The entire book of Isaiah could be called "The Gospel According to Isaiah." God's Spirit caused Isaiah to document many wonderful things about the Messiah, around seven hundred years before Jesus Christ was born! Here are three particularly spectacular statements that are meant to help us know and identify the one-and-only Messiah - the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us bathe our souls in these precious words and find ways to express the greatness of Jesus Christ to others.
From Isaiah 7:14; 9:6-7; 40:5 we are going to ask three questions:
- What did the Lord give us?
- What is God, through His Son, going to do for us / do with us?
- What forces are at work in the world: revealing Christ to us / releasing Christ through us?
Question # 3 - What forces are at work in the world: revealing Christ to us / releasing Christ through us?
Isaiah 7:14 & Luke 1:26-35 The Holy Spirit / The power of the Highest
Mary, as a virgin, conceived the Christ child by the direct power of the unmitigated, unfiltered, Almighty God. This same power caused Christ, during His ministry, to do miracles. This climaxed with His crucifixion and resurrection from the dead. The sinner who repents and believes is born again by the same powerful work of the Spirit of the Almighty through the gospel. God's Spirit continues to reside and work in the life of the believer all the way unto the day of redemption.
- Romans 1:1-4
- I Thessalonians 1:5; 2:13
- Ephesians 1:12-20; 4:30; 6:10-20
cp. II Corinthians 10:3-5
- I Peter 1:3-5,18-23; 4:12-14
- Romans 8:9-11
- Matthew 28:18-20
- I John 3:8,24; 4:4.
- Revelation 12:10-11
Further reading on the work of God's Spirit upon mankind: John 3:6-8; 4:23-24; 6:44-45,63; 14:17,26; 16:7-14; I Corinthians 1:18-24; 2:1-5; II Corinthians 3:17-18. For an in-depth reading, see I Corinthians 2:1 - 3:7.
The Supreme workings of God's Spirit are at work in the world today, accomplishing His will. The Sovereign majesty of God presides above all nations, above Satan and his demons, above all flesh. Sometimes it may not seem like He is presiding over the affairs of this world, but God is never off-duty or off-schedule. He operates according to His own timing. Man cannot stop Him, rush Him, or slow Him down.
- II Chronicles 20:6
cp. Romans 13:1; Luke 10:24-25; Proverbs 21:1; I Timothy 2:1-3; Deuteronomy 29:29
- Psalm 2:1-12; 9:15-20; 75:4-7
- Proverbs 21:30 cp. Romans 11:33-36
- Ecclesiastes 3:1,11,14; 7:13-14
- Isaiah 40:6-8,12-24; 46:9-11
- Jeremiah 32:7
- Daniel 4:34-35
- Zechariah 4:6
- John 10:14-18,27-30; 16:33
- Matthew 28:18
- Revelation 1:9-18; 19:11-16
cp. I Corinthians 15:20-28; I Timothy 6:14-16.
- I Peter 3:1-18
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