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FREE Scholarly verse by verse commentaries on the Bible.
GENESIS ---EXODUS--- LEVITICUS 1.1-7.38 --- 8.1-11.47 --- 12.1-16.34--- 17.1-27.34--- NUMBERS 1-10--- 11-19--- 20-36--- DEUTERONOMY 1.1-4.44 --- 4.45-11.32 --- 12.1-29.1--- 29.2-34.12 --- THE BOOK OF JOSHUA --- THE BOOK OF JUDGES --- PSALMS 1-17--- ECCLESIASTES --- ISAIAH 1-5 --- 6-12 --- 13-23 --- 24-27 --- 28-35 --- 36-39 --- 40-48 --- 49-55--- 56-66--- EZEKIEL --- DANIEL 1-7 ---DANIEL 8-12 ---
NAHUM--- HABAKKUK---ZEPHANIAH ---ZECHARIAH --- THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW ---THE GOSPEL OF MARK--- THE GOSPEL OF LUKE --- THE GOSPEL OF JOHN --- THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES --- 1 CORINTHIANS 1-7 --- 8-16 --- 2 CORINTHIANS 1-7 --- 8-13 -- -GALATIANS --- EPHESIANS --- COLOSSIANS --- 1 THESSALONIANS --- 2 THESSALONIANS --- 1 TIMOTHY --- 2 TIMOTHY --- TITUS --- HEBREWS 1-6 --- 7-10 --- 11-13 --- JAMES --- JOHN'S LETTERS --- REVELATION
--- THE GOSPELS
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1) The Proclaimer of Christ’s Coming.
Read Luke chapter 1 and 3. 1-18 (compare Matthew 3. 1-17)
The day for which Israel had longed and waited was coming at last. In the purposes of God, at the appointed time, the King would come. He would not come unheralded. It was the moment for which creation had waited and the prophets had longed and the greatest of all the prophets would proclaim His coming (Matt.11.11)
Many long years before the rise of this prophet had been forecast, "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes, and he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse" (Malachi 4.5-6). In other words he would bring God's people to repentance in readiness for God to act.
'Elijah' came in the person of John the Baptiser. As with the promise of a future David there was no thought of a reincarnation, the one coming would be of the same stock and have the same qualities. John was "filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother's womb" (Luke 1.15). In other words he was prepared from birth to be the instrument of God's sovereign work. He would walk "in the spirit and power of Elijah" (Luke 1.17). But he would do no miracles (John 10.41), the Spirit’s power is revealed in the success of his preaching.
Notice in the prophecy of John's birth the contrast between strong drink and the Holy Spirit (Luke 1.15). Paul the Apostle also points out that the man who would be filled by the Spirit must avoid excess of wine (Ephesians 5.18). Strong drink and excess of wine depress a man's faculties and prevent the wholeness of spirit which enables him to experience the fulness of the Holy Spirit. Paul goes on to show that outwardly they appear to have the same effect, for both cause men to forget their worries and sing with abandon. But one does so because the higher faculties are depressed and the worst part of man's nature is brought out, while the other raises a man above himself onto a spiritual plain, so that his higher faculties are made keener, and he rejoices in the presence of God, abandoning his cares, not through forgetfulness, but through confident trust in God (Ephesians 5.18-20.
John, then, comes. His name (Jo-hen), given to him by God's messenger, means significantly 'God is gracious'. That is, He is about to show His undeserved love in action. The power within John as a result of the permanent fulness of the Spirit will be all the stimulation that he needs, and will enable him to "turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God" so as to prepare a people for the Lord's coming (Luke 1.14-17). As he grows the 'hand of the Lord' is 'with him' (Luke 1.66; compare Psalm 89.21, Acts 11.21). This would remind Luke's readers of Elijah (1 Kings 18.46) and Ezekiel (1.3 and often), although the preposition here is different signifying a more permanent and less emphatic experience.
It is not, however, only on John that the Spirit comes. Luke seems at pains in his first chapters to stress the new activity of the Spirit. The coming age, the age of the Spirit, is dawning. Elizabeth (Luke 1.41) and Zechariah (1.67), his mother and father, are also "filled with Holy Spirit" and prophesy, while Simeon, an aged servant of God, is described as having Holy Spirit 'upon him' (Luke 2.25). Indeed the Spirit has revealed to Simeon that he will not die until he has seen the coming king (2.26), and when the baby Jesus is taken to the Temple in accordance with God's law, Simeon is 'inspired by the Spirit' to go there. It is stressed that he is righteous and devout, and looking for the consolation of Israel (2.25), as are Elizabeth and Zechariah (1.6) and a number of others in Jerusalem (1.38), including a godly prophetess (1.36-37).
