Who Was Jesus and What Did He Come To Do?

There are a number of popular titles and descriptions given to Jesus, which set out to define him. Have you ever wondered which is the most widely referenced and which is found in all four Gospels? Take a guess among your favorites.

LAMB OF GOD

We all know that Jesus is the Lamb of God. Most references of this phrase are from John and appear in his Gospel and in the Revelation.

PRINCE OF PEACE

He is famously known as the Prince of Peace from a singular reference made by Isaiah.

WONDERFUL COUNSELOR

Again, this is iconic, but remains one, single reference found in the book of Isaiah.

SON OF MAN

Perhaps one of the most referenced titles, it is found in Matthew, Mark, Luke, Ezekiel, and Hebrews.

SON OF DAVID

The phrase, Son of David is used a number of times in Scripture, but when referring directly to Jesus and not one of David’s actual sons, it is found in Matthew, Mark, and Luke  (the synoptic Gospels).

EMMANUAEL 

Emmanuel (God with us) is a favorite title for Jesus. It is, however, only found once in Matthew, and twice in Isaiah.

SON OF GOD

This one could be the winner! The title, Son of God does appear in all four Gospels, Romans, 2 Corinthians, Hebrews, 1 John, and Ephesians. An argument could even be made that this reference could be combined with Son of Man, and Son of David to underscore the importance and preeminence of Jesus as the Son. I think that if nothing else, this title is the most foundational and serves as the basis upon which we can build our faith.

That being said, there is another description of Jesus which best defines what Jesus came to do. Yes, he came to bring salvation at the cross and resurrection, but for what goal? What did he want to have happen to and through us before the time when time comes to an end? So without further delay, below is what I would consider the least recognized, least understood, and perhaps the most definitive description of what Jesus came to do.

BAPTIZER IN THE HOLY SPIRIT 

This title does not spring from the tongues of most Christians; neither is it the topic heralded by most theologians. Still, I contend that it is the most confirmed identity of Jesus and what he intended to accomplish found within the New Testament. Jesus is the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit. This iconic description holds the distinct honor of being found in all three synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), as well as being reaffirmed by John in his Gospel. Each reference expresses the following thought, “I baptized you with water, but it is he who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit” (Mark 1:8 ISV). Rarely do all four Gospels mesh to tell the same story or make the same point because John's Gospel was written to present a different focus than that of the synoptic evangelists. In addition to all four Gospels being in agreement on this point, we also find that the Book of Acts reiterates this same sentiment not once, but twice more (Matthew 3:11, Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16, John 1:32-34, Acts 1:5, Acts 11:16). This is unparalleled in the New Testament, and it holds the honor of being spoken first by John the Baptist (the last Old Testament prophet), by Jesus himself, and finally by Peter. That's a six-fold witness presented by three major New Testament figures.

I'm sure some would argue that Jesus clearly came to die on the cross and save mankind from sin. This is of course a true statement, but it is clearly not a complete one. He doesn't save us merely to get us to heaven. We know this because he told us to pray that his kingdom would come and his will would be done here on earth just as it is in heaven. He saved us for a purpose: that we might go into all the world with his message of the kingdom. He sent his Spirit to empower us to carry out that command. "...It is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose" (Philippians 2:13 NIV).

Baptisms
"Therefore, leaving behind the elementary teachings about the Messiah, let us continue to be carried along to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead actions, faith toward God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment..." (Hebrews 6:1-2 ISV). The writer of Hebrews says that the teaching about baptisms, plural, is a basic teaching of the Church. This reinforces the premise of multiple baptisms that were referenced in the Gospels. Specifically, one of those instances comes from John the Baptist, when he says, “I am baptizing you with water as evidence of repentance, but the one who is coming after me is stronger than I am, and I am not worthy to carry his sandals. It is he who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Mark 3:11 ISV). This passage clearly establishes two distinct types of baptism. This distinction continues in one form or another within the other five references as well. All six declare Jesus' ministry goal and are listed at the bottom of this presentation. If those six, nearly-identical references were not enough evidence, there are actually two more passages within the Book of Acts which reinforce the idea of two types of baptism as well as Jesus' role as Baptizer in the Holy Spirit. The first Scripture (Acts 13:24,25) falls just a few words short of being included in the first set of passages. The second Scripture (Acts 19:2-7) actually demonstrates through Paul's ministry, the very point Jesus, along with his cousin, John expressed in the Gospels and the beginning of Acts. Both Scripture passages are included below along with the first six references. 

