Islington Baptist Church
December 9, 2001
Isaiah 11:1-9
Scriptures: Luke 10, Jeremiah 33, Psalm 89,
Isaiah 10, I Corinthians 12:1-11
Jesus in the book of Isaiah
As you know, Isaiah is filled with references and allusions to Jesus Christ. 700 years before Jesus came down to the earth from Heaven Isaiah was writing and preaching about Jesus, his person, and the ministry that he was going to have.
Today we are going to study Isaiah 11:1-9, which is a passage that is all about Jesus. In particular our focus is going to be Isaiah 11:2 which concerns the Holy Spirit’s involvement or role in the ministry and life of Christ. READ PASSAGE
I. A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF OUR TEXT AS A WHOLE
The setting or background for this passage is as follows. The Assyrians had been brought by God upon the Israelites for their many sins against Him. They came as God’s instruments of judgment, laying waste to the people and to the land, destroying all that was in their path. However, of their own accord went far beyond God’s intended purposes. In chapter 10 of Isaiah, Isaiah encourages his fellow countrymen by telling them of the impending judgement of God that was going to come upon the Assyrians for their sins and cruelties. For their sins against God they, the Assyrians were going to be destroyed.
In picturing their coming destruction Isaiah likened the Assyrians as being great trees that God in a great display of power and wrath would chop down, never to rise or sprout again.
Over against this picture of the Assyrians as great trees being cut down never to rise or sprout again is Isaiah 11:1 which says “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit”
The wondrous news of v.1 is this: the line from which all the Davidic kings had come was going to sprout again. Israel was going to be restored. There would be another Davidic king.
Isaiah 11:1-9 as a whole concerns the coming of a future ruler and king from the humbled stump and line of Jesse/ David.
In relation to this our text does 5 things
1. Emphasizes God’s faithfulness to his promises
Isaiah 11:1 concerns God keeping his unconditional promise to David, (the promise that his throne would be established forever and that a King would sit on his throne forever). King Jesus is God’s final answer to his promise
2. Highlights the coming King’s or ruler’s humble beginnings: AKA: King Jesus’ humble and quiet beginnings
3. Details the role of the Holy Spirit in the life and ministry of this anticipated king or ruler (Jesus Christ)
4. Portrays the anticipated king/ ruler/ Jesus as a perfect ruler and king. (for he aids the poor and downtrodden and deals in most definite ways with those who are wicked)
5. Pictures the effects of this coming ruler and king/ Jesus as resulting in the state of the world being like Eden was before the Fall of mankind.
II. THE ROLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN JESUS’ LIFE AND MINISTRY v.2
A few weeks ago we did a great study in Isaiah 61:1-3. Verse 1 of Isaiah 61 begins in this way “The Spirit of the LORD God is on me”.
As you and I have studied these various passages in the book of Isaiah that concern Jesus Christ we have seen that the Holy Spirit held a prominent place in Jesus’ life and ministry.
Jesus’ ministry, which started at his baptism by John the Baptist, was a Spirit led, Spirit directed, Spirit empowered ministry. When Jesus spoke it was by the Holy Spirit’s direction and leading. When he healed or cast out demons it was by the Holy Spirit. Even his movements from place to place were directed by the Holy Spirit. All of these facts have a direct bearing on our lives as Christians because the same Holy Spirit who was upon Christ, indwells us.
Here in today’s text we again are brought face to face with the role and place of the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ life and ministry. In particular 6 workings of the Spirit in the life of Jesus are anticipated and spoken of.
Read v.2 again….
The 6 workings of the Spirit in the life and ministry of Christ.
1. Endow him with Wisdom
A result of the Spirit’s infilling of Christ was going to be this: he was going to be wise.
As you and I have had time to consider the life and ministry of Christ one of the things that stands out is Jesus’ wisdom. In all respects he was a wise man- far wiser than the Bible’s other wise man King Solomon.
Wisdom is something that is expressed. It stems from knowing what is right but culminates in doing what is right and the right time.
I personally find wisdom easy to recognize but somewhat harder to define.
In essence wisdom concerns knowing the right thing that must be done and then doing it. Wisdom has much to do with application and action.
King Solomon is a man who stands out in the scriptures as a wise man. The source of his wisdom was God. King Solomon had great insight into things and great knowledge—but it went beyond that for he applied his God given knowledge, understanding, and insights: hence he was wise and acted wisely
In our lives, in we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, wise living is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
Of course it must be noted that what God considers wise the world considers foolish. There is a big difference between God’s wisdom and the worlds wisdom.
2. Give him Understanding
Another anticipated facet of the Spirit’s work in Christ’s life concerns the whole area of understanding. A person who understands something is a person who comprehends or intellectually grasps the thing at hand.
Without a doubt in Jesus’ life and ministry, he was a man of great understanding (scriptures, times, people and their hearts, etc)
In our lives one of the fruits of the Spirit’s work is our comprehending the scriptures, the times, etc. One of the works of the Holy Spirit in our lives is to illuminate our minds that we might gain understanding. We cannot properly apprehend the truth’s of God’s word without the work of the Holy Spirit.
3. Serve as his Counselor “The Spirit of Counsel”:
-concerning what one ought to do or say
The Spirit was Jesus’ counselor, evidenced for example in his leading of Christ. The scriptures never portray Jesus asking men their advice (it’s a good thing for us to do—but Jesus never did). Rather, he spent much time in prayer with his Father, he listened to the voice of the Holy Spirit.
To the disciples Jesus promised who? The Holy Spirit, in John 14,16 there called the Counselor.
We need to listen to the counsel of the Holy Spirit in our lives—the fruit of such is wise and righteous living.