Being "filled with the Holy Spirit" is a temporary experience for Elizabeth and Zechariah, enabling them to prophesy the once, while it is a permanent experience for John, the specially chosen instrument of God's purpose. The fact that he is filled with the Spirit from birth demonstrates that in him God had begun the new work of the Spirit by a Sovereign act.
The phrase "filled (Gk. pimplemi) with Holy Spirit" is clearly synonymous with the phrase "the Spirit of the Lord came upon --" in the Old Testament (e.g. Judges). There also it could be temporary or permanent, and was for those chosen out for special service, or for a special prophetic word.
This phrase is used in Acts in a similar way, thus identifying the experiences of Acts with those of the past. We shall see later that we must distinguish “being filled (pimplemi) with the Holy Spirit” which is for some, and “being filled (pleroo) and therefore full (pleres) of the Holy Spirit” which is for all, the latter being in mind in Ephesians 5.18.
John begins his preparatory ministry with great success. People flock to him from Jerusalem, Judaea and Galilee and he calls them to change their ways in readiness for one who will come. He makes it clear that he is only the preparer of the way. He has come to call men to turn from sin, and as a sign of of a changed heart, to be baptised (drenched) in water for the forgiveness of sins, but the greater one who is coming “will baptise (drench) you with Holy Spirit and with fire.” (Luke 3.16 cf.Matthew 3.11). The thought here is of comparison with the live giving rain and the fires of purification and judgment, two Old Testament themes. This will produce the harvest of wheat to be gathered in, while the fire will burn up the useless chaff.(Luke 3.17).
The baptism of John is a pictorial representation of this work of the life-giving Spirit, typical of the way Old Testament prophets would act out events they foresaw (see for example Jeremiah 13.1-7; 19). It is natural for modern man to see in baptism a symbol of cleansing but its principle significance is life-giving. The Old Testament ritual washings did not “cleanse”, they were preparatory only. After the washing it was constantly stated “they shall NOT be clean until the morning”, after they have spent time alone in their dwellings. When the Psalmist says “wash me and I will be whiter than snow” this is in parallel with “purge me with hyssop” and refers to cleansing with water which has been treated with sacrificial ashes, a different concept (Psalms 51.7 compare 2). The cleansing is through the blood sacrifice. (Compare Ezekiel 36.25 where the contrast is not with dirty water, but with water that has not been “cleansed”). Thus while the Holy Spirit has already been seen to be active to some extent, the “drenching with the Holy Spirit” of all believers in great measure awaits the coming of Jesus. This is in fulfilment of the promises of the prophets (Isaiah 32.15; 44.1-5; 55.10-13; Ezekiel 36.25-27).
Questions.
1. What are the significant signs that tell us that a new age is coming? 2. Do you think John’s experience of the Holy Spirit is different from that of his parents, and if so, how?
3. What do you consider to be the true significance of the baptism of John?
4. What are the similarities between the ministry of John and the future ministry of Jesus?
2) The Coming of the Promised King
Read Matthew 3.13 to 4.17; Luke 3.21-22; compare Mark 1.1-14
In a small town in Galilee lived a woman named Mary. She was married to Joseph who was of the royal line, descended from David, Israel’s greatest king.
The people of Israel lived in expectation that one day another David would come, inspired by the Spirit, who would deliver them from their enemies and set up his kingship under the rule of God, as their prophets had constantly promised (Isaiah.11.1-2).
One day Mary was shaken by the sudden appearance of a man, who spoke to her, saying -
We notice at once a phrase reminding us of the experiences of the Judges (in the Old Testament book of Judges), where “the Spirit of the Lord came upon ---” them.. Here this is in parallel with “the power of the Most High will overshadow you”, which is clearly saying a similar thing. (Putting similar statements in parallel was a regular feature of Hebrew verse). There is to be a special, supernatural work of God. Here then we see the Holy Spirit active in the birth of Jesus. His presence will be revealed in a creative act, the producing of a child through the virgin Mary.
