“But the anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him.” 1 John 2:27
What is the anointing of the believer, and why is it so very important? To grasp something of its significance and meaning, we need to look at Christ first and foremost. With regard to the birth of Christ, we discover that the Holy Spirit was the means by which Christ came to be formed in Mary, and thus, declared to be the Son of God. At the age of twelve, being certainly under the direction, control, and blessing of the Spirit, He began revealing to the world that something was occurring in history that would change the world. He would ask a question of his anxious parents, who found Jesus, “…in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. That question would reveal who Jesus really was, for he asked, “How is that ye sought Me? Knew ye not that I must be about My Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49) On that day, being filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus gave to the world a glimpse of who He was, the Son of God, who was even then, concerned and occupied fully with the business of His Eternal Father.
When Jesus was about thirty years of age, He was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. Coming up out of the water and praying, Scripture tells us that, “…the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, ‘Thou art my beloved Son; in Thee I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:22) Jesus, from His birth to the moment of His baptism was filled with the Spirit, being pleasing to the Father. But then, there would occur an event, the importance of which cannot be neglected. The Spirit of God, though present and filling Christ, come and revealed Himself in a very specific manner, and this to illustrate an action on His part which would equip Christ fully, perfectly, and specifically, pertaining to the work, and mission set before Him. Only by this special event, and reality, would Christ be enabled to enter into His ministry, face and defeat the enemy of our souls, and accomplish the perfect will of the Father, the salvation of men. That event, so specific, singular and serene, would declare that all the resources of heaven were now deliberately, freely given to the Son to know His mission, and then fulfill it.
After Jesus’ baptism, being filled with the Holy Spirit, He was led into the wilderness. In the wilderness Jesus was not only filled with the Spirit when confronting Satan, but because He was the “Messiah,” or ANOINTED ONE, He would through the Eternal Spirit overcome every temptation. Having begun His ministry and mission to the world by confronting His enemy, and ours, the time had come for Christ to avail Himself of all that the anointing would mean in power and authority, loving, serving the Father. Christ’s baptism was the beginning of His ministry. The anointing by the Spirit, specific to His mission and work, was manifestly provided at that time. The Messiah that was to come, had come, and also all that pertained to the anointing by the Spirit.
Jesus returned from the wilderness “in the power of the Spirit.” (Luke 4:14) In Nazareth, He stood up in the synagogue, and read from the book of Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, BECAUSE HE HATH ANOINTED ME to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” He then said, “This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears.”
Dear Father, Anoint us afresh today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.