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So this is chapter 8. I'm just 
going to read paragraph 3. Chapter 8, paragraph 3. The Lord 
Jesus, in His human nature thus united to the Divine, in the 
person of the Son, was sanctified and anointed with the Holy Spirit 
above measure, having in Him all the treasures of wisdom and 
knowledge, in whom it pleased the Father that all fullness 
should dwell. to the end that being holy, harmless, 
undefiled, and full of grace and truth, he might be thoroughly 
furnished to execute the office of mediator and surety, which 
office he took not upon himself, but was thereunto called by his 
father, who also put all power and judgment in his hand and 
gave him commandment to execute the same." So you may recall, 
if you've been with us or if you've been listening, online 
or whatever it may be that we've been looking at the person of 
the Lord Jesus Christ. We've taken a number of Sundays 
to ensure that we have that proper Christian precision that we ought 
to have when we understand who Christ the mediator is. Remember, 
is he just a man or is he the God-man, the mediator between 
God and man? the man Christ Jesus. Is he God 
only, having come in the incarnation only as a phantom or a specter 
under the guise of humanity, if you will, but not truly man? 
Of course, we've answered these questions along the way and ensured 
that we understand that Christ is fully God and fully man, as 
we took time over a couple Sundays to look at the stuff of paragraph 
two, that the Son of God, the second person in the Holy Trinity, 
being very an eternal God, did, when the fullness of the time 
had come, take upon himself man's nature with all the common infirmities 
and properties thereof, yet without sin. And that, that two perfect, 
whole perfect, distinct natures were inseparably joined together 
in one person. without conversion, composition, 
or confusion. Well, we get to paragraph 3 now, 
and we have something of a reiteration of the biblical witness to this 
certain fact that Jesus Christ, the mediator, was equipped, prepared 
and equipped by the Holy Spirit to go about his messianic and 
mediatorial task. If you want to turn in your Bibles 
with me to Hebrews 4, Because there we read much of 
what we find in paragraphs 2 and 3. The theology, the things that 
are going on in the mediator Christ Jesus as he is going about 
his task of mediation. Hebrews 4 beginning in verse 
14 and we'll read through to Hebrews 5 and verse 8. Seeing then that we have, excuse 
me, Seeing then that we have a great high priest who has passed 
through the heavens, Jesus the son of God, let us hold fast 
our confession. For we do not have a high priest 
who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points 
tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly 
to the throne of grace that we might obtain mercy and find grace 
to help. in time of need. For every high 
priest taken from among men is appointed for men in things pertaining 
to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. 
He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, 
since he himself is also subject to weakness. Because of this, 
he is required, as for the people, so also for himself to offer 
sacrifices for sins. And no man takes this honor to 
himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was. So 
also Christ did not glorify himself to become high priest, but it 
was he who said to him, you are my son, today I have begotten 
you. As he also says in another place, 
you are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek who 
in the days of his flesh when he had offered up prayers and 
supplications with vehement cries and tears to him who was able 
to save him from death and was heard because of his godly fear 
though he was a son yet he learned obedience by the things which 
he suffered. So what we want to note first 
off just by way of introduction before we get to some of the 
language here in paragraph three is that with regards to the Trinity 
and the incarnation while it is the Son of God alone who becomes 
incarnate remember it's not the Father who becomes incarnate 
it's not the Spirit who becomes incarnate and it's not the Trinity 
who becomes incarnate while it is the Son of God alone who becomes 
incarnate, it is the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, 
that is at work in the incarnation and ministry of the mediator 
Christ Jesus. Christ isn't acting as some sort 
of renegade hypostasis in the Trinity going about the stuff 
of incarnation, but rather it is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit 
who are perfectly at harmonious work in the incarnation. Remember, 
we When we look at the Incarnation and the doctrine of the Son of 
God taking upon Himself man's nature, it wasn't in eternity 
past, if you'll allow the language, that the Trinity, the members 
of the Trinity, drew straws to find out who would come in the 
Incarnation. It wasn't the case that the Son of God comes because, 
you know, He drew the proper straw to condescend and come 
to to to take upon him man's nature, but rather the peculiar 
or the peculiar inter intra trinitarian realities of father, son and 
spirit are mirrored, if you will, in the incarnation with regards 
to their respective roles. What do I mean by that? Well, 
Jesus Christ, the son of God, was uniquely fitted to be the 
mediator because he is eternally begotten of the father. So he 
comes and he is, in the work of new creation, begotten in 
the virginal womb of Mary. It was the reality of Christ 
as his mode of subsistence in the Trinity, being that he is 
begotten of the Father, that he comes in the incarnation. 
