“God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him.” Acts 10:38
Dear Ones:
In John’s first epistle, he makes a most extraordinary statement, and we must remember that he is addressing all Christians everywhere, and for all time. “But the anointing which YOU have received of Him abides in you, and you need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teaches you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it has taught you, you shall abide in Him (Christ).” (2:27) What does this mean, and what does “our” anointing have in common with that of Christ? What is the anointing, and what purpose does it serve?
When God told Samuel to anoint David, He did so because, as God said, “…I have provided me a king among his (Jesse) sons.” (16:1) Scripture tells us that when Samuel anointed David, “…the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward.” (16:13) The first thing that we see in this anointing is that it was the will of God, a demonstration of His wisdom, goodness, and power. Secondly, the literal anointing oil represented the anointing of the Holy Spirit. It was a gift with a purpose. Thirdly, we see that the evidence of that anointing was the manifest presence of God, His power, and the revelation of His goodness. It came at a certain time, for a particular purpose, and to glorify God and to bless mankind.
When Christ came, the anointing which He received, a “spiritual” anointing by the Spirit when He was baptized, came also at a specific time, for a specific purpose. In Isaiah’s words, speaking of the Servant of God, he wrote: “I have put my Spirit upon Him: He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles….He shall not fail, nor be discouraged, till He have set judgment in the earth.” (42:1,4) How then will the Spirit of God upon the Servant of God do this? Isaiah continues: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me; because the Lord hath anointed Me to preach good tidings to the meek…to bind up the brokenhearted….to proclaim liberty to the captives…and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.” (61:1) With the calling of God comes the anointing of thee Spirit for the purposes of God to be fulfilled. As Christ relied entirely upon the anointing for EVERYTHING to accomplish His mission and ministry, so the believer is called upon to do the same.
Jesus went about doing good because of the authority and power of the anointing. The believer has received that same anointing, the Holy Spirit, for every need, in order to do good also. The “anointing” Spirit is that one that teaches the believer concerning the truth, and leads him or her into an ever-increasing experience of Christ. With the revelation of the truth comes the power to live by it, to believe God according to it. God then accomplishes His wonderful work and will in and through the life of the believer.
Dear Father, open our eyes to see the reality and significance of Thy anointing. Enable us to live in absolute dependence, and in obedience, to the Holy Spirit who IS our anointing. Thou hast called us to do good. Strengthen us to believe Thee for the full outworking of Thy will, pleasing Thee and blessing others. We thank Thee. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad