Anointed – January 11, 2021

At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
Mark 1:9

Anointed

There are a lot of expectations for new leaders. Those who don’t like them expect them to do things that people don’t like. Those who do like them hope that they will do things that people want them to do. But the new leaders don’t get to function as new leaders until they are actually in office.

In ancient Israel, the process of putting new leaders in office was called anointing. A special kind of fragrant oil was poured on the heads of new leaders, and people who liked the new leaders rejoiced when it happened. People who didn’t like them just wrinkled their noses in disgust.

The Bible says that when Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River, Jesus was anointed as a leader. The anointing oil was water and the Holy Spirit. What kind of leader was Jesus? There were three offices into which a person could be anointed in ancient Israel, and Jesus was entering all three of those offices.

The first office was a prophet, someone who spoke for God. Since Jesus was God, he had no trouble speaking for God. Everything he said was the Word of God! He was doing that speaking in public when he was baptized. Just as you might expect, everything Jesus said was exactly right.

The second office was a priest, someone who makes sacrifices to God for people. Jesus eventually sacrificed himself, and it was for you. He was the ultimate sacrifice, and his sacrifice on the cross paid for your sins once and for all.

The third office was a king, someone who defeated enemies and ruled the people. Jesus defeated enemies who didn’t like him, enemies like sin, death, and the devil. Now he rules your heart by his powerful Word.

May today’s reminder of Jesus’ baptism comfort you with the knowledge that he is your perfect prophet, priest, and king.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for your willingness to take on all of these offices and fulfill their duties for me. Amen.