There is no further specific reference to the Holy Spirit as Jesus grows up, although it is possible we are to see more than a hint of it in Luke 2.40. It is noteworthy that like us Jesus had to grow in wisdom and understanding, even questioning the great teachers in the Temple. Like us the fount of his knowledge was in the Scriptures.
When the time for the commencement of his public ministry draws near, Jesus comes to hear the preaching of John the Baptiser. It is not in his case an act of repentance, for John says to him, “I need to be baptised by you, do you come to me?” To this Jesus replies, “Allow it now, for we must fully perform what is right.” (Matthew 3.14-15). Noticethat Jesus says ‘we’, including John in the process, seeking to put him at ease in what is for John a difficult situation..
So Jesus goes down into the water to be baptised, and as he comes out “the Holy Spirit comes down on him in a bodily shape like a dove” (Luke 3.22 compare Matthew 3.16; Mark 1.10). At the same time a voice from Heaven says, “You are My son, My beloved, in whom I am well pleased.” This immediately links Jesus with the kings of Israel who were crowned with the words, “You are my son --” (Psalm 2.7) with the promise of worldwide rule. Thus he is depicted as the king who is coming, upon whom will rest the Spirit of the Lord (Isaiah 11.2) resulting in wisdom and understanding. The final part of the sentence links with Isaiah 42.1, the promise of a coming Servant of God who will have God’s Spirit upon him and proclaim God’s justice to the nations of the world. (The final destiny of this Servant is found in Isaiah 53). So Jesus is both King and Servant.
It is noteworthy that emphasis is placed on the fact that the Spirit comes out of Heaven. Jesus is not receiving the Spirit from John. It is possible that the ‘likeness of a dove’, a deliberately vague description, looks back to the return of the dove to Noah in the ark with an olive leaf in its mouth (Genesis 8.11). As then it was a promise of fruitfulness after a time of judgment. It may also be that the dove-likeness is to stress the peaceful nature of his coming, harmless as a dove (compare Matthew 10.16). It was important that the people realised that he had not come to raise up an army in rebellion, like self-proclaimed Messiahs before him.
John the Baptiser declares that God had promised him this sign of the Spirit coming upon him as a validation of the one who “will baptise with Holy Spirit” (John 1.33) and he therefore now feels safe to say, “This is the son of God” (1.34). At this stage the title probably identifies Jesus as the coming king, rather than as divine.
Jesus reception of the Spirit is elsewhere described as an “anointing” (Acts 10.38). He is the anointed (Messiah in Hebrew, Christos in Greek) king and prophet. All Israel’s kings were anointed with oil at their coronation, while we have the anointing of a prophet at the commencement of his ministry in 1 Kings 19.16. This was always a sign of becoming ‘God’s man’. (However there is little ground for suggesting that such an anointing with oil was the symbol of the Spirit, although the two occasionally went together (Elisha and Zerubbabel). It was not upon the priests that the Spirit came, but upon the prophets and elders).
The connection of this experience with his mission is brought out by the fact that it is the Spirit who now “drives” (Mark 1.12, the word is forceful) Jesus into the desert country to face up to the significance of his mission. How will he carry out the task of Christhood (Messiahship in Hebrew)? Will he perform miracles with food to “buy” popularity, will he throw himself from the top of the Temple and arrive on the ground safely thus proving his divine powers, or will he submit to the Devil’s way and accept the kingdom without a struggle by using his powers wrongly? These temptations clearly link with the the belief, popular at the time, that the coming “Christ” would give the people a magnificent banquet, and would descend from the pinnacle of the Temple.
Jesus rejects the temptations by referring to Scripture. To receive God’s word is more important than bread, it is not right to put God to the test, and it is God alone Whom he must serve. (Matthew 4.1-11; Luke 4.1-13.)
Having overcome temptation he returns “in the power of the Spirit” into Galilee to commence his ministry, teaching in the synagogues (the local Jewish ‘churches’). We are left in no doubt that the ministry of Jesus is a Spirit-inspired one.
Questions.
1. Why did Jesus need to be baptised?
2. What was the significance of the descent of the Holy Spirit?
3. What does this promise for the future for God’s people?
4. What different activities of the Spirit have we seen up to now?
The Holy Spirit in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke).
Read Luke 4. 14-44.
Jesus has begun his ministry in the power of the Spirit (Luke 4.14) and he immediately proclaims himself to be the prophet on whom the Spirit of the Lord rests as promised in Isaiah 61.1-2 (Luke 4.18-20). “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because He has anointed me to proclaim the good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are bruised and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”.
