International Church of Bishkek
  • Home
  • Resources
    • Sermon Blog
    • ICB on YouTube
  • ICB Staff
  • Visit Us
  • Contact Us

Second Look: How Jesus Walked

31/8/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
photo by Laura Evans

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.
Luke 4:18 ESV

Dear ICB family,

Luke records that the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus at his baptism (3:22). Then Luke 4:1 says that Jesus, "full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil." The Spirit appears twice in one verse. That must be important.

After his temptation in the wilderness, "Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee…. And he taught in their synagogues" (Luke 4:14–15). 

And then, when Jesus comes to his hometown and opens the scroll of Isaiah to announce his agenda, literally the first words out of his mouth are "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me" (Luke 4:18).

Jesus was full of the Spirit, was led by the Spirit, and worked in the power of the Spirit, and when it came time to declare publicly what he was up to, the very first thing he acknowledged was that the Spirit was upon him, anointing him to carry out his work.

Let's see now. Being full of the Spirit. Being led by the Spirit. Working in the power of the Spirit. Having the Spirit upon you. Sound familiar?

Just a few weeks ago Pastor Neil called our attention to Paul's various statements about the Spirit in Galatians 5. There Paul says we are to walk with the Spirit (v. 16), be led by the Spirit (v. 18), bear the fruit of the Spirit (v. 22), live in the Spirit (v. 22), and march in step with the Spirit (v. 25).
​
Jesus walked his entire life in step with the same Spirit with whom Paul calls us to walk today.

​It should come as no surprise, then, to find that that is exactly what Jesus himself did. Once the Spirit descended upon Jesus at his baptism, it was that Spirit who anointed (and empowered and led) Jesus to carry out the mission that the Father had entrusted to him. And this is the very same Spirit who leads, walks with, anoints, and empowers us. The fruit that grew in the life of Jesus was produced by the same Spirit tending the soil of our hearts. Jesus walked his entire life in step with the same Spirit with whom Paul calls us to walk today.

It won't be easy. Walk in step with the Spirit and you're liable to find yourself alone in a desert subjected to intense Satanic attack. Or you might find yourself saying things that make people in your hometown want to throw you off a cliff. But if the Spirit is upon you and has anointed you? If it's his power by which you work? If it's the Spirit who fills you and leads you? 

The presence of the Spirit of God in our lives is our great privilege as New Testament saints. And he is as real in our lives as he was in Jesus' life. So following Jesus, our example, let's be led by the Spirit, let's be filled by the Spirit, and let's allow him to anoint and empower us to do the work that he has called us to do.

Longing for more of God's Spirit,

Eric
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    January 2023
    September 2022
    May 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012

    Categories

    All
    1 Peter
    1 Thessalonians
    Acts Ch. 13 To 28
    Acts Ch. 1 To 12
    Advent 2013
    Announcements
    Easter 2014
    Ephesians
    Fruit Of The Spirit
    Habits Of Prayer Jan2016
    Hebrews
    Hosea
    Isaiah Series
    John
    John Part2
    Jonah
    Malachi
    Micah
    Psalms Of Ascents
    Psalms Summer 2016
    Psalms - Summer 2016
    Revelation
    SALUTATION
    Second Look
    Spiritual Disciplines
    Study Helps

    RSS Feed

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16 NIV).
  • Home
  • Resources
    • Sermon Blog
    • ICB on YouTube
  • ICB Staff
  • Visit Us
  • Contact Us