Anointed Ones
The Messiah is Our Prophet, Priest, and King
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
In Luke 2, we heard that a Savior was born. The angel called him The Christ, or Messiah. The word Christ literally means “Anointed One.” It shouldn’t surprise us, then, that the first thing we see Jesus announce about himself in the book of Luke is that he has, in fact, been ANOINTED, and that his anointing is one promised by the prophets of old.
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor...”
What is Anointing?
In ancient times, anointing with oil was an important practice. It was a symbol of setting someone apart for a special work of service to God and man. For the people of Israel, there were three special categories of people who were anointed:
- PROPHETS were the mouthpiece of God, bringing God’s words to the people. They proclaimed what God revealed to them, warned the people about God’s wrath for their sin, announced God’s mercy to the oppressed, and spoke God’s prophetic words about the future. (1 Kings 19:16, 1 Chronicles 16:22)
- PRIESTS were anointed to stand before God as representatives of the people. They were set apart to administer the proper worship of God, offering incense, gifts, and sacrifices on behalf of the people. They sacrificed bulls, lambs, and goats before the Lord according to the Law so that God would forgive the sins of the people. (Exodus 29:29, Leviticus 4:3)
- KINGS were anointed to rule and reign over God’s people. They expanded the territory of God’s Kingdom on earth by conquering land. They defended God’s people with a military presence and administered the government of the nation. (1 Samuel 10:1, 16:1)
Rarely, would a man serve in more than one of these roles. Samuel served as both prophet and priest of Israel. The mysterious Melchizedek was a priest and king of Salem. David was a great king, and wrote many prophetic Psalms. But Jesus, the Christ, was uniquely all three: Prophet, Priest, AND King of Israel.
Prophet, Priest and King
A Better Prophet
God promised Moses, “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him.” (Deuteronomy 18:18 ESV)
Jesus is that promised prophet. He said, “I do nothing on my own, but speak exactly what the Father has taught me.” (John 8:28 ESV)
As our better prophet, Jesus not only speaks the words of God, but he is the very Word of God made flesh. “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.” (John 1:14 ESV)
A Better Priest
Jesus is a new and better priest of God. Not only does he bring the sacrifice for sins, he IS the sacrifice for our sins:
“Unlike the other high priests, He does not need to offer daily sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people; He sacrificed for sin once for all when He offered up Himself.” (Hebrews 7:27)
A Better King
And as Luke has made very clear by now, Jesus is the promised Messiah King:
“…and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:31-33 ESV)
He so superior to all earthly kings that all authority in heaven and earth has been given unto him (Matthew 28:18).
When Was Jesus Anointed?
Luke has been building up to a royal anointing scene since the birth of John the Baptist in Luke 1. Throughout that chapter he highlighted similarities between John and Samuel, who anointed the great King David of Israel. Like John, Samuel was born to a barren mother, Hannah. She prayed, just like Elizabeth, to be delivered from the shame and reproach of her barrenness. She, too, offered her son to be given to the service of the Lord from childhood (1 Samuel 1). And when the Lord heard her prayer, she sang a song (1 Samuel 2:1-10) very similar to Mary’s song (Luke 1:46-55).
So when we see John baptizing people in the Jordan, and Jesus coming out on to meet him, we are ready for that royal anointing:
Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
This was the greatest anointing in the history of Israel. Jesus was anointed with something better than oil, he was anointed with the Holy Spirit of God. Empowered by that Spirit he would go on to speak the words of God to all who would listen. He ministered healing and deliverance to the people and even offered himself as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. And finally, he rose from the dead as the conquering King, defeating sin and death on our behalf.
We, Too, Have Been Anointed
Jesus continues to speak God’s words through his Spirit and his Word. He continues to intercede on our behalf as our high priest in the very presence of the Father. His Kingdom continues to expand as he rules and reigns in hearts and minds across the globe, and one day he will come back to rule and reign forever over the new heaven and the new earth.
In the meantime, Jesus has passed the baton of this three-fold ministry to his followers, and anointed us for this special calling:
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
In Acts 2, the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus’ disciples, anointing and empowering them to speak his good news boldly on his behalf, as his witnesses. And 3,000 people believed in Jesus that day, and joined the Body of Christ.
This anointing was not only for those original disciples, but for all of us who would later believe through their ministry. The apostle John wrote to believers, “But you have been anointed by the Holy One…” (1 John 2:20) and Peter called us “a royal priesthood” who “proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9)
Live the Anointed Life, Indwelled by the Anointed One
By anointing his followers with the Holy Spirit, Jesus continues his three-fold ministry through his Body, the Church, on earth. If you are in Christ, you have been anointed with the Holy Spirit of God, and entrusted with this ministry.
Like the prophets, we have been entrusted with the word of God, to proclaim his excellencies, preach the gospel, and teach his people to obey his commands (Matthew 28:19-20). Like the priests, we have been entrusted with a ministry of reconciliation, healing, and prayer, bringing others before the throne of God above (2 Corinthians 5:18-21). And as Christ’s Body we share in his royal authority and inheritance, expanding and administering his Kingdom here on earth, and ruling and reigning with him in the Kingdom that is to come (Daniel 7:27).
Doesn’t it make you tremble to feel the weight of this anointing? Isn’t it astounding that we share in that same Spirit that came upon Jesus, the Christ? It is by his Spirit through his people that his work goes on. We, too, have been anointed…
“… to proclaim good news to the poor.
… to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-19)
May the very name, “Christ,” take on new significance in our worship, and may we take seriously each day the awesome responsibility of the anointing we have received.
Father God, how grateful I am that you chose to send your Precious Son as my Prophet, Priest, and King. Through him I know you. Through his shed blood I have access to you. He is my Lord and King with complete rule over my soul and my life.
Thank you for the unbelievable gift of your Holy Spirit. Through his anointing your presence and power abide inside me! But how your Spirit must be grieved when I live for myself instead of allowing you to live your life through me. I surrender myself to you once again. Live your anointed Christ-life through me, Jesus.
Amen.
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