Anointed by the Spirit

Jesus is the anointed Son of God whose life and ministry were characterized by the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit.

The activity of the Spirit dominated the life, words, and deeds of Jesus of Nazareth. He was “Jesus, the one called Christ,” the Anointed One, the long-awaited Messiah of Israel. When an angel informed Joseph that Mary carried a child “conceived of the Holy Spirit,” his declaration indicated that something more than a miraculous birth was about to unfold.

The mission of Jesus and his present reign cannot be understood apart from the presence of the Holy Spirit. With his arrival along the banks of the Jordan River, the life-giving Spirit of God began to flow where before there was only thirst and desolation. The Nazarene came to give water that “overflows unto everlasting life” – (John 4:14, 7:37-39).

[River, New Zealand - Photo by Christian Ternes on Unsplash]

The anointing of Jesus following his baptism set in motion the events that culminated in his death, resurrection, exaltation, and the outpouring of the Spirit. The period the Bible calls “the last days” had begun, and nothing would ever be the same again.

At the Jordan River, the Spirit of God “descended on Jesus” as he saw the heavens being torn open in fulfillment of Isiah’s prophecy:

• “Oh, that you would rend the heavens asunder, that you would descend, and the mountains might quake at your presence!” - (Isaiah 64:1).

• “And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in the Jordan. And immediately ascending out of the water, he saw the heavens rent asunder, and the Spirit descending upon him as a dove. And a voice came out of the heavens, You are my beloved Son! In you I am well pleased” - (Mark 1:1-9).

The opening of the Heavens demonstrated not only the arrival of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus, but also the Cosmic significance of that event. With the anointing of Jesus, access to God was no longer limited to one nation or the Temple in Jerusalem. He is now the focal point and location of the presence of God. In the Nazarene, the time of fulfillment has dawned, the Age of the Spirit:

• “And Jesus said to him, Truly, truly, I am saying to you, You will see the heavens opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man” - (John 1:51).

• “The hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father <…> But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such does the Father seek to be his worshippers. God is spirit, and they that worship him must worship in spirit and truth” - (John 4:21-24).

The anointing of Jesus was also apocalyptic in the true sense of the word, that is, an unveiling or revelation.  In and through the Son of God, the nature and redemption of God are revealed for all men to see. The One God of Israel can only be known through His Son:

• “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me!  If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on, you know him and have seen him” – (John 14:6-7).

• “Seeing it is God who said, Light will shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” – (2 Corinthians 4:6).

Moreover, the Spirit “remained on” Jesus from his anointing at the Jordan River until his death on the Roman Cross when God’s presence departed from him - (Mark 15:34). He received the fullness of the Spirit, unlike his predecessors, including kings, priests, and prophets:

• “For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for he does not give the Spirit by measure. The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand” - (John 3:34).

• “God, having of old time spoken to the fathers in the prophets by many ways and many means, has upon the last of these days spoken to us in a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things”- (Hebrews 1:1).

The Spirit equipped Jesus for his messianic ministry, and he attributed his miracles and deeds to the Spirit of God. When he was accused of expelling demons “by the power of Satan,” he retorted, “But if I, by the Spirit of God, cast out demons…” - (Matthew 12:28):

• “The word which he sent to the children of Israel, preaching good news of peace by Jesus Christ, he is Lord of all, that saying you yourselves know, which was published throughout all Judaea, beginning from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; even Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed him 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 10:36-38).

After his baptism, the Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness, where he was tested by the Devil. He overcame every challenge, and afterward, “Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit” and began to proclaim the Gospel in Galilee – (Luke 4:14):

• “That it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, ‘The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, toward the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people that sat in darkness saw a great light, and to them that sat in the region and shadow of death, to them did light spring up’. From that time began Jesus to preach, and to say, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” – (Matthew 4:12-17, Isaiah 42:1-7).

• “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and the recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord” - (Luke 4:18-19).

With Christ’s arrival, the presence of Yahweh “descended” to visit His people, and the nations began to “quake” as Jesus proclaimed the Good News to one and all. The salvation of the nations was always foundational to the mission of Israel’s Messiah. It was never of secondary importance or an afterthought - (Psalm 2:6-12, Isaiah 49:6, Revelation 5:9-10).

THE DAY OF PENTECOST

Peter described Jesus as a “man pointed out by God by mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him.” Though crucified by his enemies, God raised him from the dead and exalted him to reign at His right hand, where “he received of the Father the Promise of the Holy Spirit” – (Acts 2:17-38).

The “Promise of the Father” is the Gift of the Spirit that all men and women receive who repent and are “baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.” The gift is available throughout the time between the Day of Pentecost and “the Day of the Lord” – (Acts 2:20):

• “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  For to you is the promise, and to your children, and to all those who are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God will call” – (Acts 2:38-39).

Not only is the Spirit pivotal to the identity of the Messiah, but Jesus is the one who bestows the Spirit on his people, just as he promised:

• “Behold, I send the Promise of my Father upon you! But wait in the city until you are clothed with power from on high” - (Luke 24:49).

• “Jesus charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, you heard from me. For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now” - (Acts 1:4-5).

Jesus imparted the Spirit to his disciples on the Day of Pentecost, setting them apart for divine service and empowering them to proclaim the Gospel throughout the Earth in fulfillment of prophecy:

• “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” – (Acts 1:8).

• “Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for your possession” – (Psalm 2:8).

Jesus is the exalted Messiah who possesses and dispenses the Spirit. As Paul wrote, “Having ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.” As the result of his faithful obedience to death, God exalted him above all other powers and authorities - (Ephesians 4:8):

• “Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly, that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified” – (Acts 2:36).

• “He humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross. Wherefore also God highly exalted him, and gave him the name that is above every name, that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” – (Philippians 2:8-11).

On the Day of Pentecost, Jesus gave the Gift of the Spirit to his Church, and the last days began. The outpouring of the Spirit promised in the Hebrew Scriptures began on that day, and it will continue until the arrival of Jesus at the end of the age – (Ezekiel 11:19, 37:14, Joel 2:28, Acts 2:16-21).

All this is the result of the anointing of Jesus alongside the Jordan River, and he is now the Lord and King who equips his disciples and sends them as his envoys to announce his sovereignty and salvation to all nations.

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SEE ALSO:

• The Promise of the Father - (With the outpouring of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, the blessings for all nations promised to Abraham commenced)

• The Voice in the Wilderness - (John the Baptist prepared the way for the Messiah’s arrival, the herald of the Good News of the Kingdom of God – Mark 1:4-8)

• Rend the Heavens Asunder! - (The Spirit of God and the voice from heaven confirmed the calling and identity of Jesus, Son, Messiah, and the Servant of the LORD)

• The Royal Servant - (Following his baptism in the Jordan River, the Voice from Heaven identified Jesus as the Son of God and the Servant of the LORD)