The Father, being the eternally unbegotten eternal begetter of 
the Son, is therefore uniquely fitted to be the one who sends 
the Son and who is the one who commissions him to go about the 
work of mediation. And with regards to the spirit 
being the one who proceeds from the Father and the Son, he is 
the one that we read of in here who is the one who is anointing 
the Son of God by the commission of the Father. All of that to 
say each of the members of the Trinity do those things that 
they are peculiarly fitted to do by virtue of their modes of 
subsistence in the divine and infinite being that is God. We 
say that because we're now going to look at the Holy Spirit or 
the divine preparation and work of the Spirit in the mediation 
of Christ. The divine preparation and work 
of the Spirit in the mediation of Christ. And we'll look at 
three things. First, the divine equipping of 
the mediator. Secondly, the purpose of the 
divine equipping of the mediator. And then thirdly, the divine 
commissioning of the mediator. Notice we have the divine equipping 
of the mediator given right at the beginning of paragraph three. 
The Lord Jesus in his human nature thus united to the divine in 
the person of the son was sanctified and anointed with the Holy Spirit 
above measure. So we have here the reality of 
the equipping, the divine equipping of the mediator. You might be 
asking, why does the mediator need to have a divine equipping 
since he is fully God? Well, because of sin, because 
of the fall of man, because of man's iniquity and transgression, 
necessitating a mediator if man is to be found acceptable in 
the sight of God and gain eternal life, we needed to have a man 
to come in the fullness of the times. to bear our sins and to 
have a righteousness that avails before God. If it is God that 
does the work in the person of the son as denominated by his 
divine nature, then we don't have one who offsets the failures 
of Adam. We do not have one, a man who 
is the mediator who wins all of the blessings of the covenant 
for his people, who bears the curse of the covenant of works 
and who wins all of the graces and the blessings with respect 
to the covenant of grace. So we need to have a man who 
goes about the work, one who is fitted by the spirit in order 
to do the work of mediation. And so we have the divine equipping 
of the mediator. First off, the giving of the 
Holy Spirit to the mediator for the work of mediation. You can 
turn to John 3 for a moment. Hopefully we'll be able to, a 
little bit different than the last two times, which there was 
a lot of theology and that sort of thing, relying upon creedal 
formulations of Christology and those sorts of things. Hopefully 
today we'll be able to work through a lot of Bible to see the divine 
equipping the divine preparation and equipping of Christ Jesus. 
John chapter 3, we have there some language that the confession 
is using with regards to the giving of the Holy Spirit to 
the mediator. Notice in John 3 and at verse 34. Here we read, For he whom God 
sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit 
by measure. The Father loves the Son. He 
has given all things into his hand. He who believes in the 
Son has everlasting life. And he who does not believe the 
Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." 
We see here, 34, for he whom God has sent speaks the words 
of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. Again, 
the language of the confession, Christ was sanctified and anointed 
with the Holy Spirit above measure. The father gives the spirit to 
the son to the mediator as denominated by his human nature for the work 
of mediation, because God, the son, the mediator, as denominated 
by his divine nature, does not need the spirit, of course, because 
he's fully God having all. the properties of God having 
the essence, the essence undivided. But it is the mediator as denominated 
by his human nature who is given the anointing of the Holy Spirit 
above measure in order to go about the work of mediation. This is John Owen on on the giving of the Holy Spirit 
for the work of mediation, that the Lord Jesus Christ as man 
did and was to exercise all grace by the rational faculties and 
powers of his soul, his understanding, will, and affections. For he 
acted grace as a man, made of a woman, made under the law. 
His divine nature was not unto him in the place of a soul, nor 
did it immediately operate the things which he performed. as 
some of old vainly imagined." Not specifically, but there's 
something that he's dealing with there, and it's an early Christological 
heresy that no doubt can continue in the minds of men through the 
ages. And that is when he says, his 
divine nature was not unto him in place of a soul. So when people 
looked upon the Lord Jesus Christ They were not looking again upon 
God in a flesh suit, a man with no soul, with no mind, but rather 
his soul and mind replaced by the Son of Gods. But rather he 
was looking at one who was truly God and truly man. He had a human 
soul, a human mind. And so Owen is getting at this 
particular point that he did works or he Jesus Christ did 
immediately operate or I'm sorry Jesus Christ in his divine nature 
did not immediately operate the things which he performed as 
some of old vainly imagined but being a perfect man His rational 
soul was in him the immediate principle of all his moral operations, 
even as ours are in us. Now in the improvement and exercise 
of these faculties and powers of the soul, he had and made 
a progress after the manner of other men. For he was made like 
unto us in all things, yet without sin. In their increase, enlargement, 
and exercise, there was required a progression in grace also. 
And this he had continually by the Holy Ghost. So it is the 
Holy Ghost who is in view in Christ's mediatorial task, his 
empowerment, his going about doing good, all of those things 
that he did operate and perform as the mediator, he does by virtue 
of the continual aid and power of the Holy Ghost. Secondly, 
under the divine equipping of the mediator, the giving of exhaustive 
gospel truth. Notice what the confession says 
here with regards to the giving of exhaustive gospel truth. The Lord Jesus, in his human 
nature, thus united to the divine in the person of the Son, was 
sanctified and anointed with the Holy Spirit above measure. 
