So Much More: Moving Beyond Kingdom Principles to Kingdom Power Read Online Free PDF Page B

wasn’t salvation, then what else might it have been? Perhaps some would respond that it was the message of love. One day Jesus was asked, “What is the greatest commandment in the law?” He responded by saying,
“You shall love the L ORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.
—M ATTHEW 22:37–40, NKJV
    Love God and love your neighbor. Jesus said this was the first and greatest commandment. But as important as this message of love was, we need to ask ourselves if this was the first and most consistent message Jesus taught. Again, there is absolutely no doubt that when you study the teachings of Jesus and you watch the way He lived His life to model for us what a life of love looks like, we see He placed a premium value on love. However, the message of love was not His first message and it was not His most consistent message.
    Perhaps some might think that it was the message of the Cross. Jesus called Himself the good Shepherd who came to lay down His life for His sheep. Well, it doesn’t take a Bible scholar to know that the Cross was central to the mission of Jesus; but again, it was not the first message and it was not the most consistent message He taught, although it was definitely connected to His primary message.
    So if it wasn’t salvation, love, or the Cross, what was Jesus’ primary message? When the time came for Jesus to begin His ministry, He went to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. He was the Messiah, which literally means in Hebrew “the anointed one.” In the Old Testament when kings were set aside to lead the nation, they were anointed with oil as a symbol of being appointed by God for the position. Before Jesus began His public ministry, before He taught anything or performed any miracles, He received His own anointing at the time of His baptism by John.
    One day Jesus came to the Jordan River where John was baptizing and He asked John to baptize Him. It must have been an interesting scene to watch. John, knowing who Jesus was, said, “I can’t do that. I’m not worthy to even lace your sandals let alone baptize you” (John 1:27). Jesus said, “I need you to baptize me to fulfill all righteousness” (Matt. 3:15). I kind of picture this back and forth tug of war taking place until John finally relented and said, “OK! I will do it!” Then imagine the shocked look that must have appeared on his face and the faces of the crowd when He baptized Jesus and the heavens opened up, the Spirit of God descended on Jesus in bodily form like a dove, and the audible voice of God called out identifying Jesus saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (v. 17, NKJV ). That would surely shake up a crowd.
    In John 1:33 John states, “I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit’” ( NKJV ). The one upon whom the Spirit descends and remains is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit. I picture John out there looking for this One upon whom the Spirit descends and remains. He dunks one—nothing happens. I guess he’s not the one. Then another—nothing. Then finally he baptizes Jesus and the Spirit descends and remains on Him and he knows He is the One.
    Prior to Jesus, all throughout the Old Testament, there are people upon whom the Holy Spirit descended, but it was always for a specific assignment and was simply a temporary filling. The difference with this filling that Jesus received is that Holy Spirit descended upon Him and remained upon Him . And this filling of the Holy Spirit was the anointing that marked the beginning of Jesus’ ministry.
    Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the