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Anointed

10 October 2011 by Daniel

Q. 43. How doth Christ execute the office of a prophet?
A. Christ executeth the office of a prophet, in his revealing to the church, in all ages, by his Spirit and Word, in divers ways of administration, the whole will of God, in all things concerning their edification and salvation.

Q. 44. How doth Christ execute the office of a priest?
A. Christ executeth the office of a priest, in his once offering himself a sacrifice without spot to God, to be a reconciliation for the sins of his people; and in making continual intercession for them.

Q. 45. How doth Christ execute the office of a king?
A. Christ executeth the office of a king, in calling out of the world a people to himself, and giving them officers, laws, and censures, by which he visibly governs them; in bestowing saving grace upon his elect, rewarding their obedience, and correcting them for their sins, preserving and supporting them under all their temptations and sufferings, restraining and overcoming all their enemies, and powerfully ordering all things for his own glory, and their good; and also in taking vengeance on the rest, who know not God, and obey not the gospel.

When Samuel came to anoint David king over Israel, he looked at Eliab, David's older brother and thought that surely the LORD’S anointed was standing before Him (c.f. 1 Samuel 16:6). I want you to notice how, in that passage we see Samuel coming to physically anoint with oil the person whom God had already "anointed" as king. That is, David did not become God's anointed when Samuel poured the oil on him, he was already God's anointed, the pouring of the oil was symbolic of what was already a reality.

We understand the descending of the Holy Spirit upon our Lord in the Jordan in the same way. Jesus did not become God's anointed (The Christ) when the Holy Spirit anointed Him (i.e. descended upon Him and remained), rather when the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus, it testified to John the Baptist - the prophet the Lord had chosen to announce the Christ - that this man, Jesus, was the promised Messiah (the Christ).

Didn't God command Moses to anoint Aaron and his sons as priests, and again did He not command Samuel to anoint first Saul, and then David as king over Israel? We should see in this a common thread - God anoints those whom He intends to lead Israel - these two offices come together in the Christ, our High Priest and King.

Jesus is called the Christ because God has anointed Him, and no one else, to be the High Priest of His people - reconciling them to God through His finished, sacrificial work on Calvary. He now rules over God's people as their King. He was anointed by God to fulfill these offices, and came into the world to do (and has done!) just that.