And then note, having in him all the treasures of wisdom and 
knowledge. This would not be with respect 
to his divine nature, though of course there is much wisdom 
and knowledge that we must attach to his divine nature, because 
in his divine nature he is omniscient, he has the fullness of deity. But what is being spoken of here, 
you can turn to Colossians with me, you can turn to Colossians 
2, what's being spoken of here is what the confession is getting 
at, that Christ, the mediator, was sanctified with the Holy 
Spirit above measure. And one of the things that that 
was for was so that he would have laid up in him exhaustive 
gospel truth that he might then dispense to the church for her 
glorying in, for her defense, proclamation, propagation, etc. In the book of Colossians, we 
have so much glorious Christology, and you see some references in 
the Confession, and no doubt in the language brought forth, 
that come from Colossians, specifically chapters 1 and 2. But notice 
in Colossians 2, we find in verse 3, but we'll begin in verse 1 
just to lead up to it. For I want you to know, Colossians 
2.1, what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea. 
and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their 
hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love and attaining 
to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge 
of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in 
whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. This 
is John Eady on this idea of what it means here, in whom are 
hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. That system which 
was not after Christ might boast of its stores of philosophy, 
but they were not to be captivated by its pretenses. They needed 
not to go in quest of higher truth and loftier science, for 
in that mystery proclaimed among them were deposited all the treasures 
of wisdom and knowledge. Christians are to value the gospel 
and the doctrine of Christ, to cling to it, to study it, and 
to enthrone it in a niche so lofty and inaccessible that it 
could neither be rivaled nor dethroned. So what is in Christ 
is all the riches of wisdom and knowledge, the exhaustive gospel 
truth, Christian philosophy that is Full and complete, no one 
needs to supplement the doctrine of Christ and the gospel with 
any worldly philosophy, with anything outside the system of 
religion known as Christianity. In the context, notice what we 
find in Colossians 2.8. Beware lest anyone cheat you 
through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition 
of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and 
not according to Christ. For in him dwells all the fullness 
of the Godhead bodily. And you are complete in him, 
who is the head of all principality and power. In the Incarnation, 
Christ is anointed with the Holy Spirit above measure, and He 
has in Him laid up all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and 
it is so that Christians may be complete in Him, needing not 
the pretentious philosophies of anything outside of Christianity. The world brings no wisdom to 
men, truly, but rather it is Christ alone who brings wisdom 
to men, because in Him are hid in him are laid up all the treasures 
of wisdom and knowledge. Gil says those treasures of wisdom 
and knowledge which were hid in him as mediator to be dispensed 
to his church. So we have the giving of the 
Holy Spirit to the mediator for the work of mediation. We have 
the giving of exhaustive gospel truth. Then we have the giving 
of abundant and sufficient grace saving blessings to the mediator, 
not for himself, but for his church. Notice what the confession 
says here. Was sanctified and anointed with 
the Holy Spirit above measure, having in him all the treasures 
of wisdom and knowledge, in whom it pleased the Father that all 
fullness should dwell. And the fullness there is not 
speaking to the Colossians 2.9 fullness of the Godhead bodily. 
but rather to the Colossians 1.19, fullness of salvific blessings 
to be poured out upon the church, to be one for the church in his 
redeeming work and to be poured out on the church in time and 
in history. Notice in Colossians 1 verse 
19, For it pleased the Father that in him all the fullness 
should dwell, and by him to reconcile all things to himself, by him 
whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace 
through the blood of his cross. Again, Edi, the proper exegesis 
then of Colossians 119. Again, it's not deity here that 
in Christ all the fullness of deity should dwell. That's Colossians 
2.9. But here is what we find, the fullness of salvific blessings, 
the graces to be dispensed to the church. The proper exegesis 
then is that all fullness of grace or saving blessings dwells 
in Christ. a species of fullness, the contents 
of which are described in the following verses, knowledge and 
faith, pardon and life, purity and hope, comfort and strength, 
impulse and check. All that quickens and all, excuse 
me, all that quickens and all that, quote, is interrupted by 
some sort of computer error. Well, that's no good because 
that was a great quote by John Eady. I don't know what happened 
there. Anyway, you'll have to be kept 
in suspense until I email every one of you the John Eady quote. 
The idea, though, is that this fullness that's in Colossians 
119 and is that here spoken of at the anointing of Christ by 
the Holy Spirit, this fullness that he has is a species of fullness, 
the contents of which are described in the following verses, those 
saving blessings of Christ that are won by him for the church, 
that are given to him to be dispensed to the church. And so we have, 
again, the giving of the Holy Spirit to the mediator, the giving 
of exhaustive truth, gospel truth, and the giving of abundant and 
sufficient grace or saving blessings to the mediator. And just before 
we move on to the purpose of the divine equipping of the mediator, 
we need to know that the giving of the Holy Spirit to the mediator 
is different than the giving of the Holy Spirit to Christians, 
both in quantity and in quality. It is not just that Christ is 
given the Holy Spirit above measure in a maximal way similar to Christians 
who have it in a lesser way, but rather he is given the Holy 
Spirit above measure, without measure, for the specific and 
exclusive task that he has of carrying out his messianic and 
mediatorial task. So it's not just that he has 
the Holy Spirit He had the Holy Spirit more than we did in his 
earthly ministry. He did, but it was without measure 
and it was specifically for the task of executing to perfection 
his mediatorial role to save a multitude of sinners to the 
praise of the glorious grace of the triune God. So the purpose 
of the divine equipping of the mediator. This is Carl Truman 
just to introduce this section. The Holy Spirit is engaged in 
the work of incarnation and of Christ's earthly ministry, his 
oblation, that is his death, his sacrificial death, and in 
his resurrection. We want to look at four things 
here under the purpose of the divine equipping of the mediator. 
First, the equipping of the divine mediator at the incarnation. 
Remember that we've already met with the work of the Holy Spirit 
in the incarnation of Christ. But we need to note, by power 
did the Holy Spirit conceive in the virginal womb of Mary, 
and not, as Turretin says, materially. Not by seed, but by might. Not 
by intercourse. Not from the substance of the 
spirit. Not by generation, but by power. By blessing and consecration. as the ancients express it. So 
the Holy Spirit, we see the role of the Holy Spirit at the outset 
of the incarnational work of the mediator at the incarnation 
by power, by blessing and consecration, by an effectual work of power 
did the Holy Spirit conceive Christ Jesus in the virginal 
womb of Mary. Further to that, by this power, 
that which was born was holy. Again, the language of paragraph 
2, yet without sin. Christ Jesus does not gain his 
holy, harmless, and undefiledness primarily from the fact of divinity 
being joined to humanity in the hypostatic union. In other words, 
the cause in view of Christ's sinlessness is not his own divinity. Though, we must say this, that 
his divinity, his being the Son of God, the second person of 
the Holy Trinity, his being that, it could not be the case that 
he could be joined in a hypostatic union to sinful flesh. However, the source or the cause 
of his holiness is the giving of the Holy Spirit, is the power 
of the Holy Spirit, and the continual operation of the Holy Spirit 
immediately in his performance as the mediator. So again, by 
this power, the power of the Holy Spirit, that which was born 
was holy. At the very moment, Ferguson 
writes, at the very moment, Sinclair Ferguson, of his conception and 
assumption The Holy Spirit sanctified the human nature of Jesus, equipping 
Him as Son of God to be the Savior of men. By the power of the Holy 
Spirit, Jesus could be truly man and truly holy. The Holy Spirit's creating act 
and His further sustaining power are the ground of Christ's sinless 
life. This is John Owen. The human 
nature of Christ, being thus formed in the womb by a creating 
act of the Holy Spirit, was in the instant of its conception 
sanctified, filled with grace according to the measure of its 
receptivity. Being not begotten by natural 
generation, it derived no taint of original sin or corruption 
from Adam. his nature therefore as miraculously 
created in the manner described was absolutely innocent spotless 
and free from sin hence from his conception he was holy as 
well as harmless and undefiled a holy thing radically filled 
with a perfection of grace and wisdom in as much as the father 
gave him not the spirit by measure so you see You might say, well, 
how does this help us? Or how does this help us in our 
contemplations of Christ and His saving work? Well, it helps 
us to know this, that the source of His holiness pertains to His 
human nature. not to His divinity. So that 
to avail of salvation, to truly have salvation, we needed to 
have a human Savior who was holy, harmless, and undefiled. Because 
Adam and all his progeny after him were not holy, harmless, 
and undefiled. By virtue of the fallen sin, 
for us to be saved, we need a man There is one God and one mediator 
between God and man, the man, Christ Jesus. We needed the man 
mediator, Christ Jesus, though truly God and truly man, we needed 
the man to be wholly harmless and undefiled, having all the 
essential properties of humanity and common infirmities of humanity, 
yet without sin, in order for us to be saved, in order for 
him to carry out the proper and prescribed work of mediation 
for the sins of his people, the elect, he needed to be as man, 
holy, harmless, and undefiled. So again, with regards to the 
incarnation of Christ, it was by power. It was unto the end 
that Christ would be truly man and truly holy. Secondly, under 
the purpose of the divine equipping of the mediator, the work of 
the spirit in the ministry of the mediator, So it wasn't just 
the case that the work of the Holy Spirit stopped at the incarnation 
and then there was no further. divine equipping and divine work 
by the Holy Spirit in the mediation of Christ. But as Bovink writes, 
it is important to note that this activity of the Holy Spirit 
with respect to Christ's human nature, the Incarnation, absolutely 
does not stand by itself. Though it began with the conception, 
it did not stop there. It continued throughout his entire 
life, even right into the state of exaltation. Turn to the book 
of Isaiah with me. So we see there some prophecies 
concerning the servant, the Christ, the mediator, the Messiah. In 
Isaiah 11, we have language in the first 
three verses that speak to the reality of the divine equipping 
and the work of the spirit in the mediation of Christ. Notice 
in Isaiah 11 at verse 1, There shall come forth a rod from the 
stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit 
of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, 
the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of 
the fear of the Lord. His delight is in the fear of 
the Lord, and he shall not judge by the sight of his eyes, nor 
decide by the hearing of his ears. You see there the prophecy 
concerning the spirit resting upon Christ. Verse 2, the spirit 
of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding. You see, I think sometimes we 
can operate knowing that Christ is fully God and fully man, we 
come to contemplations or readings of his human ministry as the 
mediator on earth, and we just maybe think that Christ in doing 
those miraculous works, and Christ in performing the mighty deeds 
and going about doing good, He is doing with respect to His 
divine nature, perhaps His humanity, just the vehicle of the incarnation 
whereby the Son of God can actually do those things with respect 
to His divinity. We must understand, and the Confession 
is bringing out the fact, that it was the man Christ Jesus, 
the perfect man that went about doing good, The perfect man that 
went about raising the dead. The perfect man that went about 
healing and casting out demons. And we have a prophecy that speaks 
to that. The Spirit of the Lord shall 
rest upon him. More to that point, Isaiah 61. Isaiah 61. Again, this is the work of the 
Spirit in the ministry of the mediator. The work of the spirit 
at the incarnation and then that work doesn't cease but continues. Isaiah 61 in verse 1, the spirit 
of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to preach 
good tidings to the poor. He has sent me to heal the broken 
hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening 
of the prison to those who were bound. We fast forward and Redemptive 
history and we see this prophecy brought to bear or brought to 
confirmation by the lips of the Savior himself in Luke 4 16. In Luke 4 16, so he came to Nazareth 
where he had been brought up and as his custom was, he went 
into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read. Luke 
4, 17, and he was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And 
when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was 
written, the spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed 
me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to heal 
the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery 
of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 
to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. So you see here, 
the mission of Christ, the mediatorial messianic task and performance 
of the Lord Jesus Christ is by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of the Lord is upon 
me. So as he goes about preaching the gospel, as he goes about 
healing the brokenhearted, as he goes about engaging in the 
proclamation of liberty, healing the blind and setting at liberty 
those who are oppressed. He goes about that as man, mediator, 
empowered by the Holy Spirit, yet, of course, in union with 
His divine nature. Growth in grace and wisdom. Growth 
in grace and wisdom. You can turn. You're still in 
Luke. You can turn back to Luke 2. We already read in Hebrews 
5.8 that He learned obedience through suffering. We see here 
in Luke chapter 2 that He grew in grace and in wisdom. In Luke 
2 verse 52, notice what we read there. And Jesus increased in 
wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men. The Son of 
God, the second person of the Holy Trinity need not grow in 
favor with God because He is in perfect and eternal bliss 
and unity. and intra-Trinitarian perfection 
with Father and Spirit. But the man Christ Jesus does 
grow in favor with God. as it pertains to, or the mediator 
as denominated by his human nature, grows in wisdom and in stature. Because he's born as a man, like 
each and every one of us are, with the exception of it not 
being a normal generation, but rather He is conceived in the 
womb of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit. And 
He truly grew physically as a man. And as I think it's Athanasius 
said, as He grew in age, so also He grew in wisdom. The Lord Jesus 
Christ really did have to learn things. He did not have an ignorance 
conceived or comprehended as a human sinful ignorance. But 
nevertheless, he had an ignorance at this point that he needed 
to learn. He needed to grow in wisdom. 
He read the scriptures. He formulated and he put things 
together. He engaged in some chapter one, 
paragraph six, logical putting together of scriptural verses 
to arrive at certain things. He read the Scriptures, and in 
them he saw himself. He read the Scriptures by the 
power of the Holy Spirit, and he learned of his own mediatorial 
task." It was an old, faulty idea that Christ was completely 
blessed with the full knowledge of all things 
at his conception. So that when he grew in grace 
and in wisdom, it was only so that men would perceive, that 
men would get the idea that he was growing in grace and wisdom. 
So it was almost like a faux growth in wisdom at the point 
of the son of God, just so that men would see that he, the mediator, 
was growing in grace and in wisdom. But no, that's not correct. He 
was not immediately bestowed with all the knowledge of God 
at conception, but rather grew in wisdom. He grew in the favor 
of God and man. And so as he grew in stature, 
as he grew in body, he increased in wisdom. So growth and grace and wisdom. 