A Major Distraction

An unneeded distraction was introduced to the Church concerning the baptism in the Holy Spirit during the Pentecostal movement of the early 1900s. This erroneous teaching was then perpetuated by subsequent denominations birthed out of those events. When, after an absence of roughly 1,500 years, spiritual outpourings began to return to the church in great measure, some believed and propagated the idea that speaking in tongues was the single evidence to substantiate an infilling of the Holy Spirit. Although Scripture certainly supports the idea that speaking in tongues can be AN evidence of the Holy Spirit, this doctrine unnecessarily narrowed the entrance for those wishing a closer relationship with the Lord as well as their desire to receive power to carry out their calling. Despite this roadblock, God has provided us with much evidence to the contrary, including the testimony of two stalwarts of the faith.

Two Great Examples

Two well-known evangelists who never spoke in tongues have left us witness of their personal experience with the Holy Spirit. Few doubt that these men had an impact on the world through their ministries. Charles Finney (https://www.hopefaithprayer.com/baptism-holy-ghost-charles-finney) and D.L. Moody (http://holyspiritempowers.com/2013/02/d-l-moody/) each give very detailed and personal descriptions of how they were filled with the Holy Spirit - another term for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Through the enablement they received, they accomplished great things for God, yet neither of them spoke in tongues. No one can deny that these men and countless others fulfilled the instructions Jesus gave when he said, “…Wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit… you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:4,5,8 NIV). 

We need this power, the same power that raised Jesus (and us) from the dead so that we can become those witnesses. It is not enough to be raised; we must live, enabled to raise others. Who doesn’t want Jesus to make them able to accomplish that which they’ve been called to do? But enough about the explanation. Here are the eight passages mentioned above. One would be hard-pressed to see these as anything less than a compelling argument that Jesus was called to a specific task: baptizing us in the Holy Spirit so that we can be enabled to fulfill the tasks before us. And, these passages are a mere hint of what the Lord has made available to all of his children. (Acts 2:39) Jesus said, “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:11-13 NIV).

Jesus, Baptizer in the Holy Spirit

Matthew 3:11 (ISV)

“I am baptizing you with water as evidence of repentance, but the one who is coming after me is stronger than I am, and I am not worthy to carry his sandals. It is he who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” 

Mark 1:8 (ISV)

“I baptized you with water, but it is he who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Luke 3:16 (ISV)

“I'm baptizing you with water, but one is coming who is more powerful than I, and I'm not worthy to untie his sandal straps. It is he who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

John 1:32-34 (ISV)

“I didn’t recognize him, but I came baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.” John also testified, “I saw the Spirit coming down from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I didn’t recognize him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The person on whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen this and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

Acts 1:5 (ISV)

“John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit a few days from now."

Acts 11:16 (ISV)

“Then I remembered what the Lord had said: 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’" 

Acts 13:24,25 (ISV)

“Before Jesus’ appearance, John had already preached a baptism of repentance to all the people in Israel. When John was finishing his work, he said, ‘Who do you think I am? I’m not the Messiah. No, but he is coming after me, and I’m not worthy to untie the sandals on his feet.’” 

[Note: Here in Acts, Luke is alluding to his own report of John's words as recorded in Luke 3:16. Therefore, one could easily finish his reference above with, "It is he who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."]

Acts 19:2-7 (ISV)

“Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered him, “No, we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” He then asked, “Then into what were you baptized?” They answered, “Into John’s baptism.” Then Paul said, “John baptized when they repented, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began to speak in foreign languages and to prophesy.

I Hear That Train A Comin’ - Expectancy

As believers, our corporate and individual journeys might be likened to travel by rail. Our travel agent has planned a glorious, whistle-stop tour, promised to be the trip of a lifetime! By nature, however, most of us are not that adventurous! We can’t resist the temptation to let go of the journey, striving to settle at a destination - eventually letting our passports expire.

Somehow we’ve come to view God as merely the vehicle we use to reach these stops, instead of viewing the journey from God’s perspective. He is the track, the vehicle, and the destination, or as Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” (John 14:6 NIV) New life in him begins here and continues on throughout eternity. It is a supernatural destination, always in motion. Throughout the journey, we must pay attention to our conductor and guide as he shows us the sites and tells us when to move on.

Our itinerary is action-packed and leads us to places we would never go on our own, so we must keep with the tour. If we don't, we'll miss important stuff and we’ll likely have to wait until the train comes around again before we can get back on track. Every time we miss a stop, it effects the livelihood of the locals who rely on our visitation to sustain their lives. 

To help paint this picture of life on a train, take a look at the post-apocalyptic movie Snow Piercer. The setting for the movie is a high-tech, self-sustaining luxury train - repurposed as a lifeboat for humanity amidst the onset of an ice age. The perpetual train engine, created by a technological genius, was built to circle the world on a specially built track. The whole train, including the lives of the passengers, served as an ordered ecosystem, balanced to maintain itself forever as it powerfully blasted away snow, ice and debris which fell or formed in its way. All worked together for the good. Certainly, this scenario is not a perfect metaphor for life in the Spirit, but it speaks to a needed shift in focus, putting more value upon both the journey and the one who conducts it. 

