You yourselves have obviously taken note of the dynamic of this conversation, sweeping throughout Judea; having begun in Galilee after John proclaimed Jesus (as the Lamb of God) and baptized him. 38 And how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth in Holy Spirit and power. Everywhere he went, his work continually declares the goodness of God; healing everyone who was oppressed by the devil; he is Emmanuel – God, present in human form!
— Acts 10:37-38 (Mirror Bible)
Why did God have to anoint Jesus with the Holy Spirit and with power if he had divine attributes on earth as a human? I never really thought about that before. I just took at face value that because he was God he had an edge on me, not questioning.
When the Holy Spirit came down upon him like a dove as he came up out of the water (Mark 1:10), he was being empowered and anointed as a human being to do mighty works on earth.
Now I see that Jesus had to be baptized and anointed because he was human.
This means that Jesus had to use his faith to believe God for miracles just as we do. It was a new thought to me. Jesus wanted to show you and me how he allowed the Holy Spirit to work through him. Being a real human as I am, he had to make choices to trust and believe his Father in challenging situations. This gives me confidence to do the same thing.
As a man, Jesus had a choice to believe His Father or not believe Him. If he is as me and I am as he, then I, too, can look to the Father and make right choices just as he did. Jesus did not use any divine qualities to perform miracles. He did exactly what he tells you and me to do which is to believe in the Father’s love, goodness and willingness to take care of the need.
Jesus had emotions and feelings the same as you and I do. He had moments of worry, fear, doubt, unbelief, condemnation, rejection, stress, anger etc. Those feelings affected him just as they affect us. BUT he overcame them by looking to the Rock, his Father, and remembering how good He is.
Seeing Jesus’ humanity does not make him any less God. Knowing that he loves you and me enough to give up those divine qualities makes my heart sweep with love for him.
He willingly lay aside his divineness so he could take our place on the cross, legally. He made right choices showing us that we can make them, too. He lived a perfect life as mankind. Therefore, he had the right to be our sacrifice and exchange places with us on the cross.
There is no god like our God! Other gods demand that we sacrifice. Jesus stooped down to our level by becoming a true human being. He became your sacrifice by exchanging his life for your life.
What a tremendous encouragement knowing that we can believe God as Jesus did. We have the same Holy Spirit living in us. Romans 8:11 and Ephesians 1:19-20 says the same Holy Spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives in you and me. So embrace his faith – the faith of the Son of man. God has equipped you as He equipped Jesus in the flesh!
Seeing Jesus as fully human, suddenly makes all the promises within my reach!
“He entered my darkness as Everlasting Light.”
God Defeated The Enemy Legally