The Fulness of Christ

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,” (Luke 4:18).

After Jesus was in the wilderness and tempted of the devil, He preached in Galilee and His fame spread. (Luke 4:1-15) He then went to Nazareth, His hometown and went to the synagogue as He usually did when He was home. He was given the book of Isaiah to read, and He chose to read the Scripture which is our Scripture of study today. (Luke 4:16-19) He read the prophecy that told about Him. This was the ministry that Jesus was sent to do on earth.  This is besides taking the punishment and death for our sins to save us. The Gospels record His works as describe in Luke 4:18.

Jesus was anointed of the Holy Spirit. After Jesus fasted and was tempted of the devil, He was full of the Holy Spirit. “And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of Him through all the region round about.” (Luke 4:14) There arose questions to John the Baptist from His disciples about Jesus forgiving sins. (John 3:26) “John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before Him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease. He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: He that cometh from heaven is above all. And what He hath seen and heard, that He testifieth; and no man receiveth His testimony. He that hath received His testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. For He whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto Him.” (John 3:27-34) In other words, Jesus had while on earth, the Holy Spirit without measure unlike man who is given a measure of the Spirit. Man can receive certain gifts, but it is limited. The gifts are distributed among the church. Paul said, “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” (Romans 12:3) Each person in the body of Christ has been given a measure of faith, a measure of the Holy Spirit to operate in the Spirit. “For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So, we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.” (Romans 12:4-8)

But Jesus had all the gifts operating in Him. He was full of grace. “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. ...And of His fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.” (John 1:14, 16)

When He started His ministry as the Gospels recount, He was full of grace, full of the Holy Spirit, without measure and operating in all the gifts. He is God after all, Who came to redeem man.