Since life in the Spirit is a supernatural journey, it's helpful to view the train from a supernatural viewpoint. In this reality, the train operates more like the streetcars of San Francisco where passengers board and exit the train while it’s still in motion. Yeah, this is a little risky, but after a while, the passengers get used to grabbing a hold. As believers, this is what we did when we accepted an invitation to the Kingdom. We heard the call of “all aboard,” and grabbed on to this moving train, believing, that somehow, our future lay in holding fast to the promise. Jesus said that those born of the Spirit are to be in motion; they are like the wind. The wind blows where it will. When it blows, it moves and it moves things around. One of the things the wind moves around is sound. 

The wind can carry the sound of a distant train whistle, and can rocket that sound straight to our ears and give us advance notice of its arrival. May the wind always be blowing in our direction. That’s just how the New Testament Church operated, but over time, we’ve come to operate our own trains by our own schedules, by what is predictable, and what seems safe. When we do so, the wind is no longer needed as we've already calculated and programmed our own path. In many ways, the church tends to get off track and miss listening for what’s blowing in the wind. Don’t get me wrong, God’s train is definitely goal-driven and runs by a schedule; but this schedule is beyond figuring out - it’s downright unpredictable! At times, this can seem like a deal-breaker for man and can sometimes prompt us to switch tracks that we might return to a place of comfort and comprehension. It’s best, however, to trust the way of the track, even when we can’t see or comprehend the journey.

So where am I going with this metaphor? Only this - we don’t get to choose when the train goes by. If we’re busy doing other things, we can miss the opportunity. The wind seems to be carrying a very distinct whistle to those who have ears to hear; but sometimes, the walls of our stations have become so thick, the sound can’t reach us inside. Oh, and did I mention that this is a cooperative journey? We are both passengers and servants upon this train and it only runs smoothly when we’re all listening to the conductor and are fitly joined together like the workings of the train itself. Each of our talents, abilities, and callings are needed so that together, the train can be focused upon the journey and not upon the stations built along the way.

This concept may be new to many of us, but it’s as old as the engineer himself. This has always been his operating procedure. His trains always run on time, even if we don’t always like the schedule. But as we adapt to this journey we become equipped for the ride. We must be those who have ears to hear what the wind is broadcasting and be ones who become expectant for the train’s arrival. It takes faith to board a moving train, and it takes faith to not know exactly where we're going. But, we’re promised that it doesn’t take so much faith as we might expect. Fortunately, as mentioned previously, we’ve grabbed a hold at least once before. So, next stop…there is no stopping - weren’t you paying attention?

Arrival - The Conversation of Heaven (“I don’t talk like that!”)

The Science of New Language

The movie Arrival is a science-fiction drama which explores the challenges of communicating with an alien species. In one scene, the protagonist is confronted by a fellow scientist with the notion that constant interaction and communication with these alien visitors has begun to altar and transform her brain. He even asks her if she has begun to dream in the alien's language. While this concept might sound pretty wild, the idea that our brains get rewired when we learn a new language is not wholly science-fiction. It is actually true that our brains grow when we learn a new language. In addition, studies at Georgetown University suggest that the brain patterns of those immersed in learning a new language begin to mimic the brain patterns of native speakers of that language.

As presented in the movie, it is easy to be overwhelmed and disoriented as we learn to communicate in and with a culture with which we have no points of reference. This is true when navigating the language of heaven. As God’s thoughts are high above ours, so is the way of his Spirit. There is a great divide between human intellect and reasoning and the speech and thought of the heavenly culture. Although we are his people, we may lack experiential knowledge of his Kingdom. The goal is that our hearts, minds, and actions be transformed so that we can stay in step with what’s going on in heavenly places where Paul tells us we are already seated (Eph 2:6).

My Lips Don’t work like That

Isaiah was confronted with this kind of culture shock and experienced a heavenly language barrier when transported to the throne room of God. This happened in the year that King Uzziah died when Isaiah…

“... saw the Lord, high and exalted… Above him were seraphim… And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” …’Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.’” (Isaiah 6:1-5 NIV)

I recently came across a sermon with a very interesting take on Isaiah’s vision which adds some context to Isaiah's experience as he witnessed the interaction between the heavenly hosts. The speaker found that…

“… they’re having this conversation and they’re consumed by the theme of his glorious majesty and they’re consumed by his glorious plan to fill the earth with who he is and Isaiah says, ‘Wow!, I don’t talk like that.’ And he says, ‘and I’m surrounded by people who don’t talk like that.’ That’s what he means by being a man of unclean lips. He goes, ‘my preaching and my conversations and my blog posts, my tweeting, and my instagrammings … - it’s not connecting my audience to what is happening around the throne.” ~ Stuart Greaves

 

While speaking back and forth to each other, these angels are not talking to God, nor are they in discord. They’re talking back and forth to each other about the glory of God, and Isaiah finds himself woefully out of step with their culture, their thinking, and their language. How was Isaiah to reconcile his position with that of this new world before him? He needed a rewiring… a transformation afforded to him by the fire of the altar so that he might take on the language and mission of heaven.

