On the Way to the Cross – The Anointing

 

Last Sunday evening I started a new series titled “On The Way To The Cross.” The purpose of this series is to examine some of the pertinent and profound things that Jesus spoke about during His time on earth. We know that Jesus was 30 years of age when He started His ministry (Luke 3:23), and that it began immediately after He was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil (Luke 4:14). If we assume that Jesus was around thirty, and that His ministry started 40 days after that, we can start to plot a chronological course from this point of reference to the Cross (the crucifixion of Jesus Christ). I think it will be very beneficial to walk this road with Jesus, paying attention to what He says along the way. For this undertaking, it isn’t going to be what Jesus ‘does’ but rather what He says that will matter.

Now we know that Jesus chose His disciples after He had spent forty days in the wilderness, and that His first miracle (turning water into wine) soon followed (John 2:1-11). Shortly after that He cleansed the temple in Jerusalem (John 2:13-17) and taught Nicodemus on the importance of being Born Again (John 3:1-14). A few months later Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well and made this incredible statement, “But the time is coming, and now is, when true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth. For the Father is seeking such to worship Him” (John 4:23). Note, all of this probably took place over a period of just eight months.

Let’s keep following the Lord’s footsteps.... A couple days after leaving Samaria Jesus enters Galilee, which is where He performs His second miracle - the Lord heals the nobleman’s son (John 4:43-54). Next, Jesus leaves Galilee and goes to His home town of Nazareth.

In Luke 4:16-22 it says, So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.

Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” So all bore witness to Him, and marvelled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”

Jesus get’s up in front of all the people who knew Him as the carpenter’s son and boldly declares that the very things which the prophet Isaiah had written 740 years beforehand have been fulfilled in their hearing. This freaked them out! So much so that they wanted to throw the Lord off a cliff (verse 29). In other Scriptures we find Jesus preaching but not reading. However, this was the appointed time for the Christ to reveal Himself to the world. How unique the Scripture that was read that day is (in the context of Isaiah 29:11):

The whole vision has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one who is literate, saying, “Read this, please.” And he says, “I cannot, for it is sealed.” Yes, that part of the book of Isaiah remained “sealed” until the day when Jesus stood up and declared... "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord has anointed Me."

This revelation from Jesus discloses the authority with which Christ does His work, and also the nature of the work to be accomplished. However, it is the opening statement which provides the key to the His ministry. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; because He has anointed Me to....” Notice, there are two elements that must be present: (1) The Holy Spirt and (2) the Anointing. Every God-ordained ministry has both the Holy Spirit and the Anointing present! Why? Because the Spirit comes upon us for a reason! And it’s not for shouting, dancing or getting goose-bumps! Although these things may manifest as a result of Him being present. The Holy Spirit comes upon a person to anoint them for a specific task - in order to DO something! And it was no different with our Lord Jesus.

No doctrine concerning the Holy Spirit has been more misunderstood than that of the Anointing of the Spirit. In most churches, this doctrine has been associated with the “fulness of the Spirit.” There is however, a difference between the two. There were three different types of Anointing in the Old Testament.

•   First, was the Anointing of the Priests. Leviticus 8:12, "And he poured of the anointing oil upon Aaron's head, and anointed him, to sanctify him." It is important to remember that this anointing took place only one time for each priest.

•   Second, there was the Anointing of the Kings. 1 Samuel 16:13, "Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah." This anointing was also a one-time ritual.

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•   Third, there was the Anointing of the Prophets. 1 Kings 19:16, "Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place."Again, it took place only one time for each prophet.

Since our Lord Jesus was priest and king and prophet, then He was fully and “truly” Anointed. Acts 4:27, “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together"Acts 10:38, "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: Who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the Devil; for God was with Him." Notice in Luke 4:18 the words, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He HAS anointed Me." It had already been done - once and forever! Jesus did not need to be anointed ever again!

Now compare this ‘one-time anointing’ to Ephesians 5:18, "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit." The words, "be filled," here are in the linear which means "be being filled" or "be filled; and be filled; and be filled." Notice the “Fulness of the Holy Spirit” is a continuing recurring action, whereas the doctrine of the Anointing is a “one-time” occurrence. That is, “one time” for each assignment or each particular responsibility. Observe the words in Acts 4:27, "whom you anointed." Notice again the past tense; and then in Acts 10:38 we have the word "anointed", and again, this is in the past tense.

Therefore, the Anointing of the Holy Spirit was (and is) like the anointing of a king or a priest or a prophet. When one was chosen to be a priest, he was anointed with oil, symbolic of the Holy Spirit coming upon him and giving him power, wisdom and ability for the task set before him. The same was true when a king was anointed, and also, when a prophet was anointed. Each person was anointed for a specific assignment, task or responsibility.

Back to Jesus....

The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.

The Holy Spirit came upon Jesus so that 6 assignments could be fulfilled in His ministry. They are:

(1)   To preach (the Good News).

(2)   To heal (spirit, soul and body).

(3)   To set free from bondage (liberty from darkness).

(4)   To perform miracles (signs and wonders).

(5)   To deliver from oppression (destroy the works of the devil).

(6)   To bring back that which was lost (the salvation of every soul).

The Holy Spirit’s powerful Anointing brings about freedom, liberty, and deliverance. So remember, as with the Lord, the Anointing is available to empower you for your God-given assignment. And you cannot do what Jesus did unless you have the same Anointing!

Isaiah 10:27 (KJV), “And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off your shoulder, and his yoke from off your neck, and the [Assyrian] yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.”The anointing destroys every yoke of bondage! There are a lot of people out there that are in bondage and oppressed. They need to experience the Anointing of the Holy Spirit. If you are called to those people then you will have this anointing in sufficient measure. And as a result, you will fulfil your assignment.

Back to Isaiah 61:1-3, “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion — to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.”

Because God had anointed Jesus, that is, empowered and set Him apart for the work of the ministry, then the Spirit of the Lord God was upon Him. It was that anointing which enabled Him to preach the good tidings to the poor, to heal the broken-hearted, proclaim liberty to the captives, the opening of the prison to those who are bound and to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

The Anointing of the Holy Spirit brings freedom, liberty, and deliverance! But notice, it also brings “release from darkness”. Therefore:

• Expect those you pray for (under the anointing) to put on a “crown of beauty instead of ashes”.

• Expect those you pray for (under the anointing) to experience “the oil of gladness instead of mourning”.

• Expect those you pray for (under the anointing) to put on “a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair”.

So many people need to experience a release from Darkness! If there was ever a time when we needed the Anointing of God it is now. In the same way as Jesus Christ did not commence His ministry until the Holy Spirit came upon Him and anointed Him for service, so we need the full power of the Holy Spirit in our lives, and this same Anointing. The Bible tells us that we have an “anointing from the Holy Spirit” (1 John 2:20).

Therefore, we should expect this anointing to come at any time as we wait upon the Lord and really allow the Holy Spirit to move through us. We do not have to psych ourselves up for it, but simply rest in the Lord and His promises, and the Spirit of God will come upon us. It is not a matter of trying to work ourselves up into a frenzy, but rather to simply trust in the Lord, believing His love and goodness for us. And as we obey and surrender to Him, the Anointing will always be present.

When Jesus opened the scroll from the Book of Isaiah He must have also had us in mind. “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.” (John 14:12)