Epiphany: The Lord’s Anointing

January 6, 2002, Dr. Joseph B. Fuiten

Remember the Prayer cards.

Water Baptism tonight, plus anointing at the altar.

This past week we got our conditional use permit for the new High School.

Today we are launching our newest church, The Chapel at Cedar Park.

Blessing the Businesses in a couple of weeks. Put your business card in the offering.

Scripture Reading: John 1:24-34 Page 750

24 Now some Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"26 "I baptize with water," John replied, "but among you stands one you do not know.27 He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie."28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel."32 Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him.33 I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.'34 I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."

There are some very important truths in this Scripture—virtually the whole Gospel.

1. V-29 Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away sin.

2. V-30 Jesus was before John, even though Jesus was born six months after John. Jesus had an existence before he was born.

3. V-33 Jesus is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.

4. V-34 John testifies that Jesus is the Son of God.

It is very instructive to consider the Apostle John’s perspective on the Spirit event by the Jordan. The Gospel of John completely leaves out the water baptism by John. There is no mention of it at all. Rather, he emphasizes the Spirit coming down:

I saw the Spirit come down from Heaven as a dove and remain on him. I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘the man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’[1]

If we consider the Apostle John’s emphasis, which leaves out the water baptism, we would have to conclude that the Spirit event was the central event. Further, God had spoken to the Baptist that he would see the Spirit come down and remain on Jesus. John’s emphasis is also Luke’s.

Luke interprets the central event of the Jordan experience as the encounter with the Spirit: “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the desert....”[2] Again, later in the chapter, Luke indicates that Jesus “returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit....”[3] Luke also lets us hear Jesus giving his own understanding of what had happened when Jesus read in the synagogue “The Spirit of the Lord is on me...”[4] The Apostle John joins Luke in emphasizing the anointing of the Spirit as the definitive act from the Jordan, rather than his baptism in water.

There are two ideas about the anointing of the Spirit that I want you to get from today’s service.

First, when the Spirit works in your life, you want to do the thing you should do. This is important because without the want to absolutely nothing happens. By nature, we don’t want to do right. I don’t want to burst the bubble of you that think humans are basically good but I have to say that my experience is different. Although I know lots of really wonderful people, every one of has a sinful nature. That nature requires replacement and the replacement requires motivation. Both these are the work of the Holy Spirit.

The “want to” does not come from knowing that the task will be easy, or anything else related to the task itself. Some tasks are hard, some are easy, it makes no difference in what you want to do.

The “want to” does not come from a giant should. I “should” do it so I guess I better. It is not that I am doing this because I should do it and I will feel guilty if I don’t do it. I’m convinced that guilt is a lousy motivator. People are expert at justifying whatever behavior they want to engage in. Guilt doesn’t motivate. The Holy Spirit motivates.

When Jesus went into the wilderness, he was “led” by the Spirit. A lot of people struggle with the leading of the Lord. Should I take this job? Should I buy this house? Should I do this or that? There are times when God will specifically tell you what to do. In my personal experience, that doesn’t actually happen that often. Most of the time he lets you do what you want to do. We must always pray about these things and give God the opportunity to direct us in one way or another. But the fact is, after we have prayed, in 97% of the cases you can do what is in your heart to do because a surrendered heart is easy for God to direct. You just naturally want to do what he wants. Maybe I should say, you just supernaturally want to do the right thing. The “want to” will have been supplied by the Holy Spirit.

Having experienced the “want to” you will be able to look back over your life and see that the Lord has been leading you all along.

Secondly, the ability or power to do what you supernaturally want to do will be given to you by the Holy Spirit. We see this illustrated in the life of Jesus. There is absolutely nothing negative to be said about the life of Jesus. Yet, after being anointed with the Holy Spirit, Luke indicates that Jesus “returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit....”[5] Jesus did no miracles before this moment. He did not actually begin his ministry before this moment. The power to do what he did came from the Holy Spirit operating in his life at this supernatural level.

Comments regarding the prayer time today.

Paul urged Timothy to “fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.”[6] If you have already received the laying on of hands, then fan that gift into flame. If you feel like there is more that you need, come forward again. It is always appropriate to receive the laying on of hands because there is always growth in the gifts of the Spirit to be experienced.

Prior to coming forward for the laying on of hands, ask God to cleanse you of every sin and to pour his Holy Spirit into your life. Renounce the devil and all his works. Renounce all association with the occult and with astrology. Then, when hands are laid upon you, pray in the Spirit as you are being prayed for.

If you have never spoken in an unknown tongue, when hands are laid upon you, in that moment, begin to speak in the unknown tongue. There will be syllables that will come to your mind. As those syllables come to mind, speak them out. Even though you will not know the meaning of the syllables, or how they fit together into sentences, you can know that you are speaking to God. Paul said, “For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit.”[7]

Since this is a spiritual, rather than an emotional experience, there may or may not be particular emotions that are felt during this time. A quiet speaking of those syllables unto God is all that is expected of you. This is a type of praying you will continue to be able to do as a way of building yourself up in the Lord.

Let us read the prayer card together: