There is much written in the Pentateuch concerning the anointing of the High Priest, and later all of the priests. God gave clear directions to Moses, that he should anoint Aaron and his sons, ". . . anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office." (Exodus 28:41 - also Exodus 29:21)

Not much is said about prophets being anointed. In the case of Elijah and Elisha, the symbol of passing on the prophetic role from one to the other was the mantle, a form of clothing which Elisha inherited when his predecessor was taken up in a chariot of fire. (II Kings 2:11)

However, we have the very important text of Isaiah 61 (1-3), where it's a prophet who states,

"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 bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor 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. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor."

The question is this: does this refer to the Prophet Isaiah, or is it referring to the future "anointed one," the Messiah, Jesus the Christ? We know that this was the very Scripture that Jesus read when, as a visiting Rabbi, he was invited to read from the scroll during the weekly Sabbath service in His hometown of Nazareth (Luke 4). The answer to the question is, yes, it refers both to Isaiah the prophet (for certainly he had an anointing to speak for God), but it also looked forward 700 years to the coming of Messiah who would come into Galilee preaching "the good news to the poor". The point is that this "anointing" was an enablement, a God-given ability provided so that the prophet would speak the truth with conviction and power.

When we relate this idea of anointing to Jesus, we know that the two roles we have considered so far both apply to Him. He was, and is, the High Priest. The writer of Hebrews makes it clear that Jesus has gone into heaven in the same way the Old Testament High Priest went into the most holy place to present the blood of the annual sacrifice to provide atonement for the sins of the people. Of course the difference is that Jesus, as the duly appointed and anointed High Priest, took not the blood of an animal, but His own blood shed on the cross of Calvary.

When it comes to the office of Prophet, Jesus obviously fills that role as well. Again, the writer of Hebrews makes this clear in his opening statement: "In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe." (Hebrews 1:1,2)

If a prophet is defined as one who speaks for God, Jesus is the ultimate Prophet. That's why the Apostle John calls Jesus the "Word made flesh" (John 1:14).

However, the most common use of ceremonial anointing had to do with the third role - it was frequently used when a king was being installed, or, as we would say, "inaugurated." Apparently this was a practice common among the nations that preceded Israel in the land. We know that God, through His prophet Samuel, tried to discourage the people of Israel from having a king, but they persisted in their desire to "be like other nations", and God acquiesced. Accordingly, they not only copied the idea of monarchy, but also borrowed some elements of the very ceremony of installation. The city we now call Jerusalem was formerly Jebus, and history tells us that kings of the Jebusites were anointed as part of their ceremony of inauguration.

Most prominently, the anointing of David as king is mentioned many times throughout the record of the Old Testament.

When King Saul was rejected by God due to his unfaithfulness, the prophet/priest Samuel was sent to appoint the next king from the family of Jesse. After reviewing all of his other sons, Samuel asked, "'Are these all the sons you have?' 'There is still the youngest,' Jesse answered, 'but he is tending the sheep.' Samuel said, 'Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.' So he sent and had him brought in. He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the LORD said, 'Rise and anoint him; he is the one.' So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power." (I Samuel 16:11-13)

At the very end of David's life, reference again is made concerning this anointing - the next to last chapter of II Samuel begins with these words:

"These are the last words of David . . . the man anointed by the God of Jacob, Israel's singer of songs: 'The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; his word was on my tongue. The God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel said to me: `When one rules over men in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God, he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings the grass from the earth.' 'Is not my house right with God? Has he not made with me an everlasting covenant, arranged and secured in every part? Will he not bring to fruition my salvation and grant me my every desire?'" (II Samuel 23:1-5)

It is this use of anointing that is most applicable to Jesus - as God's anointed, He was not only Priest and Prophet, but more importantly, He was inaugurated as "King" - as John the Revelator wrote, "King of Kings and Lord of Lords". This is underscored by the insistence that the Messiah would come in the lineage of David. Jesus becomes the promised eternal King who would fulfill the prophecy that a King in David's line would sit on the throne forever.

As Priest, Jesus secures our salvation - He is the ultimate Savior.

