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Chapter Three
Jesus was bruised in developing His Prophetic and High Priestly ministry
Jesus had dreadful fights of faith in prayer at Nazareth, while God prepared Him for His apostolic and High Priestly ministries. The apostolic and High Priestly ministries of Jesus were the product of Christ's prayer life at Nazareth.
The development of Christ’s prophetic and High Priestly ministry was a truly bruising experience.
It is one thing to have a private prophetic prayer ministry, it is quite another to have a ministry that brings deliverance and healing to all the people that come to you for help. In the parable on prayer in Lk.11v9-13., Jesus was not just giving us instructions on how to seek God, and how to pray through, and keep on knocking for answers to prayer; He was telling us of His own dedicated prayer life at Nazareth. Jesus knew that He had to be fully empowered so that everybody that He prayed for and ministered to was healed. Christ’s mighty ministry did not just drop upon Him from heaven, it came as a result of the most earnest seeking of His heavenly Father for very many years, indeed, for the whole of His life, from a child to an adult. Some would object to this and say that Christ’s ministry did drop on Him at Jordan, however, this was the final anointing on a marvellously prepared vessel. See the study, Did Jesus Have Spiritual Gifts at Nazareth?
Christ's visit to the temple at twelve reveals His resolute and dedicated preparation for His ministry.
We read in Lk.2v49,50., that at twelve years old, Jesus said to Mary and Joseph in the Temple, "Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?" But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.” This reveals that, by twelve, and almost certainly many years before this, Jesus was completely on His own in finding and doing the will of His heavenly Father. Even His godly and remarkable mother Mary did not understand the divine calling that was on His young life, and what Jesus meant when He said, “Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business.” This makes the victorious and sinless life of Jesus even more remarkable. All the odds were stacked against Him, and He still won through, and developed a perfect prophetic power ministry, through which all were healed who came to Him.
We read in John.5v19,20., “Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. v20. "For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.” (NKJ) Jesus had continual visions about what the Father wanted Him to pray for and do; it was part of His everyday prayer life in Nazareth. Jesus was directed in His prayer life by vision like Paul in 1Cor.5v1-5. and Col.2v1-5.. The dedication and prayer life of Jesus is totally breathtaking. When Jesus was twelve, His spiritual maturity, and His understanding of the Scriptures, astonished the learned Scribes and Biblical teachers in the Temple at Jerusalem. Extol and praise the dedicated all out prayer life, the systematic and meticulous study of the Scriptures, and practical daily life of love, of the wonderful boy and man, Jesus.
The qualifications to be our Great High Priest were gained at enormous personal cost to Jesus.
To obtain the qualifications to become our Great High Priest, Jesus experienced a truly demanding, exceptional and excruciating testing and bruising of His body, soul and spirit. Jesus was tempted and tried in all points in order to be our perfect, sympathetic and understanding Great High Priest. Heb.2v17,18. 4v14-16. 5v8. Jesus had the intolerable pressure of going through all the difficulties and trials of life that we experience, so that He could totally sympathise with us in all our temptations, trials and difficulties; so that we might know without any doubt, that He fully understands all our problems. Jesus was tried and tested to an even greater extent than Job, He was tempted in all points just as we are, but without sin. He had the most extreme and painful tests of anyone, in all areas of life and character, but was totally victorious in them all. Glory and praise be given to Him!
N.B. CHRIST'S PRAYER MINISTRY AT NAZARETH PLACED HUGE DEMANDS ON HIM.
Jesus had to pray a revival into being from ground zero.
The Jewish nation had got away from God, Jesus himself said that they were not just bad, “kakos,” they were gripped by an evil, “poneros”, that was not content until they had corrupted others down to the same level of evil as themselves. Mt.16v4. Lk.11v26,29. Jn.8v44. Satan’s name is “Ho Poneros,” the one who is not content until he has corrupted others to his own terrible levels of depravity and corruption. Mt.13v19. 1Jn.5v18. Apart from a few exceptions, the religious leaders of Israel were part of Satan’s corruption, and when Jesus started His ministry, He exposed their corruption, and Jesus said that they had seen and hated both Himself and God the Father for it. Jn.15v20-25. The spiritual condition of God’s people was truly appalling, Jesus tried to remedy this in the following ways.
Jesus had to pray John the Baptist through.
