26. The Purpose of Christ’s Coming
The Purpose of Christ’s Coming
First of all, I would ask you to think of the witness of the Holy Spirit to the purpose of the coming of Christ. I have many passages to ask you to note, which perhaps you will look at in your leisure hours. Before our Lord’s birth, through the angels, you have the witness of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:20-21). “But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him [Joseph] in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins.” Also (Luke 1:30-33), “And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call His nameJesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David: And He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end.” That was the fulfillment of the promise given hundreds of years before, you will remember, to David in2 Samuel 7:16-19. Gabriel confirmed the promise given to David, to Mary, with regard to the coming of Christ.
Second, the witness of the Holy Spirit before His birth through Zacharias (Luke 1:67). “And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,” “And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest; for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways; to give knowledge of salvation unto His people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:76-79). That is the prophecy of Zacharias through the Holy Spirit, regarding the birth of the Lord Jesus. I want you to notice in passing the beauty of the words which the Holy Spirit uses, “Thedayspringfrom on high.” The Greek word means “rising of light,” the dawn, and the word dayspring is found only here and inJob 38:12, where, in the Hebrew, it also means to dawn. It means to be up early at the task; it means therefore, earnestly, passionately, with strong earnestness for the accomplishment of a purpose. That was true of the Lord Jesus Christ, the dayspring, the One who has been up early at the task. Now what is the task? “The dayspring from on high hathvisitedus.” The Greek word for that means to inspect and then to relieve. The Holy Spirit never uses a wrong word or an unnecessary word, but always just the word which most clearly expresses the divine purpose. And here is the witness of the Holy Spirit to the coming of one who would be up early at His work, and His work was to inspect God’s people, inspect the human race, and then relieve them. And is this not the meaning of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ?
Third, at His birth, through the angels (Luke 2:10-11). “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”
Fourth, through the Baptist (John 1:29; John 1:34; John 1:36). “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” “And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.” “And looking upon Jesus as He walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!”
Fifth, at the resurrection, through the young man at the tomb (Mark 16:6). “And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: He is risen; He is not here: behold the place where they laid Him.”
Sixth, at the ascension, through the two men sent especially from heaven (Acts 1:11), where they called the attention of the wondering disciples to the fact that this same Jesus, the One whom they had known, the One whom they had seen with the marks of the cross upon Him, would “so come.” So that is the witness of the Holy Spirit to the purpose of the coming of Christ.