Important Questions that Must Be Answered
Dearly beloved of God, to whom was Jesus Christ sent? What did God send him to accomplish? Why did God send him?
Romans 15:8
Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the Fathers:
God sent Jesus to Israel to confirm the promises God made with their Fathers.
Matthew 3:11
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but He That cometh after me is mightier than I. Whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he [Jesus Christ] shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit [holy spirit] and with fire.
John the Baptist said this when he baptized Jesus when he was about thirty, before he began his ministry. Jesus told John, “…for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.”
Matthew5:17
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy but to fulfill.
Jesus had to “fulfill all righteousness” in order to make it possible for him to “baptize with holy spirit,” Jesus Christ would have to believe to fulfill the Law and the prophets.
The righteousness of God was fulfilled by the believing of Jesus Christ. He believed God to always do the will of the Father. He made it possible to be saved and to be born again of the holy spirit sent by God.
Everything Jesus fulfilled was so that he could send the promise of the Father, to baptize with the holy spirit, which took place after he concluded his earthly ministry, he died, was resurrected, he ascended into heaven, and he was glorified.
After his resurrection from the dead before he ascended into heaven Jesus gave instructions to his disciples.
Acts 1:4, 5
And, being assembled together with him, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith He, you have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but you will be baptized with the holy spirit not many days hence.
On the Feast of Pentecost the twelve apostles were baptized with the holy spirit, and then about five thousand others that believed concerning him were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and received the gift from the Holy Spirit that day. They received the promise of the Father that Jesus Christ sent on the Feast of Pentecost.
Later God sent Peter to Cornelius’ house, and the Gentiles received the promised holy spirit. They received the “like gift” as the twelve and the 5,000 others previously received on Pentecost.
Through Jesus Christ, both Judeans and Gentiles have access to the Father by the one spirit. That spirit seals us for our inheritance until Christ returns to redeem us.
Galatians 3:14
That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
If there had been a law given by God which could have given life, indeed righteousness would have been by the law, but the law could not give a person spirit-life. This spirit life came by Jesus Christ when he sent the promise of the Father. It is eternal life.
Dearly beloved, Jesus Christ came to send the promised holy spirit so that people could be saved, and born again of God’s spirit.
Jesus said, “that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”
As Jesus hung on the cross, he said, “My God, My God for this purpose I was spared. He said, “It is finished,” and then he died.
Why did God send him? God sent Him so that we might be saved, and born again of the spirit from God. Because he accomplished the will of God, we can now be the children of God by being born again of the spirit from God.
Jesus Christ was the mediator of the new covenant that God promised Israel in Jeremiah 33:29-34. Hebrews 8 reveals that Jesus Christ is the high priest of the new covenant, which is a better covenant established on better promises.
Hebrews 9 informs us that Jesus Christ is the mediator of the new covenant. He gave his own blood to ratify the new covenant between God and Israel.
Hebrews 10:8-10, 16, 17 reveal that God took away the first covenant so that He could establish the second [the new covenant of the spirit] with Israel.
In Ephesians 3 we read that God revealed the mystery. The Gentiles are fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ by the gospel. We entered the new covenant with Israel. We are joint heirs with them of the same promise in Christ by the gospel.
The Administration of the Grace of God began on that Pentecost and it will continue until Christ Jesus our Lord returns to gather us together up to meet him in the air.
Why did God send His Son? He sent him because of His great love for those who would believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
“Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God, (and we are): therefore the world knows us not, because it knew Him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God….”
We have the like same gift of holy spirit available to us today as those who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ in the first century.
We are God’s children because we are born of His spirit – not when we die – now! The gift of holy spirit is the basis for our relationship with God. He is God our Father, and we are the children of God.
Dearly beloved, in love, the Father predestinated us unto sonship by Jesus Christ to Himself according to the good pleasure of His will. NOW we are the sons of God. Rejoice forevermore!