Jesus the young intercessor prayed John the Baptist through. Jesus watched in vision the developing ministry of John and prayed Him through, just as Paul prayed the Colossians, and other Christians through by prophetic prayer vision ministry. Col.2v1-5. If Paul could, by Holy Spirit inspired visions, see Christians a great distance away at Laodicea, and other places, and by prevailing prayer, transform the lives of those Christians, many of whom he had never met; we can be quite sure that Jesus had an even more remarkable ministry in prayer. During the years at Nazareth, Jesus developed a perfect prophetic ministry before He started His public ministry, and the essential source and foundation of a prophetic ministry, a perfect prayer warrior ministry. Christ’s ministry did not suddenly drop on Him from Heaven at Jordan, He had 30 years of diligent praying of the highest quality, and blood, sweat, tears, and costly effort, and it was all done out of perfect love for us. Blessed be His Name!.
Jesus touched the world with His prayer ministry.
N.B. Jesus won major battles in prayer all over the world during His prayer ministry at Nazareth.
God has shown to me world events of significant, and even great importance, several months before they have happened, like the Chernobyl disaster, the terrorist attack on the Mountain Lodge Pentecostal Church, Darkly, and other terrorist atrocities. Though some of these events were not stopped, I believe that prayer did affect the outcome. Other national and international forthcoming disasters have been shown to me, which have been stopped by the operation of the power of God, sometimes in open and manifest judgement by God, in answer to prayer. If a simple prophet like myself can be used in prayer to alter national and international events, how much more would Jesus, the prophet like unto Moses, effect the nations of the world with His prayers. Deut.18v15-19. From the simple carpenter’s work place at Nazareth, Jesus touched, influenced, and changed events, and people, all over the world with His wonderful vision directed prophetic prayer ministry. This leads on to our next point.
The excruciating burden and cost of Christ’s prayer life at Nazareth.
N.B. Jesus experienced real fights of faith and painful bruising of His soul while praying through for His ministry.
When we see Jesus praying “with strong cryings and tears” in Gethsemane, Heb.5v7., we realise that we are looking at the greatest prayer warrior of all. In Lk.11v1-13., Jesus gave us instructions on how to pray, and pray through. When Jesus told the story of the man obtaining bread for his friend, He was revealing to us His own steadfast determination and persistence in prayer to obtain the ministry He needed to give bread to the world. Lk.11v8. “I tell you, although he will not get up and supply him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his shameless persistence and insistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs.” AMP. Jesus was the most determined and sacrificial of all who have prayed through, and it cost Him very dear at Nazareth, and brought Him rejection and criticism from His own brothers and sisters, and the people of Nazareth.
Jesus had to set His face like a flint at Nazareth, as well as during His ministry and Passion. Is.50v3-7.
We read in Isa.50v3-7. “I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering. v4. The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. v5. The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. v6. I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. v7. For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint (“challamiysh,” 2496, flint, rock), and I know that I shall not be ashamed.” “Set,” is “suwm,” or “siym,” 7760, which means, to put, to set, to fix, to establish, to ordain, and to make. It is used in Is.49v2. of God establishing and making the mouth of Jesus like a sharp sword, and making Him a polished shaft. It can be also used in the bad sense of people hardening themselves against God and being obstinate, stubborn, intractable and stiff-necked, etc. See Jer.42v15-18., where “set,” is “suwm.” God also uses “qasheh,” 7186, which means, hard, cruel, severe, fierce and obstinate, to describe unregenerate intractable stubbornness, as in Is.48v4. “Because I knew that thou art obstinate “qasheh,” and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass.” “Qasheh” 7186 is derived from “qashah” 7185, which properly means, to be dense, i.e. to be hard, severe, fierce and cruel; it is used with the verb “chazaq” 2388, (which means "to be and make strong, to strengthen, and so harden, to be courageous and resolute) to describe Pharaoh’s obdurate and intractable resistance to God. in Ex.7v3.
In the opposite condition, “chazaq” is used to denote the strength of purpose imparted to God’s people. In Deut.11v8. we see that loving God and obeying His commandments made God’s people strong. In Deut.31v6., Moses was commanded to "charge Joshua, and encourage him," with the words of the covenant promise and command to "be strong (“chazaq”) and of a good courage;" "...for the Lord thy God, He it is that doth go with thee; He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." Note Deut.3:28., “But charge Joshua, and encourage (“chazaq”) him, and strengthen (“amats” 553) him: for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see.”
See also Joshua.1v6,7,9,18., v6 “Be strong (“chazaq”)and of a good courage.” v7 “Only be thou strong (“chazaq”) and very courageous.” v9 “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong (“chazaq”) and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” v18. “only be strong (“chazaq”) and of a good courage.” God encourages Gideon in Judges.7v11. “Thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened (“chazaq”) to go down unto the host.” In Zech.8v9,13., both “chazaq:” Hag.2v4. “chazaq,” twice, the same encouraging words.
