April 30 I Tuesday

1 Kings 8-9

Luke 21:1-19

“The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—and He will delight in the fear of the Lord.” —Isaiah 11:2-3

There is more revelation of Jesus Christ in the book of Isaiah than any other Old Testament prophet. In the early chapters of Isaiah, he gives us a little paper trail of the coming of the Messiah. In 7:14, he says, “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” In 9:6, he says, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.” In 11:2, “The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him…” Within these verses are three major pointers concerning Christ. Who is He? Immanuel, meaning “God with us.” What does He do? “The government will be on His shoulders.” How does He do it? “The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him.”

Jesus was not simply God disguised as a man but a real man who grew in stature and wisdom and in favour with God and men. Paul describes Him in 1 Corinthians 15:47 as “the second man” and then as the “last Adam.” When God created Adam, His intention was that humanity would live in union with Him, indwelt by His Spirit, but God withdrew His Spirit when Adam and Eve sinned. Jesus, as the second man, was radically different. John 1:4 says of Him, “In Him was...the light of all mankind.” In Jesus was the essential quality Adam lost—spiritual life, and it is this life that is the light of humankind.

When we look at what Isaiah sees as the Spirit of the Lord resting upon Christ, we are looking at what is intended to be true for those of us who have been reconciled to God and indwelt by His Spirit. The work of the Spirit in the life of Jesus as a man on earth is the work of the Spirit in our lives, conforming us into the people we were designed to be. In Jesus Christ, we see the model of true humanity.  

The Holy Spirit’s work in Jesus was not designed to put His head into the clouds but to put His feet on the ground of a broken world. This is the purpose of the Holy Spirit’s work in every Christian—not simply to bless us, but to make us a blessing. Isaiah looks to the ultimate future, seeing that the work of God in the life of Christ and in redeemed humanity will continue throughout this era of fallen creation until the day when Christ’s righteousness, justice and faithfulness will be vindicated and the whole world recognizes who Jesus Christ is.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the life Jesus lived on earth, teaching us that it is Your Spirit within us that enables us to live the Christian life. Help me to live in dependence on that. Thank You, Lord.