“… one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:6 NIV)

Transformation

Isaiah’s transformation can be likened to Paul’s admonition that we be…

“… transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2 HCSB)

… and that we…

“… speak not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.” (I Corinthians 2:13 NIV)

To accomplish this and like the character from the movie Arrival, we must go through a process of having our brains rewired. We need the ongoing transformation of the Spirit so that we can think, speak, and act according to the culture of heaven, right here on earth. The scientific term for this rewiring is called linguistic relativity.

Linguistic Relativity

“Learning a new language doesn't just change the physical makeup of the brain. Based on a theory known as linguistic relativity, learning a new language can also change the way we see the world. This is specifically true in relation to our color perception. For example, Japanese speakers have far more words to describe the color blue, and as a result are generally able to see more shades of blue than English speakers. On the other side of the spectrum, the Himba tribe of Namibia in Southern Africa have only five words to describe all the colors in the world. Researchers have observed that, without a word for the color blue, the Himba struggle to tell it apart from green — an easy feat for English speakers.” 

~  Dana Dovey: https://www.medicaldaily.com/pulse/how-learning-new-language-changes-your-brain-and-your-perception-362872

Even our perception is contingent upon the language that we use. As believers then, we can be separated from, or have problems finding connection with, certain facets of the life of God simply because we don't have a language to describe what we are seeing. This is why we must renew our minds. This fact should not surprise us. We see through a glass darkly, with his wonders before us waiting to be revealed as we are changed from glory to glory. So, although God is ever present, we may need an Isaiah, or Jacob experience before we can discover that “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it” (Gen 26:18 NIV). Then, our eyes can be opened to things we formerly had no ability to perceive or describe.

Burning Righteousness Upon Our Lips

As believers, we should hunger and thirst to enter into, and be filled with his heavenly culture, He promises that if we draw near to him, he will draw near to us (James 4:8) There are multiple promises found in Scripture, that we may rely upon as we seek to enter in.

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13 NIV)

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7 NIV)

“'I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the LORD; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart.” (Jeremiah 24:7 NIV)

Operational Language

In the movie Firefox, Clint Eastwood plays Mitchell Gant, a pilot who has commandeered a new, experimental Russian jet which operates via the pilot's mental commands. The catch? It only responds to the thought patterns of those who think in Russian which is not Gant’s 1st language. While being pursued by the enemy, he begins to panic and while in distress, his thought-language begins to slip back into English. Because of this, he is no longer able to command the jet with his thoughts. To remedy the situation, he reminds himself that in this realm, there is one singular language able to communicate his thoughts properly and interact with the onboard computer and that language is Russian. Like Gant, and Isaiah himself, we too need a transformation of thought. Changing the way we think is a simple definition for the word repentance. We must rely on the implanted word to save us (James 1:21), by humbly putting our own words and former way of speech behind us and relying upon the language of the kingdom.

“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:17-24)

It is required, therefore, that our thought language meld more and more with the language of heaven so that we can more adequately perceive what God is doing. As our brains and lips are rewired, we can be more fully empowered and enabled to facilitate the Great Commission given us.

On Earth As It Is In Heaven

As we are transformed and enabled to see and experience the language and culture of heaven, we will, like the Seraphim, enter into this heavenly conversation.

“… be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 5:18-20 NIV)

“What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a psalm or a teaching, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. All of these must be done to build up the church.” (I Corinthians 14:26 NIV)

These prescriptions allow us to enter into and participate in his culture of holiness as these things are nurtured within us. Ultimately, they bring about manifestations of the Glory of God and result in a changed, expanded, and thriving heavenly culture where together we have been rewired to experience and proclaim the kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

“What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.” (1 Corinthians 9-13 NIV)

As our brains are rewired with the words of heaven, we can better understand and speak what the Spirit is saying, allowing us to more vitally enter into his Kingdom - on earth, as it is in heaven. In some ways, it may seem like an alien visitation, and in some ways it is. But while we are considered be aliens and strangers in the midst of the world around us, speaking what seems to them to be an alien language of love and redemption, this language should not be alien to us.

Check out the trailer at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFMo3UJ4B4g