In 2Chron.16v9., the prophet said, "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them [NASB, "to strongly support them"] whose heart is perfect toward him" God gives strength of purpose to men evil men, as a chastisement on their evil. Men turn their strength of purpose into stubbornness against God. See Josh.11v20., For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no favour, but that he might destroy them, as the LORD commanded Moses.”
In Rom.9v1-27. Paul answers the objection that, “If God has decreed a thing, it seems unfair, for who can resist His will?” Paul follows exactly the thought of Jer.18v1-17., and shows that the kind of vessel the divine potter makes depends on the response of the will of each individual. Jeremiah told the Israelites that if they really repented they would be a vessel of honour and blessing; whereas rebellion and love of evil meant that they would be a vessel of dishonour, whose end was destruction. Paul also states that in Pharaoh, God used an irreconcilable evil person, who was so wicked that before Moses met him he was already sentenced for execution. God raised this evil man to power, it was no accident; it was part of the will and purpose of God. God postponed judgement upon Pharaoh to make use of Pharaoh's intractable obstinacy and hardness of heart, so that others could be inspired by, and benefit from, the manifestation of God's kindness, power, and judgement upon Pharaoh. God made use of an irreconcilable evil person, who would fight God and truth to the bitter end; and so an evil vessel of wrath was made a blessing to mankind. There are a lot of people today who follow Pharaoh’s evil example and resist all of God’s efforts to save, bless, and heal them. There are, on the other hand, people who were willing to repent and accept God’s mercy; these God has been able to call to positions of honour in His kingdom.
Pharaoh’s heart was hardened in the following ways.
By God allowing Satan’s servants to do the Satanic miraculous.
When Pharaoh saw his magicians do the same miracles he hardened his heart. We read in Exod.7v10-13. v10 So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, just as the LORD commanded. And Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent. v11 But Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers; so the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. v12 For every man threw down his rod, and they became serpents. But Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods. v13 And Pharaoh's heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the LORD had said.”
We read in Exod.7v21-23. v21 The fish that were in the river died, the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink the water of the river. So there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. v22 Then the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments; and Pharaoh's heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the LORD had said. v23 And Pharaoh turned and went into his house. Neither was his heart moved by this.” (NKJ)
We read in Exod.8v17-19. v17 “Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod and struck the dust of the earth, and it became lice on man and beast. All the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt. v18 Now the magicians so worked with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not. So there were lice on man and beast. v19 Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." But Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them; as the LORD had said.” Pharaoh’s magicians, full of fear, warned Pharaoh that he was fighting God, but he rejected their warnings.
By God allowing Satan to energise and harden Pharaoh, and compel him to resist God’s will for Israel. Satan was determined to stop the promises of God to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, from coming to pass, and in doing this to stop the plan of redemption in Christ Jesus. God used Satan’s resolute, calculated, and stubborn opposition to God, to harden Pharaoh’s heart.
By God allowing Satan to make Pharaoh realise that he was about to lose his unpaid workforce. The Egyptians would have to do hard manual work, and many of Pharaoh’s schemes would have to be shelved. Pharaoh resisted this to the utmost. Satan has always dominated and energised his children. In Eph.2v2., “worketh is “energeo” 1754, to put forth power, to effect, to energise, to be operative, to display one’s activity, in the children of disobedience. See Eph.5v6. Col.3v6.
By God stopping the plagues and letting Pharaoh off. Pharaoh trampled under foot God’s longsuffering and mercy. We read in Exod.8v15. “But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.” The mercy of God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, as Paul states in Rom.2v3-6., v3 “And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? v4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? v5 But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, v6 who "will render to each one according to his deeds.” (NKJ) This rejection of the mercy of God still occurs a great deal today, and people become hardened in their sins, and trample under foot the Lord Jesus Christ. See Heb.10v28-31.
Here, in Is.50v7., “set,” describes the courageous resolution that Jesus would manifest, when an avalanche of opposition, contempt, scorn and abuse was hurled at Him, and the great physical pain and suffering that evil men inflicted upon Him. This prophecy must have given great comfort to Jesus in the frightful opposition that came against Him at Nazareth as He prepared for His early apostolic ministry and His High Priestly ministry. We see an actual fulfilment of Jesus setting His face like a flint, in Lk.9v31., “Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face (“to prosopon esterisen”) to go to Jerusalem. (NKJ) Jesus resolutely set His face to go to Jerusalem. In Lk.9v51., “set” is “sterizo” 4741, to set fast, it literally means, to turn resolutely in a certain direction. Our dear Lord Jesus also had to set His face with flinty determination at Nazareth as He prepared for His ministry, it was anything but easy for Him, indeed, the pressures and difficulties at Nazareth, tried and tested His strength of mind and resolve, to the very uttermost.
