As He Is, So Are We In This World

"As He is, so are we in this world." This is a quote from the apostle John's first letter. I've had it ringing through my mind lately, and wondering out loud about what it could possibly mean. It occurred to me to think about Jesus in a different way, a new way, an even revolutionary way. It may seem odd to think of Jesus as a guy with a job and a job description, but that's what I'm doing. 

He even said as much, that He was pretty much just a Guy with a job to do! He said it like this:“The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the LORD’s favor has come.” This is a direct quote from the prophet Isaiah, who wrote this seven hundred years earlier. 

The first part of this you might miss because it goes by so fast, that part about the Spirit of the Lord being upon Him. You might think, "Well, duh! Of course the Son of God would have the Spirit of God upon Him!" So if it is so obvious why would Jesus, and the prophet Isaiah, need to say it that way? Because of the significance of the Spirit of God throughout the history of God's people. You see, when there was a great need or time of difficulty, God would send a hero, a deliverer, a prophet or a judge to help the people out of their situation. And typically this person would be known as someone who has a measure of the Spirit of God operating directly in their lives. So when Jesus is saying He has the Spirit of God upon Him He is claiming to be a deliverer or judge of some kind.

So what about the phrase "he has anointed me?" To anoint means "to rub or smear with oil", like when David was anointed by Samuel to be King. Samuel took a whole container of about a liter of oil and doused David with it. You could probably smell the strong presence of the oil on David for weeks after that. Anointing with oil was the ceremonial act of commissioning someone to a position of importance, and became a symbol of being called out and set apart to God and His purposes. So Jesus was claiming this for Himself, claiming to be a special person, called to a unique and powerful representative of God and His purposes on the earth.

So, as a special agent on behalf of God, Jesus comes with a message, news from God about a new way to relate and have relationship with God. He also brought news about a new system of government on earth, one in which God rules and reigns through the work of Jesus and the people that know God through Him. 

Jesus announces that captives, or prisoners, will be set free. He deliberately promises to be a Deliverer for those who are bound and gagged with impossible oppression and depression. He declares that He is not only going to set people free, but that He will bring in a kingdom that has as it's essential aspect one of freedom and liberty of heart, mind and soul. 

Jesus also announces that "the blind will see." This is actually a sideways quote of a verse from Isaiah, the Old Testament prophet we mentioned before, "In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see." All throughout the time of God's dealings with Israel, God's special people, He used the idea of deafness and blindness to illustrate unwillingness to cooperate with God and hardness of heart towards Him and His redemptive attempts to bless His people. It was a kind of spiritual hard-headedness and stubbornness. And into this situation Jesus does the unthinkable, He goes around actually, physically healing the blind and the deaf to show that the Kingdom and power He is bringing extends fully into every realm of human experience, the spiritual, the emotional , and even the physical.

So what do you think the "the time of the Lord's favor has come" could mean? Jesus is doing something really radical here. He is telling people that He is bringing in THE era of God's special blessing and provision. All throughout time there were glimpses of a great time to come when God would do something really awesome in history. It was described as a new version of creation itself. It was described in terms of a return of the Davidic Kingdom, the time of the greatest power and extent of Israel's kingdom in their collective memory. It was seen as a time of worldwide peace and blessing, with a Great King to rule over the whole earth. It was even described as being timeless and never-ending, with no death or disease or lack of any kind. Jesus was doing no less than declaring that "this is that." "This thing I am bringing in is the absolute fulfillment of all those long awaited promises, and I am the King of that perfect Kingdom!" 

And so you have to be asking yourself the $100,000 question, "what's this got to do with me?"

Smart question! You see, I think I may have a good way to understand the statement "As He is, so are we in this world." It comes from the hundreds of times I have poured over Isaiah 61. (I know, it's kind of an obsession.) There is an interesting progression that happens throughout the chapter. 

First, there is the Spirit poured out on "Me", referring to the job description passage above. Then there are "those" and "them" and “they” who receive the ministry of the One on whom the Spirit is poured upon.

Is. 61:3      To console those who mourn in Zion,

     To give them beauty for ashes,

     The oil of joy for mourning,

     The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;

     That they may be called trees of righteousness,

     The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”

Is. 61:4      And they shall rebuild the old ruins,

     They shall raise up the former desolations,

     And they shall repair the ruined cities,

     The desolations of many generations. 

And then there is "you." Who is the "you?" You got it! It's you, isn't it? Admit it, it's you!

Is. 61:6      But you shall be named the priests of the LORD,

     They shall call you the servants of our God.

     You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles,

     And in their glory you shall boast.

Is. 61:7      Instead of your shame you shall have double honor,

     And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion.

     Therefore in their land they shall possess double;

     Everlasting joy shall be theirs. 

So I see this cool "Me-them-you" transition that connects Jesus' mission with our individual purpose on this planet. In John 14:12 Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father."

Greater works! Than Jesus! Who's up for that? Sign me up!

One more thing...I would like to see miracles, signs, and wonders, but a greater work for you might be that you finish that book you've been planning to write, or start that awesome small business you have all figured out in your head but are just afraid to start. Maybe you need to record all those songs you have stuck in the bottom of your guitar case. Resurrection power is available to you twenty four hours a day and seven days a week. Jesus walked on the water, and so can you, because, “As He is, so are we in this world.”