The transforming truth of Jesus Christ is certain, supreme, clear and relevant to our lives (1 Tim. 3:16a). Paul outlines six pivotal elements of this truth, which are critical to understanding and appreciating the magnitude of Jesus Christ and His plan for us. We studied first the great incarnation.
Second, Paul emphasizes the great VINDICATION: “He was vindicated by the Spirit.”
What does that mean? Some of the older translations had “justified in the Spirit” (KJV, NKJV) or “justified in the spirit” (ASV). “Justified” is a good translation of the Greek word, as that is how it is most often translated, but it is not implying that Jesus had sins from which He needed to be “justified.” The term also means “to vindicate, to prove to be right, avouch to be good and true.” When and how did that happen in the life of Christ? While this could be talking about Christ’s human “spirit” (with a lower case “s,” as in the ASV), it seems to be more likely pointing to Christ being vindicated or proved to be right by the Holy Spirit. Let’s consider three specific times when the Holy Spirit is seen avouching for Christ.
Jesus was vindicated by the Spirit at His baptism. Jesus was baptized in order “to fulfill all righteousness” (Matt. 3:15) and, more especially, to prove His divine identity. John was told, “Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit” (John 1:33). When “the heavens were opened” and “the Spirit of God” descended “like a dove” upon Jesus, John said, “I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God” (John 1:34).
Jesus was vindicated by the Spirit in His power over evil spirits. In the face of denial and rejection, especially by the Pharisees, who accused Jesus of working for the devil, “the ruler of the demons” (Matt. 12:24), Jesus was able to state and to prove (for there was no other plausible explanation) that He “cast out demons by the Spirit of God” (Matt. 12:28). Jesus had power over evil because He worked in concert with the Spirit of God Himself, not the devil!
Jesus was vindicated by the Spirit in His resurrection. “Lawless hands” took Jesus and “murdered” Him “by hanging on a tree” (Acts 2:23; 5:30; 10:39). But God was not done proving who Jesus is! Jesus Christ was “declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” (Rom. 1:4). The Spirit worked to prove the deity of Christ!
This indisputable truth ought to transform our lives toward godliness! As the Lord’s church, we are “the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15). We must know it! We must teach it! We must defend it! (more next week)