Religion Without Jesus is Exhasting
“The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.“-Isaiah 11:2–3
In the early parts of Isaiah, there are a few prophecies that point to Jesus. One of them, in Isaiah 11, talks about the promised “shoot of Jesse” who will be filled with the Holy Spirit.
The actual phrase is “The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him.” While we often think of the Spirit as something in our hearts, the Bible talks about the Spirit resting or coming down on someone. This turn of phrase makes more sense when we remember how Old Testament leaders were commissioned for office.
Before Pentecost, only certain people had the Holy Spirit: prophets, priests, and kings. These people were commissioned for office by having oil poured over their heads. This anointing set them apart to lead, speak, and worship as God directed.
The Hebrew word for “anointed” is “Messiah.” The Greek equivalent is “Christ.”
When we call Jesus “Christ” or “the Messiah” we aren’t using his last name! It is a title. It refers to His anointing to be the perfect King, true prophet, and final priest.
Jesus promised that when he left, he would give us this same Spirit. Following in his footsteps, we are anointed ones, also known as Christians.
In my video this week, I reference an article written by a pastor who left the ministry because it was too hard. He talks about having 1,000 bosses. He shares the unrealistic expectations that pastors face, wearing the hats of a professional speaker, CEO, counselor, fundraiser, human resources director, master of ceremonies, and pillar of virtue. Jesus is not referenced a single time in his article, nor does he mention the Spirit.
Religion without Jesus is exhausting. Serving others without the Spirit wears you out. Like a car engine without oil, the constant wear will grind you down until you lock up.
The Spirit of Jesus does not make the Christian life easy, but it does make it worthwhile. I cannot judge that author by one article, but if I had the chance to talk to him, I would not ask him about time management or church staffing decisions. I would ask him about his connection to Jesus. Not self-care, but soul-care. Is he abiding deeply in Jesus? Is he asking to be refreshed by the Holy Spirit?
That’s what keeps me going. I’ve been a pastor for about 15 years. I’ve also had secular jobs in sales, project management, retail, customer service, and corporate strategy. Only the applied power of the Resurrected Christ gives me hope in and out of ministry, through heartbreak and trouble, on mountaintops and in valleys.
May He be your hope as well.
Pastor Tim
