Prophecies of Jesus Part 3
Prophecies of Jesus • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Regathering the Sheep
Regathering the Sheep
The Old Testament is filled with prophecies about Jesus. And in the New Testament we see Jesus prophecy many things to include end times, His death, His resurrection and the scattering of His sheep or disciples. But the last prophecy He gives us is found in the book of Acts. And it is a big game changer. It is life transforming.
To fully understand this prophecy you cannot just go to Acts but you have to start in Genesis and work your way through the Scriptures to the resurrection of Christ.
The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.
Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.
Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.
We find reference to the Spirit of God throughout the Scriptures. But is the Spirit of God just a wind, or a breath, or a fire, or something else we can wrap our human minds around and spiritualize it?
In Genesis 1:2 the word used for the Spirit of God is רוּחַ ruach. It has further interesting meanings besides wind and breath. They include to animate, vivacity or tenacity of life, and disembodied being as a gift from God. Additionally, it includes other definitions such as the seat of mental acts, disposition, seat of emotions and moral character. In other words, all the things that make you “alive” at birth are the things molded and shaped throughout your life. These things make you who you are, preserving you alive until the day you take your last breath and your spirit returns to God from which it came.
It is like when we see a loved one in the casket. We say it is not them any longer. But what we see looks somewhat like them but the countenance is gone.
When God breathed His Spirit into man, He breathed a portion of who He was in him. And when it says in Genesis 2:7 that God breathed into man’s nostrils, it does not mean God put His mouth on Adam’s nose. The word is אַף ‘ap with a dual meaning of one’s countenance. So, God was face-to-face with Adam and when God breathed, a portion of His countenance became a part of Adam’s countenance.
Remember when Moses came down from the mountain after having been face-to-face with God and the glory of God shown from his countenance so that he had to wear a vail? This is a very similar situation.
But when we look at the word for “breath” that God imparts into man, it is נְשָׁמָה neshamah that means the inner spirit of man that was given by God bringing life to the soul of man.
It comes from the root word נָשַׁם nasham which means to breath as a woman giving birth. So, God was bringing forth life in man as a mother to a child. But interestingly, the word to describe the action by God breathing into man is the word נָפַח napha meaning to blow or give up a life portion to cause another to breath out. So, God was not just giving life as we know it, He was giving a portion of Himself, or the eternal life that was in Him.
This is why God had to come in the form of man and give His own life in our place that we might receive this breath of eternal life.
When Jesus Christ was born, He could not be born of the seed of man because of Adam’s sin. But He had to be born by the Spirit of God as was the first Adam. Christ had to be born of the breath of God not the seed of man.
And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.
So, Jesus had both the ruach (Spirit of God) and neshamah (spirit of man). He carried the ‘ap (countenance or image of God). But the disciples carried only the neshamah (spirit of man) as a result of the napha (life portion of breath given by God). But God desired to give us the full breath that the fullness of the Spirit of the Living God might dwell within you. This is the nasham (new birth) that Jesus spoke of to Nicodemus.
What does this all have to do with the scattered free range sheep of the Lord’s pasture and the prophecy of Jesus in Acts chapter 1?
The prophecy is found in Acts 1:6-8
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Here Jesus prophecies of the fulfillment of the Gospel preached to Abraham. He prophecies the regathering of God’s sheep, His sons and daughters. He prophecies of our rebirth through Christ Jesus and the transforming power of the ruach or Holy Spirit of God in us.
In Acts 2:1-4 this prophecy is fulfilled and the ruach of God blows like it did in Adam the first time and they were filled with that new breath that brings new life.
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Folks, we often get focused on the manifestation and forsake the transformation. Manifestations are temporary but transformation is eternal. You do not need a temporary manifestation of God in your life. You need a life long, eternal transformation of your complete existence from this moment until you see Him face-to-face. You need a God countenance encounter that changes your entire image that when people see you, they see Christ Jesus through you.
This was Father’s plan to regather His sheep and bring them into the Master Shepherd’s flock and make them holy, to make them consecrated, to make them His.
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
That same Holy Spirit that raised Christ from death to life can do the same for your soul. If your religious or spiritual efforts feel lifeless or if your soul feels dead and empty, ask God to blow His breath into you a new. Don’t live as solo sheep, trying to live life on your own, step into the life giving wind of the Holy Spirit.