As Prophet, Jesus reveals God's will - He is the ultimate Revelator.

But as King, Jesus has been given the right to demand our total submission - He is the ultimate Conqueror.

So far we've been gaining our understanding about the Christ from the Old Testament. However, it is carried into the New Testament, as Jesus is seen as the fulfillment of the predictions of the Old Testament. Just take Peter's sermons, for example. In the first recorded public preaching of this impetuous but formerly cowardly disciple, a clear pronouncement was made on the Day of Pentecost, "God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." (Acts 2:36) Notice how Peter brought two important titles together, making them nearly synonymous - Lord and Christ. The Gentiles would best understand the former - "Kurios", and the Hebrews the latter - "Christos".

In a later sermon, during Peter's divinely appointed house-call on Cornelius, Peter gave a condensed version of the Gospel story:

"You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached -- how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen." (Acts 10:37-40) This brings in a new meaning for what the anointing was all about. Now, in addition to Savior, Revelator and Conqueror, Jesus was also anointed to be the Healer and Deliverer. That's why the flesh brother of Jesus, James, instructed believers to use oil when praying for the sick, as a symbol of the anointing which represented the power of the Holy Spirit, working through Jesus to provide for healing for the body. In his General Epistle, James wrote, "Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up." (James 5:14,15a)

However, notice that James didn't stop there - he added, "If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." (James 5:15b,16) It's of interest that today many people want the healing without forgiveness; we want the healing prayer but would be very agitated if someone, before praying would ask, "In what way have you sinned?"

Also, in connection with the anointing for healing and deliverance, this is something which was passed along to the disciples of Jesus. The Gospel writer Mark reports: "They [the disciples] went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them." (Mark 6:12, 13) In this case, the anointing that Jesus received was like oil poured on the head and flowing down onto the body. As members of the Body of Christ, we are not appointed to be priests, prophets or kings, but we are anointed to be preachers, deliverers and healers.

This brings us to what John wrote to members of his churches when he related the anointing to the teaching of the Holy Spirit: "As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit -- just as it has taught you, remain in him." (I John 2:27) As we have come to understand, this does not negate the importance of receiving instruction from those in the church who have been gifted as teachers. But it does mean that to each believer is given a witness of the Spirit within. That's why we can say that we have a "personal relationship with God."

Before we close our discussion of the meaning of this title given to Jesus, Christos, we want to note the confusion that this title brought to the pagan contemporaries of early church members who boldly proclaimed, Jesus is Christos. I believe this has been noted before, but in one of the historical accounts by a non-Christian author in the first century, reference was made to the Christians as being members of a group of people who "follow one Chraestos", which, with a one letter change was a very popular name given to slaves - the name meant "useful." The implication was that this group was being led by a fellow slave, a kind of slave union in rebellion against the wealthy owners. Of course they got it all wrong. Jesus was not the "Chraestos", but the "Christos". He was not a slave; or was He? Paul tells us that Jesus became a servant, and as such became obedient even to the death. But the confusion about this name has something to say to us as well. We belong to Christ the servant, and as His disciples, we too become servants. We could well bear the name "Chraestos" as well as "Christos", for among other things, we want to be "useful" as servants of the Lord Jesus Christ. We might want to pause here and ask ourselves the question, "How are we doing as servants?" Will we be candidates for the final, and most important approval of all time: "Well done thou good and faithful servant"? (Matthew 25:21)

So we've reviewed the Old Testament background, and have seen that anointing was related to the three important roles of Priest, Prophet and King, and that Jesus fulfilled all three, with special emphasis on the third. In response, we are grateful that Jesus the Christ, the anointed One, has provided for our salvation, and that even today He speaks the Word of God to our hearts, and we willingly subject ourselves to His rule. We are citizens of His heavenly kingdom, and we lovingly obey His laws.

We've also learned from the New Testament that Jesus the Christ is also the Healer and Deliverer, and that the authority given to Him has been given to us that we too might do "even greater" things in His Name. And we've briefly noted that the anointing given to the church is for spiritual teaching, and that to be like Christ is not to develop king-like arrogance, but servant-like humility.

But the last word concerning the anointing is found in Revelation, in a letter sent to one of the prominent churches in Asia Minor - we wonder if it could not as well be a letter sent to our church: "I counsel thee to . . . anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see." (Revelation 3:18)

The implication is that even though we are well educated, wealthy, and very religious, we are nonetheless blind. But what's worse than being blind is being blind and not knowing you are blind. That's what John said to the last of his churches, "you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked." (3:17) One problem with blindness is that the person who cannot see must rely on images made up in their mind, and who knows if the image in their mind squares with reality?

Perhaps you remember this poem by John Godfrey Saxe, "The Blind Men of Indostan."

It was 6 men of Indostan to learning much inclined,
Who went to see an elephant tho' all of them were blind,
That each by observation might satisfy his mind!


The first approached the elephant, and happening to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side, at once began to bawl,
"God bless me! But the elephant is nothing but a wall."

The second feeling of the tusk, cried: "Ho, what have we here?
So very round and smooth and sharp, to me it's mighty clear
This wonder of an elephant is very like a spear!"

The third approached the animal and happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands, thus boldly up and spake,
"I see," quoth he, "The elephant is very like a snake."

The fourth reached out his cagey hand and felt about the knee,
"What must this wondrous beast be like, is mighty plain", said he,
"Tis clear enough the elephant, is very like a tree."

The fifth who chanced to touch the ear, said, "Even the blindest man
Can tell what this resembles most, deny the fact-who can?
This marvel of an elephant is very like a fan!"

The sixth no sooner had begun about the beast to grope,
When seizing on the swinging tail, that fell within his scope.
"To me," quoth he, "the elephant is very like a rope."

And so these men of Indostan disputed loud and long;
Each in his own opinion exceeding stiff and strong.
Though each was partly in the right, and all were in the wrong.

As never before, we need an anointing that we may clearly see the holiness of God, that we may clearly see our own sinful state, that we may be alert to the temptations that are all around us, and that we may have a far reaching vision that will enable us to see into eternity.

Haven't we all heard someone repeat the phrase, "love is blind," and get the distinct impression that they think that is a good thing?

I once counseled a couple whose marriage was on the rocks. In my first hour with the man, he told me he married his wife three weeks after he met her, and seemed proud of the fact. When I protested, "Wouldn't it have been better if you had taken a little more time to get to know her?" his quick response was, "But then I wouldn't have married her." Needless to say, it wasn't long before he regretted that he had married, and was soon divorced and forced to move back home to live with his parents.

Today we are willing to acknowledge that blindness is not good, and we don't want to be blind any longer. We come to Christ, the Anointed One to receive a fresh anointing for the eyes that we might see again.

1. In the Greek word for "fish," what title for Jesus does the second letter, "chi" represent?

2. What confusion has this caused concerning the popular holiday celebrated on December 25?

3. What meaning do "Christos" and "Messiah" have in common?

4. What was the first common use of anointing oil, especially among the wealthy?

5. Which of these came to be symbolized by anointing? God's blessing, cleansing, enabling, commissioning.

6. What three roles in Israel's early history were more or less associated with anointing?

7. How does Jesus fulfill each of these roles, and which one is the most prominent?

8. What is the story, remembered by every Sunday School girl and boy, which best illustrates the anointing of a king?

9. Fill in the missing words in these statements:

As Priest, Jesus is the ultimate _____________.

As Prophet, Jesus is the ultimate _____________.

As King, Jesus is the ultimate _____________.

10. When Peter declared, "God has made this Jesus . . . both Lord and Christ," what two groups was he speaking to, and how do these two titles strengthen each other?

11. What new role(s) for Christ comes into view in the New Testament?

12. What, if any, is the association between confession and healing?

13. According to I John 2:27, the anointing teaches. How does this work?

14. What change in meaning comes about when the vowel "i" in Christos gets changed to "a"?

15. Who says, "I counsel thee to . . . anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see." (Revelation 3:18)

16. What are some of the ways we are afflicted with blindness?