Written and compiled by Gary Kukis

This is originally lesson #326 in the Basic Exegesis Series (HTML) (PDF) (WPD) and will become a part of Genesis 28 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD).

Preface:   For many years, we have heard the insipid question, what would Jesus do, posed by believers and unbelievers alike. What Jesus did during His public ministry was multi-faceted, and few Christians fully appreciate the complexity of this. Historically speaking, most theologians and learned believers understood that Jesus is the Messiah, and that He came to the Jewish people as their Messiah. Most theologians and learned believers understood that He kept the Law perfectly (as well as perfectly explained the Law) and that He fulfilled all the Old Testament prophecies concerning Himself. However, Jesus also fulfilled the typology of the Old Testament, something which was not fully developed theologically until Finis Jennings Dake (1902–1987) recognized it and wrote about it. And one of the things which Jesus did was, He was the model for our spiritual lives. He revealed in His Own life the spiritual life for the believer today during the Church Age. As the one who developed this doctrine, R. B. Thieme, Jr. explained, our Lord test-drove the spiritual life for us. These general concepts have certainly been around since the Apostle Paul originally wrote about them, but they have become more fully developed in the past two centuries.

If you would like to further explore some of the topics referrenced above, see What Jesus Accomplished in His Public Ministry (below) which contains links to most of these topics.

1.     Jesus Christ test-drove the Christian life. We look to Him as our example. This is the fundamental concept that we will be studying.

2.     This understanding is a little tricky because Jesus Christ, as the Messiah, fulfilled all Old Testament requirements and prophecies. The 1^st Advent of Jesus Christ is the Jewish Age; it is not the Church Age. Even if we understand His 1^st Advent to be the Advent of the Hypostatic Union (a very short dispensation indeed), He is still adhering to the requirements of the Mosaic Law and fulfilling all of the Old Testament prophecies and Old Testament typology (Jesus fulfilled Old Testament typology before we knew what it was).

3.     However, at the same time, Jesus provides us the model for the Christian life.

4.     There are two fundamental principles of the Christian life that we learn from Jesus Christ: the power of God the Holy Spirit and the power of God’s holy Word.

5.     Over and over again, the Bible tells us of Jesus Christ being empowered by the Holy Spirit.

        1)     Isaiah prophesies in Isa. 11:1–2 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. There is even a play on words here, which draws attention to what is being said. The Spirit is rûwach (רוּחַ) [pronounced ROO-ahkh], and what the Spirit does is: nûwach (נוּחַ) [pronounced NOO-ahkh] upon Him. Nûwach means rest, cause to rest, to be at rest, set down, lay down, deposit, leave. Strong’s #5117 (and #3240) BDB #628. See also Matt. 12:18 Luke 4:18 where this is acknowledged to be about Jesus Christ.

        2)     Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Matt. 1:18

        3)     Jesus grew spiritually in His humanity. Luke 1:80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and He was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

        4)     When Jesus was baptized by John, the Spirit descended upon Him. Matt. 3:16 Luke 3:22

        5)     Jesus was led by the Spirit. Matt. 4:1 Mark 1:12 Luke 4:1

        6)     Jesus was empowered by the Spirit. Luke 4:14

        7)     Jesus cast out demons by the power of the Spirit. Matt. 12:28

        8)     Although Jesus is fully God, He did not use the power of His Deity during the 1^st Advent; He relied upon the power of God the Holy Spirit instead. You may recall one of the temptations laid before Him by Satan: “Cast Yourself down and God’s angels will catch You.” As the Creator of the Universe, Jesus had power over His creation. He could have easily cast Himself down without any harm. However, that was outside of God’s plan; and He would have been relying on His Deity; or He would have been relying on the intervention of angels. We read in Philip. 2:6–8 He existed in the form of God [i.e., He shared God’s very nature], but did not consider [remaining] equal with God something [to continue] to hold onto. Instead, He gave up what He had and took on the form [i.e., the nature] of a slave, becoming like a man, [and even] His appearance was found to be like a man’s. He humbled Himself [by] becoming obedient [to God] to the point of death, even death on a cross. (AUN–NT) He accepted His form as a man and relied completely upon the power of God the Holy Spirit, the same power He has given to us.

6.     Jesus promised His Spirit to His disciples.

        1)     When they were persecuted and had to speak, Jesus told them that God would speak through them through the Holy Spirit. Matt. 10:20 Mark 13:11

        2)     Jesus told His disciples that the only need ask for the Holy Spirit. Luke 11:13

        3)     John the Baptizer promised that Jesus would baptized His people with the Holy Spirit. Mark 1:8

        4)     Before He was taken up into the 3^rd heaven, God again promised the Holy Spirit to His disciples. Acts 1:8

7.     Just as the birth of Jesus involved the Holy Spirit, so we are reborn by God the Holy Spirit. John 3:5–8 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again [or, from above].' The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." The wind is often symbolic of the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit that gives life. John 6:63

8.     We call this birth by the Holy Spirit as being born again or being regenerated. John 3:7 Titus 3:5 1Peter 1:23

9.     The disciples would be able to recall all the Jesus taught them by means of the Holy Spirit. John 14:26

10.   God gives the Spirit without measure in John 3:34. Although, in context, this applies to Jesus Christ; this is also the promise to us as believers in Christ.

