“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek.” Isaiah 61:1
Dear Ones:
When the Lord Jesus was twelve years old, His parents took Him with them to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. Upon embarking upon the return voyage, His parents inadvertently left Him in Jerusalem, thinking that He was with the “company,” or group of worshipers, who were returning to their homes. After searching for Him three days, they found Him in the temple in Jerusalem, “sitting in the midst of the doctors (teachers), both hearing them, and asking them questions.” (Luke 2:46) When His parents found Him, his mother asked Him this question: “Son, why have you thus dealt with us?” His answer in part was this: “Did you not know that I MUST be about My Father’s business?” (v.49) There was no rebellion here against their authority, as He complied and went with them. But what is so very important to see is the “bent” of His desire, and the firmness and clarity of His conviction. Over eighteen years later, after Jesus had begun His ministry, He would address the disciples, saying: “You are not of this world.” (Jn.15:19) In declaring this, He not only would emphasize that HE Himself was not of this world, but that, all who truly follow Him do not belong to this world. Theirs is a high calling, beyond that which is “of this world,” a Divine calling from a different “world,” heaven itself, from the very throne of God. From a very young age, the Lord Jesus KNEW that His calling was primarily to the loving relationship with His Heavenly Father, and in that perspective He would live and die. Where did such knowledge of His calling and empowering come from? It was by the revelation of the Spirit, from the moment of His birth to the point of His death. How does this apply to us?
In Isaiah’s description of the anointing of the Lord Jesus with and by the Spirit, we discover that ALL depended upon the Father for the realization of Christ’s calling, and the accomplishment of His will. As the Lord would explain to those of His day on earth, He did not come of His “own” accord or design, but by the revealed will of the Father. He would do ONLY those things that He saw the Father doing. There would come a day, that of His baptism in the river Jordan, that the anointing of the Spirit would come to enable Him to accomplish the ministry before Him. The believer, or follower of Christ, is also born of the Spirit. His calling is conformable to that of His Master. His highest calling is to fellowship with the Father, as was that of Christ. It is only possible BY the Spirit. With every sphere of endeavor in the will of God, the anointing of God has been given, in order to accomplish it. The believer HAS an anointing. (1 Jn. 2:27) It is the believer’s responsibility to BELIEVE it, act and count wholly upon it, as he pursues seeking first the kingdom of God, doing His will. It is important to note that every believer is different from every other believer, hence, the will of God for each is different, according to the calling, but also, according to the gifts God has given to each. What remains fundamentally the same is the same imperative: “We must be about our Father’s business.”
Dear Father, teach us to number our days, that we might resolutely be committed to use well the opportunity You have given us, to love and serve You, each according to Your calling. Grant us grace to BE about our Father’s business, and this, by the Spirit. Then, there will be the accomplishment of Your will and purpose, and Your name will be truly glorified. We thank and praise Thee, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad