Luke 3:21–22
Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus also had been baptized, and was praying. The sky was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form like a dove on him; and a voice came out of the sky, saying “You are my beloved Son. In you I am well pleased.”
Acts 10:38
even Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
Contents
The Anointed One in the Old Testament
Psalm 2:2
The kings of the earth take a stand,
and the rulers take counsel together,
against Yahweh, and against his Anointed
Daniel 9:25-26
Know therefore and discern that from the going out of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem to the Anointed One, the prince, will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. It will be built again, with street and moat, even in troubled times. After the sixty-two weeks the Anointed One will be cut off, and will have nothing. The people of the prince who come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end will be with a flood, and war will be even to the end. Desolations are determined.
Anointing was part of the steps to kingship in the Old Testament. Just like David (as was Saul and Solomon) was first anointed by Samuel (1 Sam 16) and only later became a king of Israel (2 Sam 5), Jesus is anointed first with water and the Holy Spirit before His ministry and coronation on the cross.
In the Jewish monarchy, there were three steps for a person to become a king:
- He was anointed
- He demonstrated himself to be a good warrior and leader
- He was crowned as king
Jesus’ life follows these steps.
Jesus is anointed as the King of kings
Anointing with the Holy Spirit begins Jesus’ “quest” to kingship with temptations in the wilderness and God’s mission to proclaim the gospel, heal people, and cast out demons.
Jesus had to accomplish Father’s will perfectly to become the King of kings and our High Priest.
In the passage from Luke below, Jesus confirms that He is the Anointed One of the Old Testament.
Luke 4:16–21
He came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. He entered, as was his custom, into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. The book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. He opened the book, and found the place where it was written,
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to heal the broken hearted,
to proclaim release to the captives,
recovering of sight to the blind,
to deliver those who are crushed,
and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began to tell them, “Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
Jesus faces the enemy
Jesus shows God the Father that He is worthy by facing the greatest enemy, the devil, in the wilderness.
When David fought against his greatest enemy, Goliath, he did it with a sling and finished the job with a sword. Unlike the kings before Him, Jesus doesn’t face the enemy with an actual sword but uses something different yet much sharper: the Word of God.
Matthew 4:1
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
Matthew 4:4, 7, 10, 11
4 But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of God’s mouth.’”
7 Jesus said to him, “Again, it is written, ‘You shall not test the Lord, your God.’”
10 Then Jesus said to him, “Get behind me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.’”
11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and served him.
Hebrews 4:12-13
For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart. There is no creature that is hidden from his sight, but all things are naked and laid open before the eyes of him to whom we must give an account.
Jesus expands God’s kingdom
The famous leaders of the Old Testament, Joshua, David, and Solomon, conquered the Promised Land and expanded their kingdoms by force. Jesus broadens the kingdom by speaking the truth, healing people, and casting out demons.
Luke 4:43
But he said to them, “I must preach the good news of God’s Kingdom to the other cities also. For this reason I have been sent.”
Matthew 11:2–6
Now when John heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to him, “Are you he who comes, or should we look for another?”
Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. Blessed is he who finds no occasion for stumbling in me.”
Luke 9:1-2
He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. He sent them out to preach God’s Kingdom and to heal the sick.
Luke 10:1
Now after these things, the Lord also appointed seventy others, and sent them two by two ahead of him into every city and place where he was about to come.
Jesus is crowned as king
The Roman soldiers mocked the so-called King of the Jews by parading Jesus in a kingly costume before the crucifixion. Little did they know they were performing the actual coronation of the King of kings.
The coronation follows what the previous two steps show us already. Things in the Kingdom of God don’t follow the worldly agenda. The three steps to kingship are there, but how Jesus accomplishes them differs drastically from the kings in the Old Testament. The world has gone upside down where the first become last and the last become first.
Matthew 27:27–29
Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium, and gathered the whole garrison together against him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. They braided a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and a reed in his right hand; and they kneeled down before him and mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”
Mark 15:26
The superscription of his accusation was written over him, “THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
Believers are also anointed by the Holy Spirit
1 John 2:20
You have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.
2 Corinthians 1:21
Now he who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God
Set apart to their ministry of gospel proclamation and good works
Matt 28:19-20
Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Ephesians 2:10
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.
1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
To be crowned with the imperishable crown
2 Timothy 4:8
From now on, the crown of righteousness is stored up for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day; and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved his appearing.
Finally
The Old Testament Jewish tradition of kingship was threefold. First, the king was anointed, then he had to prove his worthiness by conquest, and only after that was he crowned. Jesus’ life and ministry follow this same pattern. This same pattern is also set for the believers, and the crown of righteousness is waiting for us.