GOD DEVELOPED CHRIST'S PROPHETIC AND HIGH PREISTLY MINISTRY THROUGH LIFE'S TRIALS.
God developed Christ's ministries in the stress and trials of daily living, and the hardship of real poverty.
Jesus went through the whole range of human trial and temptation on a deeper level than anyone else, in order to have the perfect qualifications of a sympathetic apostolic earthly ministry, and a sympathetic High Priestly heavenly ministry.
N.B. Paul declares in 2Cor.8v9., that Jesus experienced the total poverty of a penniless beggar.
We read in 2Cor.8v9., "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might become rich." "He became poor," is "eptocheusen," (only here in the New Testament) it is the aorist active indicative of "ptocheuo" 4433, to be a beggar, (from "ptochos" 4434, the totally destitution of a cowering beggar, as in Lk.14v13.. In "through his poverty,” poverty is "ptocheia" 4432, "abject" poverty” and "beggary." (In 2Cor.8v2. "deep poverty, is "bathous 899 ptocheia" 4432, "poverty down deep," from "ptocheuo"4433). Jesus became totally destitute so that we "might become rich," "ploutesete," 4147, the aorist active subjunctive of "plouteo" 4147), to be rich. Rich with Heaven’s blessings. Those who trust in riches end up empty in their souls. Lk.1v53. Paul warns us in 1Cor.4v8., that we can have a distorted perspective of our true spiritual condition, and Rev.3v17-19., solemnly warns us that we can be spiritually penniless, when we think that we are rich, and be completely deceived by the possession of worldly riches and financial prosperity.
God trained Jesus through running the family business, and the hard work of providing for Mary's large family.
When Joseph died Jesus took over the family business and had to provide for His mother, Mary, His four brothers and at least three sisters. Mt.13v53-58. Mk.6v1-6. Jesus experienced all the stresses that come in a family business in a poor society. The greedy and grasping people who were unwilling to pay their bills. The very poor people who were unable to pay their bills, for whom He worked for no pay. The people who were never satisfied with what you did, no matter how good the work was. Jesus met people who demanded that their work was done immediately, regardless of the needs of anyone else, or of the workload on Jesus. The Devil made quite sure that selfish and dishonest people put enormous pressure upon Jesus. Jesus was truly tempted in all points like any Christian worker or businessman. Satan tried and succeeded in making sure that Jesus was very short of money. God had to do miracles to provide for Jesus and His family, this was why Mary could say, "Whatever He says unto you, do it." This was all invaluable education for Christ's apostolic and High Priestly ministry. Jesus understands our problems, because He has personally experienced them, but at a more difficult and painful level than any of us can conceive.
God the Father trained Jesus to examine and reject the false tradition of His times.
Real strength comes from rejecting incorrect but orthodox doctrine. Jesus did not openly show His rejection of their false traditions until His ministry started. This is good advice for young students. However, the trial of living under and being constantly taught false tradition cannot be under estimated. Everyone else has usually capitulated to, and followed the line, of their religious leaders, Jesus did not do this, for even at twelve, His perception of truth was clear, His knowledge of the Scriptures was accurate and precise. He was full of truth as well as of grace. Jn.1v14.
God the Father trained Jesus in prophetic prayer ministry, and in development of spiritual gifts.
The training that the Father gave Jesus was not an easy thing, according to Is.49v1,2. and 50v3-7., it was a daily affair, and very demanding. The work that Jesus had to do made this severe preparation necessary, Jesus had to be at the peak of spiritual power, and heal all that came to Him, and by being tried and tempted in all points just like we are, to be the perfect sympathetic High Priest. Jesus fully partook of our humanity and victoriously overcame all areas of temptation.
God the Father rooted and grounded Jesus in a vital experience of the truth of the Scriptures.
Jesus meditated upon and filled His mind with the Scriptures, He answered Satan, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” Jesus did this for thirty years; He defeated Satan with the sword of the Spirit, God's Word. If we want to conquer Satan, we will have to love God’s Word, and study it diligently, as He did. Jesus lived, and proved the truth of Scripture. Jesus was full of truth Jn.1v14. A correct knowledge of God's Word will save us from, error, folly, fanaticism and defeat.
N.B. Jesus fully partook of our humanity and victoriously overcame all areas of temptation.
We must remember that Jesus overcame all the pressures, temptations and difficulties of life at Nazareth, while possessing the limitations, weakness, and weariness of a human body. Jesus went resolutely and steadfastly forward through all the difficulties, temptations, and vicious opposition that came against Him, and He prepared diligently in prayer, study, and practical caring love for the great mission that lay before Him. No praise can be too high for our Saviour’s dedicated love, courage and fortitude.
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