Again, Luke 2.52 and Hebrews 5.8. This is Calvin speaking on the 
power of the Holy Spirit with regards to the ministry of the 
Lord Jesus Christ, specifically at the point of his prophetic 
role. For the power wherein Christ exceeded, proceeded from the 
Spirit alone. Therefore, when as the Heavenly 
Father anointed His Son, He furnished Him with the power of His Spirit. 
Peter saith immediately after, that this power appeared in miracles, 
although he expresseth only one kind, in plain words, that Christ 
testified that he was endowed with power of the Holy Ghost, 
that he might do good in the world. Again, what Calvin says 
here is important to grasp at the point of our study of paragraph 
three, for the power wherein Christ exceeded, proceeded from 
the Spirit alone. Remember, it's not necessarily 
what in view with the powerful workings of the mediator Christ 
Jesus in his earthly ministry. that he was operating with respect 
to his divine nature, but rather as man, as human mediator, he's 
functioning by the anointing of the Holy Spirit that was given 
without measure. The exercise of spiritual gifts. Well, and specifically at the 
point of his prophetic role, remember, when Christ is going 
about engaging in prophecy, we already read from Luke 2.18 that 
when he is proclaiming liberty to the captives, when he is preaching 
the gospel to the poor, It is by virtue of this fact that the 
spirit of the Lord is upon me, he says, in quoting Isaiah 61. 
So as he's prophesying to men, he's prophesying to men as man. He's prophesying to men as man 
anointed with the Holy Spirit above measure, specifically for 
the task of mediation. There are times where, remember, 
he gives prophecy, but he is ignorant of certain things. And 
again, that ignorance, we must not understand as ignorance in 
a sinful way that he wasn't paying attention when he was reading 
his scriptures and growing by the anointing of the Holy Spirit. 
That ignorance is in no way human ignorance as marked by each and 
every one of us. But turn to Mark 13 for a moment. Because as we understand Christ's 
prophetic role, we see clear evidence that He is operating 
with respect to His human nature as being anointed without measure 
by the Holy Spirit. Luke 13 and Mark 13 and verse 
32. This is following the prophecy concerning the destruction 
of the temple in Jerusalem. The destruction of the temple 
in Jerusalem where God in His wholesome severity would judge 
apostate Israel for their covenantal unfaithfulness culminating in 
the murderous execution of the Son of Glory. Notice in Mark 
13.32 But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels 
in heaven nor the Son, but only the Father." Unless we are to 
violate theology proper and somehow jettison the Son of God from 
perfect triune harmony, We must see here that this is with respect 
to his human nature as being equipped by the work of the Holy 
Spirit for the work of mediation. No one knows the hour, not even 
the angels in heaven, nor the sun, but only the Father. So 
we see here that Christ, as He's going about His prophetic role 
in His work of mediation, He is doing so as perfect man, wholly 
harmless and undefiled, with the above-measure anointing of 
the Holy Spirit. The exercise of spiritual gifts, 
and you can turn to Luke 2 for a moment. The exercise of spiritual 
gifts. In Luke chapter 2 and verse 40, 
we read this, and the child grew and became strong in spirit, 
filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him. We'll look 
at a few more texts in a moment. But again, we have this language 
that we read in Luke 2.52, some similar language. The child grew 
and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace 
of God was upon him. At his baptism, contrary to what 
some may believe erroneously in church history, it was not 
at his baptism where the Holy Spirit was given. Though, there 
is something uniquely to be identified with that event at his baptism, 
because that's when his public ministry, his public life of 
messianic mediatorial ministry began at his baptism. So there 
is this idea that we can most certainly uphold that at his 
baptism, he was given the Holy Spirit in the sense of a more 
punctuated manner to go about now his public activity as the 
mediator. as the Messiah, as the Savior 
of man. But in the exercise of spiritual 
gifts, we see the Spirit at work at His baptism. We see the Spirit 
at work when He's driven out into the desert. Remember, He 
is by the Spirit driven out into the desert to be tempted by the 
devil. And what we see there is not 
necessarily the divinity of the mediator overcoming the tempter, 
the devil. But the spirit drives Christ 
Jesus into the desert, and it is by the powerful working of 
the Holy Spirit, the anointing that Christ had by the Holy Spirit 
as perfect man, that he goes toe to toe with the tempter, 
the devil, and overcomes that one of destruction. The devil 
comes thrice at him, and Christ thrice opposes by the power of 
the Holy Spirit. the one who is the father of 
lies. And so we see in verses like 
Matthew, then Matthew 12 and verse 18. We see that Christ 
by the spirit performs these various miracles. Matthew 12. Notice in verse 15, But when 
Jesus knew it, he withdrew from there, and great multitudes followed 
him, and he healed them all. Yet he warned them not to make 
him known that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the 
prophet, saying, Behold, my servant, whom I have chosen, my beloved, 
in whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my spirit upon him, 
and he will declare justice to the Gentiles. He will not quarrel 
nor cry out. nor will anyone hear his voice 
in the streets." And remember Christ, remember what Christ 
says with regards to the casting out of demons. If I by the Spirit 
cast out demons, then the kingdom of God is at hand. You can turn 
to Acts 2.22. A lot of Bible here, a lot of 
flipping, but hopefully just an exercise in showing the work 
of the Spirit in the mediatorial ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. 