4. Empower him: Spirit of power: this concerns the strength to do and act
One of the things we are very aware of is Christ’s power and authority. In Acts 10:37-38 it says “You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached- how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.” (see also Luke 4:14,36; 5:17)
Jesus healed the sick, the lame, the blind. He raised dead people. He cast out demons. He did such things by the power of the Holy Spirit.
To us power has been given. Not our own power, but the power of the Holy Spirit to be exercised in the name of Jesus.
The power of the Spirit that is ours in Christ is something that we seem to have a hard time grasping. Yet the scriptures are clear: the Spirit of power is upon us—for the same Holy Spirit who indwelt Christ indwells us.
Consider these scriptures:
II Timothy 1:7 says “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self discipline”
Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you…”
Acts 6:8 “Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people.”
How did he do these things: not by his own power but in Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him” (see Acts 3:11ff)
Luke 9:1 “When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick”
Here’s a question: what is wrong with us? It seems and I include myself in this diagnosis that we suffer from a great lack of faith in the power of Jesus and his name. It also seems that we are to a degree guilty of quenching the work of the Holy Spirit—for every time we say “God doesn’t work like that anymore” we deny the teachings of the scriptures and limit by our lack of faith the powerful workings of God in our midst.
I hope that the result of our considering the Holy Spirit and the power that Christ had because of him-- and by extension that we have because the same Holy Spirit indwells us is this: 1. We exercise more faith in Jesus Christ, fearing not to ask for healing, miracles, other manifestations of the power of God. 2. We believe more deeply that indeed nothing is impossible for God.
4. Lead him into/ Give him/ endow him with Knowledge :
-the Spirit of knowledge: which is all about knowing
Another anticipated action of the Holy Spirit in the life of the future king that Isaiah speaks of in this text is this: The Holy Spirit will endow him with knowledge
A few weeks ago we considered Isaiah 50:4 which says of Christ “He has given me an instructed tongue”
How did Jesus come to know all that he did? Where did his knowledge and his teachings come from? From the LORD God by the agency of the Holy Spirit.
Remember what the Pharisees asked “Where did this man get these teachings?” We know. He got his teachings and his knowledge from the LORD God by the agency of the Holy Spirit.
In our lives one of the continuing works of the Holy Spirit is to give us knowledge. One phrase the NT scriptures use is this “a word of knowledge”. I Corinthians 13:2 it says “If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and knowledge….”
Unfortunately I cannot comment any further at this time regarding this –under prepared to discuss this point.
6. Uphold him in the fear of the LORD
The 6 work of the Holy Spirit that Isaiah anticipates for the coming King from the stump of Jesse is this: He will fear the LORD.
To fear the Lord means to give God his proper due. To fear the Lord means to reverence God and to worship him. Evidence of one fearing the Lord is their obeying him.
As we all know Jesus gave God the glory. Jesus honored his Father and in fact praised him. Jesus walked in joyful and willing obedience unto God the Father.
Note with me v.3a. which says “He will delight in the fear of the LORD”
One of the fruits of the Spirit in our lives is this: our delighting in the fear of the LORD
One of the evidences that the Holy Spirit is controlling us is that we have a heart and an attitude that delights in obeying God, worshiping God, and in treating him with the respect and dignity he is worthy of.
When we consider following God a burden. When we consider keeping God’s standards a chore or keep his ways with a grudging spirit. When we silently say “It is futile to serve the Lord”--- it all points to this: our delight is not in fearing the LORD. It also points to the fact that a big spiritual battle is going on in our lives and we are fighting against the work of the Holy Spirit.
Sometimes the song is sung “There is joy in serving Jesus”. There is when enthroning him in our lives is a priority to us. Otherwise serving Jesus and God is not the delight that it should be.
In working this out in our lives the Spirit takes us from a state of grudging disobedience to a state of joyful obedience. He changes our attitudes and attitudes—taking us from saying “I don’t want to do that” to say “My hearts desire is to do that”. In our lives I think all of us can identify with this. “I don’t want to….” “My body is doing it but my heart isn’t in it”. The work of the Holy Spirit is to change us.
One of the wondrous works of the Spirit in our lives is this: we take joy, we delight in serving and fearing God.
CONCLUSION
Today we have considered 2 things
1. I presented you with a brief outline of our text as a whole: this text concerns the coming of a king- king Jesus.
2. We have looked at the 6 anticipated aspects of the Holy Spirit’s work in Christ’s ministry which are as follows:
a. Endowing Christ with wisdom
b. Giving Christ understanding
c. Acting as a counselor to Christ
d. Endowing Christ with power
e. Endowing Christ with knowledge
f. Upholding Jesus in respect to his delighting in the fear of the LORD
The scriptures bear testimony to each of these things in the life of Christ.
As ones indwelt by the same Holy Spirit we ought to be anticipating and seeing the same sort of workings of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
-Because of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives we indeed do become wise
-Because of the Holy Spirit’s illuminating work in our hearts and minds we have and can have understanding of his word, ways, the times
-The Holy Spirit is our counselor. We ought to listen to his voice
-We have been given the Spirit of power, the scriptures call is for us to step out in faith in the name of Christ
-Knowledge and the giving of it is a continuing work of the Holy Spirit today
-the goal and work of the Holy Spirit in our lives is that we might pay God his proper respects and delight in serving him and in the fear of him.
In Galatians 5:22-23 it says “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.”
What is drawn for us in Galatians 5 is beautiful word picture that illustrates the effects of the Holy Spirit in a persons life. The fruit of the Spirit is also: wisdom, knowledge, power, understanding, the fear of the LORD.
