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About Jesus - Steve (Stephen)
Sweetman
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The
Ultimate Inauguration
As I write this article
in January, 2021, America
has inaugurated another president. With
the latest inauguration fresh in our minds, I'd like to remind us of a
historic inauguration that supersedes every last presidential
inauguration. Of course,
prior to any presidential inauguration, the citizens must choose their
president. Unlike this
citizens' choice, the ultimate inaugurated one was chosen by God.
1 Peter 1:20 tells us that Jesus was chosen by God to lead His
Messianic administration prior to the creation of the world.
"He [Jesus] was
chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last
times for your sake."
The word
"revealed" in Peter's statement is in reference to the
inauguration of Jesus, as seen in John 1:29 through 32.
"The next day John
saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 'Look, the Lamb of God, who takes
away the sin of the world! ... Then John gave this testimony: 'I saw the
Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him.'"
The moment the Spirit of
God descended upon Jesus was the moment Jesus was publically inaugurated
into His Messianic ministry. A
few days later Jesus appeared in His hometown of
Nazareth
to give His inaugural address. There,
on one Sabbath, He rose from his seat, walked to the front of the
synagogue, sat down, opened a scroll to Isaiah 61, and began to read.
It was His inaugural address that set forth His Messianic agenda.
Luke 4:18 through 21 records the event.
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has
sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for
the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the
Lord’s favor. Then
he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The
eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by
saying to them, 'Today this scripture is fulfilled in your
hearing.'"
We should note that
Jesus did not finish reading the Isaiah 61 Messianic proclamation.
He stopped in mid sentence. The
next phrase reads:
" ... and the day
of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn ..."
Jesus did not finish
reading the Isaiah passage because it was not applicable to His
Messianic agenda. Jesus did not come to administer God's vengeance.
The day of God's wrath will initiate His second administration
when He overthrows the nations and becomes Lord of the earth.
Until then, Jesus' Messianic mission, which Christians are to
help facilitate, is to offer God's grace to everyone.
The overthrow of the nations is reserved for the last day of this
age.
When the Spirit of God
descended upon Jesus, He was publically inaugurated as the Christ.
When Jesus returns to earth He will be inaugurated as Lord of the
nations. The apostle Peter
was correct when he proclaimed that Jesus is both Christ and Lord (Acts 2:
36).
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