11.   As believers, our worship of God must be in Spirit and in truth (= Bible doctrine). This is the key to the entire spiritual life of the believer. John 4:24

12.   The ministry of the Holy Spirit to the early church:

        1)     After Jesus was crucified and resurrected, He gave the Holy Spirit to His disciples to carry them through to the day of Pentecost. John 20:22

        2)     On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit would be given to the disciples, and, through them, to all believers in the Church Age. Acts 2:1–18, 38

        3)     However, the focus was to be on the saving work of Jesus Christ, not upon the power of God the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:21–41

        4)     The early Apostles were filled with God the Holy Spirit. Acts 4:8, 31 6:3, 5 7:55

        5)     The Holy Spirit is given to those who obey God—which comes from exercising faith in Jesus Christ. Acts 5:29–32

        6)     Much of the book of Acts involves finding those who have trusted in the true God, indicating to them that their faith needs to be in Christ Jesus, and afterward, the Holy Spirit is given to them. Acts 19:2, 6

        7)     The early disciples were shown to clearly have the Spirit of God because they manifested various sign gifts. Once their authority was established, their words became authoritative; after which, their writings became authoritative.

        8)     For new converts, the Holy Spirit was given simultaneous to their faith. After the time period of the book of Acts, there was not a group of people wandering about who believed in Jesus Christ, but had not yet received the Holy Spirit. That is, there was not two classifications of Christians—those who received the Holy Spirit and those who believed in Jesus but did not yet get the Spirit. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--Jews or Greeks, slaves or free--and all were made to drink of one Spirit. (1Cor. 12:13)

13.   The Holy Spirit is given to all believers.

        1)     Once Jesus is glorified, then the Holy Spirit would be given to all believers. John 7:37–39 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'" Now this He said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

        2)     The Holy Spirit would guide Jesus’ disciples into all truth; and, by application, this is the same promise made to us. John 16:13 When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth, for He will not speak on His Own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare to you the things that are to come.

        3)     The carnal Corinthians have the Holy Spirit.

                 (1)    Of all the churches referred to in the New Testament, the Corinthian church appeared to have the most problems.

                 (2)    Paul talks about how he still needs to give them milk (basic doctrine) when they ought to be eating meat. 1Cor. 3:2

                 (3)    Yet Paul speaks of the Spirit searching all things, and how the thoughts of God can only be known by the Spirit of God (1Cor. 2:10–11). Then Paul writes: Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit Who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. (1Cor. 2:12)

                 (4)    Paul tells these carnal Corinthians that the Spirit of God dwells in them. 1Cor. 3:16

                 (5)    Paul tells them: ...you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1Cor. 6:11)

                 (6)    He tells them that their bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit in 1Cor. 6:19.

                 (7)    Paul sarcastically tells the Corinthians I too have the Spirit of God in 1Cor. 7:40 (some of them arrogantly thought that they had a greater spiritual understanding than Paul).

                 (8)    In 1Cor. 12, Paul speaks of the gifts of the Corinthians and how they have the various gifts and that these gifts are bestowed by the Holy Spirit.

                 (9)    Paul then writes: For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--Jews or Greeks, slaves or free--and all were made to drink of one Spirit. (1Cor. 12:13)

                 (10)  Throughout both epistles to the Corinthians, Paul never says, “You know, what might be your problem is, some of you never got the Spirit.” If there were two classes of Christians—this with and those without the Holy Spirit—then don’t you think that Paul would have figured that this might be the problem with many of the Corinthians?

                 (11)  The Corinthians have one problem with God the Holy Spirit, and that is that they are often in carnality, and therefore, quenching the Spirit (1Thess. 5:19). Before eating the bread or drinking the cup of communion, Paul tells these Corinthians to examine themselves (for sin) and to judge this sin in themselves. But if we [had] examined ourselves [properly], we would not be [i.e., not have been] judged [i.e., with sickness and death. See verse 30]. (1Cor. 11:31; AUV–NT) So it is the end of 1Cor. 11 which tells us the problem that the Corinthians faced—they had the Holy Spirit, but they were carnal. Paul tells them here that they deal with that by judging themselves. John presents the same concept in 1John 1:9 that we confess (name) our sins to God.

14.   Therefore, throughout the New Testament, we are urged to follow the example of Jesus Christ:

        1)     Peter mandates: But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2Peter 3:18a) This is again based upon the model of Jesus Christ, Who also experienced spiritual growth in His humanity: And Jesus kept advancing in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and people. (Luke 2:52; ALT)

        2)     Whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked. (1John 2:6) We have discussed in this doctrine how Jesus walked.

        3)     For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps. (1Peter 2:21; ESV; capitalized)

        4)      Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Eph. 5:1–2; ESV; capitalized) The phrase in love is actually a technical phrase referring to being filled with the Spirit.

        5)     See also John 13:15 Gal. 3:27 Philip. 2:5.

15.   There is one difference regarding the Spirit between Jesus and us. Jesus did not sin, so He did not confess any sin. He always had the Spirit of God and was always empowered by the Spirit of God throughout His brief public ministry. We have the same Spirit; we simply need to acknowledge our sins when we sin, so that we are filled with (that is, empowered by) the Spirit once again. 1Cor. 11:31 Eph. 5:18 1John 1:9