Acts 2 and verse 22. No doubt you know this verse 
well, perhaps more so verse 23, but Acts 2.22. Men of Israel 
hear these words, Jesus of Nazareth, a man, attested by God to you 
by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through him in 
your midst. as you yourselves also know." 
So we have here the reality of the humanity of Jesus Christ 
brought out again fully God and fully man but the mediator Christ 
Jesus as denominated by his human nature a man attested by God 
to you by miracles wonders and signs which God did through him 
the man which God did through him in your midst as you yourselves 
also know. So growth and grace and wisdom, 
continuous presence in his humanity and that for the sake of his 
mediatorial work, Christ Jesus was empowered by the Holy Spirit. 
You can make note of Isaiah 54 to 9. His prophetic role, the 
exercise of spiritual gifts, the performing of miracles and 
healing. So thirdly, we have, well actually 
just one more verse because we're there, Acts 10 verse 38. Notice 
here as well. language of the work of the Spirit 
in the mediation of Christ, verse 38, how God anointed Jesus of 
Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about 
doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, 
for God was with him. You see, it's very important 
to understand this. If we're doing apologetics, and 
let's say there's one of those sharp-dressed cats at your door, 
And they come and they knock on the door, and they say, we'd 
like to share with you the wisdom of the watchtower. Well, they're 
going to come to verses in the Bible that seem to speak to some 
subordinate reality in Christ. over, you know, completely, a 
subordination to the Father on the part of Christ. And they'll 
go to verses like this, and you'll see, well, you see, Christ wasn't 
God. It was just the case that God 
was with him, Acts 10.38. He went about doing good, but 
you see, he wasn't truly God. It was just that God was with 
him. Well, a hearty ingestion of our topic of study over the 
last four Sundays hopefully helps in setting this forth, that Christ 
the mediator is truly God, but he is truly man. The doctrine 
of the incarnation and Even more beyond that, the doctrine of 
the work of the Holy Spirit helps us to answer questions when we 
have enemies that oppose the true and saving Christ. You see, 
it was just that God was with him. Yes, but that's with regards 
to his humanity. That's with regards to him being 
truly God, but truly man, because a man was needed. A man was necessary 
to perfect the work of mediation. for guilty sinners unto God. And so these sorts of things 
help us to understand, okay, yeah, this is a text that's pertaining 
to his human nature. The man Christ Jesus, or the 
mediator, denominated by his human nature, was the recipient 
of the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and with power, who went 
about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the 
devil. The work of the Spirit in the death of the mediator. 
the work of the Spirit in the death of the Mediator. This is 
John Gill on Hebrews 9, 13-14, and perhaps while I read this 
verse, if you can multitask, you can turn there. This is John 
Gill on the death, the work of the Holy Spirit in the death 
of the Mediator. Gill writes, the words are to 
be understood of Christ, the same person, this is Hebrews 
9, 13-14, The words are to be understood of Christ, the same 
person that is speaking in the preceding verses, who being anointed 
by the spirit of the Lord God as man, whose gifts and graces 
he received without measure, he was abundantly qualified for 
the discharge of his prophetic office and was capable of speaking 
as never man did, and with such power and authority as the scribes 
and Pharisees did not, and with so much wisdom and eloquence 
as were surprising to all that heard him. He had the spirit 
of wisdom on him, and the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hid in 
him. As the Holy Ghost formed and 
filled the human nature of Christ, so he assisted and supported 
it under sufferings. So with regards to Hebrews 9, 
13, and 14 specifically, as the Holy Ghost formed and filled 
the human nature of Christ, So he assisted and supported it 
under suffering. So when we come to the Christ's 
resolute commitment in his earthly ministry to march steadfast to 
the cross. Remember, he had that resolute 
determination to march steadfast to the cross in his earthly ministry. He announced to his disciples, 
I must go to Jerusalem, I must be delivered up. by wicked hands 
to be crucified, and I'll be raised again the third day. He 
marched resolute to the cross. It was by the Spirit that he 
did that. As the Holy Ghost formed and filled the human nature of 
Christ, so he assisted and supported it under his sufferings. When 
he was in the Garden of Gethsemane, crying out, O Father, if it is 
possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not my will, 
but thine be done. The Holy Spirit aiding, helping, 
assisting, supporting under suffering. The Spirit sustained him on the 
cross. Again, Ferguson, the Spirit also 
sustained him in the breaking of his heart and the engulfing 
of his soul with sorrow as he contemplated his coming sense 
of dereliction at Calvary and then experienced what he had 
contemplated. Again, the Spirit sustaining 