Luke brings out how exactly Jesus is carrying out this ministry of the great prophet. He teaches the people with authority (4.32), he releases the captives of the demons (4.33-36), he delivers those oppressed with diseases (4.38-40) and he proclaims the good news of the kingdom (4.43 compare Matthew 11.4-6).
We are certainly intended to see in this the idea that Jesus ministry is carried on in the power of the Spirit from now on, but in the Synoptics there is little further mention of the Spirit, with one important exception..
In Matthew 12.18 reference is made to Jesus as the Servant of God of Isaiah 42.1-3 on whom God puts His Spirit for the purposes of his ministry, and this is followed by an incident in which the Pharisees mutter to each other that he casts out devils because of his relationship with the prince of devils. Jesus knows what they are thinking and points out that any kingdom in which there is inner conflict will destroy itself, and every city or house which torn by division will not be able to stand firm against an enemy. If Satan is now casting out Satan, how can he hope to be successful? Jesus then adds, “But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the Rule of God has arrived among you.” (Matthew 12.28). By the Spirit of God he is able to “enter the strong man’s house and bind the strong man, so that he can then ransack his house”(v29). Thus, in the light of this, to deny that he is God’s messenger is to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit because it signifies a deliberate closing of the mind to obvious truth, a speaking against the Holy Spirit which puts men beyond forgiveness (Matthew 12.31-32 and parallels). (This is not a sin easily committed. We are not in a position of seeing Jesus ultimate demonstration of power.)
When he rejoices over the fact that God has revealed His truths to the lowly, he rejoices “in Spirit” (Luke 10.21). We are probably justified in seeing here the idea of the joy-giving work of the Spirit (Ephesians 5.18-19). He also promises his disciples that when they are dragged before accusing judges the Holy Spirit will teach them what to say (Luke 12.12; compare Matthew 10.20).
So the activities of the Spirit are many and varied.
Luke especially lays great stress on the fact that Jesus is the great expected prophet, the Servant of the Lord. Luke 4.18 quotes Isaiah 61.1-2, Luke 9.35 reflects Isaiah 50.7 and Luke 22.37 identifies Jesus with Isaiah 53.12. He emphasises that the people see Jesus as a prophet 7.39; 9.8; 9.19 and that Jesus takes the title to himself (4.24; 13.33).
Thus when two of his followers are describing his work after his death, but in the time of gloom before the resurrection, they declare they are talking “about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people” (Luke 24.19).
Questions.
1. How do we know that Jesus was seen as the coming Servant of God? What does this tell us about his ministry?
2. What would you say was expected of the coming prophet? Did Jesus fulfil this role?
3. How does Matthew 12 bring out the power of the Spirit in the ministry of Jesus?
4. What other activity of the Spirit is found in the Synoptic Gospels?
If so please EMail us with your question and we will do our best to give you a satisfactory answer.EMailus.
FREE Scholarly verse by verse commentaries on the Bible.
GENESIS ---EXODUS--- LEVITICUS 1.1-7.38 --- 8.1-11.47 --- 12.1-16.34--- 17.1-27.34--- NUMBERS 1-10--- 11-19--- 20-36--- DEUTERONOMY 1.1-4.44 --- 4.45-11.32 --- 12.1-29.1--- 29.2-34.12 --- THE BOOK OF JOSHUA --- THE BOOK OF JUDGES --- PSALMS 1-17--- ECCLESIASTES --- ISAIAH 1-5 --- 6-12 --- 13-23 --- 24-27 --- 28-35 --- 36-39 --- 40-48 --- 49-55--- 56-66--- EZEKIEL --- DANIEL 1-7 ---DANIEL 8-12 ---
NAHUM--- HABAKKUK---ZEPHANIAH ---ZECHARIAH --- THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW ---THE GOSPEL OF MARK--- THE GOSPEL OF LUKE --- THE GOSPEL OF JOHN --- THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES --- 1 CORINTHIANS 1-7 --- 8-16 --- 2 CORINTHIANS 1-7 --- 8-13 -- -GALATIANS --- EPHESIANS --- COLOSSIANS --- 1 THESSALONIANS --- 2 THESSALONIANS --- 1 TIMOTHY --- 2 TIMOTHY --- TITUS --- HEBREWS 1-6 --- 7-10 --- 11-13 --- JAMES --- JOHN'S LETTERS --- REVELATION
--- THE GOSPELS
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