, you know, there's a rumor I was down the break room and a bunch of demons were chatting thinking you might be the Son of God. You know as if it's a hypothetical.

I wonder just checking it out. He knew exactly who he was. It's more literally because you're the Son of God. You know who you are. I know who you are. You know, you're about to die. You know that here God has led you right out here and led you into nothing in your history.

You better take control of your own life. You better turn this stone to bread or you're finished you better run it and Then Jesus gave a response. That I don't think we can I ever adequately understand the magnitude of it, but here Jesus turned At this time and he said man Shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

I Don't think you can you imagine the Holy Spirit? He'd only really lived in one body before like this. Paul refers to Jesus as a second man and It's interesting he'd been in the first Adam and he was there and they were in a garden together and they had the whole world.

The trees thou seest thou made is freely you want this you can have it you want that you can have it anything whatsoever. The tree of knowledge of good and evil don't eat it and at the drop of a hat. What does he do the first temptation the slightest pressure?

He walks away gives up his eternal life drives the Holy Spirit out of him. And they're the one that he'd been born of that brooded over him that indwelt him that filled Adams life. Every moment of every day just like that.

He's driven out by sin. The first thing that he's doing with Jesus essentially here born of the Holy Spirit offered pleased. Filled he leads him not into paradise, but into a wilderness. He lets him sit.

He lets him go through a trial. Who is it you're really gonna live for. Who do you love. Who are you really offered to. Who is your life? Really surrendered to is it only surrendered when it's comfortable and pleasing and everything goes well.

And if you can imagine there when the Holy Spirit literally watch Jesus as he turned there. And he says man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from God. And there's two great things to this by the way number one if you can imagine the thrill of the Holy Spirit realizing.

You know I mean if I was the Holy Spirit. I'd have a real complex I would. Dear God. You're the greatest being. You look at the love and the power and the goodness of the Holy Spirit. And he comes to our life, and he lives in us, but how often is it the drop of a hat?

Excuse me. I'll take over don't need you now out of here. You know or some some something comes over our life. We take it over shove him in shove him out. Hey get back here. I need you now as if he's some sort of a little cabin boy or an errand boy.

And here is something there with Jesus he turns and he looks at the devil. Can you imagine this? Man shall not live by bread alone. Here the devil was trying to get Jesus to act as God. You know your God.

I know your God turn the stone to bread take control of yourself. But here Jesus essentially turn he says listen devil. Why don't you understand something? I don't need to be God to beat you. Just a man filled with him.

Man should not live. I'll beat you not as God. I'll beat you as a man filled with God. You see if Jesus would have had to be God and if he would have had to use his deity We would always have an excuse to say well.

I mean even Jesus had to take control now men. Even Jesus you know had to you know had to you know the Holy Spirit wasn't sufficient here and there. No always. Every time of every day of all of life always from Bethlehem to the Mount of Olives born offered filled led by the Holy Spirit and Here he's able to look it into to me the wonder of all of this is that you and I we never have to take our Life back in their own hands.

We never have to solve it. We never have to say God. He didn't come through. He'll always bring us through. Then on in it you can read through the rest of the trials are quite you know. Powerful, but because I'm sure I've gone too long, but that's never stopped me yet amazingly, but the but in verse 14 of Luke chapter 4 It says in Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit unto Galilee and there went out of fame of him throughout the region roundabout.

Now it tells us Jesus born offered filled led. You know overpowered Satan by the power of the Holy Spirit now we see Jesus just returning. Just coming home. How in the power of the Spirit? The Holy Spirit was not somebody that Jesus just needed to help him through the big heavy trials.

Through the difficult things through the great spiritual warfare. The Holy Spirit is somebody just to go home just to return. Just wherever it was whatever it whatever went on any and every day of all days.

This is the second person that triune God had if he had to be born and offered and filled and led and empowered Continuously by the Holy Spirit. How much more do you and I how much more do we? Who are?