Christ upon the cross. And then we have the work of 
the Spirit in the exaltation of Christ. The work of the Spirit 
in the exaltation of Christ. We see something of this in Romans 
1. In Romans 1. Specifically, verse 4. Here we 
have speaking of Christ and declared to be the Son of God with power 
according to the spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the 
dead. And then you don't have to turn 
there, but in 1 Timothy 3.16, remember what we read there, 
and it connects well to the incarnation, because we read, God was manifested 
in the flesh. And what was he? Justified in 
the spirit. It speaks to that reality of 
the resurrection where there is a testification, a divine 
testification to the legitimacy and the perfection of the work 
of Christ upon the cross when he is raised by the Spirit from 
the dead the third day. He's manifested in the flesh, 
seen among angels, preached in the world. He's justified by 
the Spirit in the resurrection of the dead. Owen says, He who 
first made His nature holy, now made it glorious. Speaking of 
the work of the Holy Spirit, He who first made His nature 
holy, the by power conception in the virginal womb of Mary, 
He who first made His nature holy, now made it glorious. By 
the Spirit of holiness, by the Holy Spirit, Christ in His exaltation, 
is made glorious." And then notice at the end of the confession 
the divine commissioning of the mediator. The mediator is not 
self-appointed, but is commissioned and sent by the Father in accordance 
with the covenant made between them both. Notice, which office 
he took not upon himself, but was thereunto called by his Father, 
who also put all power and judgment in his hand, and gave him commandment 
to execute the same. The mediator does not come on 
his own accord, but he is sent by the Father. He is commissioned 
by the Father in accordance with the covenant made between them 
both. That's what the Confession said at the outset of this chapter. It pleased God in His eternal 
purpose to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus, His only begotten 
Son, according to the covenant made between them both, to be 
the mediator between God and man. So the mediator is not self-appointed, 
but is commissioned and sent by the Father. And that's something 
that we read right at the outset of our study this morning in 
Hebrews 4, excuse me, Hebrews 5, where we read in verse 5, 
so also Christ did not glorify himself to become high priest, 
but it was he who said to him, you are my son, today I have 
begotten you. As he also says in another place, 
you are a priest forever, according to the order Melchizedek so we 
have the divine commissioning of the mediator and the authority 
that is given to him the father put all power and judgment in 
his hand and gave him commandment to execute the same Christ says 
this throughout his earthly ministry that I have received from my 
father and commission all judgment has been given to me and we see 
that at the the the in Matthew 28 the Great Commission all power 
and authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth 
go therefore and make disciples of all the nations so we have 
again the divine preparation in the work of the Spirit in 
the mediation of Christ and the importance of it in the complex 
of Christology hopefully is clear If it was just the divinity and 
the perfect humanity without the work of the Holy Spirit, 
then we could tend towards a heretical Christology where it is the Son 
of God illuminating and animating only human flesh and not taking 
to himself human nature with all the properties and common 
infirmities thereof, yet without sin. If we only have a divine 
Savior who animates flesh, we do not truly have a human mediator 
that we must have between God and man in order to perfectly 
affect mediation and salvation. So the Holy Spirit is given to 
the perfect man, Christ Jesus, who is truly God, to go about 
the work of mediation, to execute it to perfection, so that he 
might bring many sons to glory after the perfect work that he 
executed in his ministry, his life, death, and resurrection. 
Well, we'll close in prayer, and then by all means, you can 
stick around if you do have any questions, anything that you 
would like clarified. I will, after we pray, in fact, 
I'll just read one thing in order to hopefully realign and balance 
the fact that Christ did have divinity united to him in his 
mediatorial task and his divine nature as paragraph two says, 
or excuse me, as paragraph 7 says, Christ in the work of mediation 
acteth according to both natures, by each nature doing that which 
is proper to itself. We must not exclude the fact 
of Christ's divinity in his mediatorial work, and we'll read that after 
we pray. Heavenly Father, we rejoice in 
this time together studying, and we thank you that we can 
learn of our Savior, Christ Jesus, the mediator. We thank you that 
we can rejoice in the fact of his full divinity, that we can 
know the truth of his full humanity, that he was made in all points 
like us, yet without sin, anointed by the Holy Spirit, that he might 
execute perfectly his task as mediator. And we pray that we'd 
go into the worship now, that we would be rejoicing in Christ, 
that we would sing the praises of our triune God, and that you 
would be the recipient of praise and honor. We pray in Christ's 
name, amen.