What does the Bible say about the anointing of Jesus?
The Bible states that Jesus was anointed with the oil of gladness above His fellows, highlighting His divine appointment and fullness of the Holy Spirit.
As believers, we are told that we share in this anointing. Just as Aaron was anointed and it flowed down to the skirts of his garment, so too do we receive this holy and fragrant blessing from Christ. This anointing is crucial; it enables us to live in a manner that reflects Jesus, leading to a transformation in our character and actions. Thus, the anointing serves as evidence of our union with Christ, shaping our witness and impact in the world as we embody His grace and truth.
Psalm 45:6-7, Luke 4:18, 1 John 2:20
How do we know Jesus' anointing is true?
Jesus' anointing is affirmed through prophetic writings and His life demonstrated the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
Theologically, the anointing of Christ serves as evidence of His divine nature, aligning with the understanding of His dual nature as both fully God and fully man. This anointing is not just for Himself; it opens the channel through which His followers receive grace and strength. Therefore, the transformation seen in believers lives, exhibiting Christ-like qualities, becomes a testimony that accompanies the acknowledgment of His anointed status.
Isaiah 11:1-2, Luke 4:18, Matthew 3:16-17
Why is the anointing of the Holy Spirit important for Christians?
The anointing of the Holy Spirit is vital for Christians as it enables them to reflect Christ's nature and empowers their ministry.
Furthermore, engagement with the anointing transforms how Christians interact with the world. As they partake in Christ's anointing, their lives become testimonies of His grace and love. They are called to serve as 'sweet savors of Christ,' bringing blessing to others. The importance of seeking and nurturing this anointing cannot be overstated; it is essential for living a life that bears witness to the gospel and fosters spiritual growth within the Church community.
1 John 2:27, Romans 8:9-11, 2 Corinthians 2:15
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever: the scepter of your kingdom is a right scepter. You loves righteousness, and hate wickedness: therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.”
— Psalm 45:6, 7
The Divine anointing of the Lord Jesus Christ, constituting an important feature of His official glory, and opening a channel of the most costly blessing to the church, forms a distinct and sacred theme of the prophetical writings. "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me." "And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him." This anointing was upon the Redeemer, in infinite richness and fragrance. "God gives not the Spirit by measure unto Him." As essentially Jehovah, He needed it not; but as the great High Priest, and the mediatorial head of His "church, which is His body, the fullness of Him that fills all in all," it was necessary that the anointing oil should be upon Him in its utmost plenitude. As one with Him, all the members alike participate. "It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went to the skirts of his garment;" even to the lowest believer. Ah! and he that lies the lowest, obtains the most of this "precious ointment," as it descends from Jesus; the hand of faith, that touches but the hem of His garment, receives from Him who was "anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows." Dear reader, are you professedly one with Jesus and His saints? then seek, oh, diligently seek, a large and still larger degree of this holy and fragrant anointing. Rest not short of it. Be not satisfied to proceed another step without it. Do not be content with a mere profession, having a name to live, yet lacking all the essential evidences of real life, while discovering many of the fearful attributes of actual death.
The possession of this anointing of the Holy Spirit will decide the momentous and perhaps, with you, doubtful question of your union with Christ. Men will take knowledge of you, that you have been with Jesus, and learned of Him. Your life will be a reflection, faint at best, yet a reflection of His holy life. You will bear some resemblance to the "altogether lovely" One; your spirit will breathe His meekness; your demeanor will be stamped with His gentleness; your whole conversation will be seasoned with His grace; all your "garments will smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia out of the ivory palaces;" an unction will pervade your prayers, a power irresistible will accompany your labors, and in every place you will be a sweet savor of Christ, blessed and a blessing.
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