Anointed with God’s Power

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.

Throughout the Bible, God had His chosen servants anointed with oil to set them apart for His service. This included prophets, priests, and kings. Jesus was all three. See Jesus Christ: Prophet, Priest, and King for more details.

But Jesus was not anointed with the traditional oil. His anointing was with the holy spirit. At his baptism by John, the spirit appeared like a dove—pure and simple. Isaiah had promised God’s coming savior would be anointed with His spirit in Isaiah 61:1. Jesus quoted that scripture when he opened his ministry in Nazareth.

Luke 4:18:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.

Jesus is called the “Christ,” meaning the anointed one. God anointed His holy child, Jesus.

Acts 4:26,27:
The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord [God Almighty], and against his Christ [anointed one].
For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou [God] hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together.

God had the Psalmist prophecy that He would one day anoint His Son (Psalms 45:6,7). Paul later made this truth concerning God’s Son clear in his epistle to the Hebrew believers.

Hebrews 1:8,9:
But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

Today, born again believers have “Christ in you” (Colossians 1:27) and God’s spirit dwells in us. It is God Who anoints and seals us with His spirit.

II Corinthians 1:21,22:
Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;
Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest [token] of the Spirit in our hearts.

God can show us what we need to know because of that spiritual anointing.

I John 2:20,27:
But ye have an unction [anointing] from the Holy One, and ye know all things.
But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

Jesus was anointed with holy spirit power and went about doing good, healing all that were oppressed of the Devil. We can do the same today. He was sent to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised. So are we. Let’s boldly go forth and use that anointing to minister and heal others with God’s mighty power through Jesus Christ.

For Further Study

The English words “Messiah” [from the Hebrew, mâshı̂yach] and “Christ” [from the Greek, christos] both mean “anointed one.” Here are some uses of these words and related words to give a greater understanding of anointing.

Old Testament uses of “anointed one” [mâshı̂yach]

The Messiah [prophecy]: I Samuel 2:10,35; Daniel 9:25,26; Habakkuk 3:13

Saul [king]: I Samuel 12:5; 24:6,10; 26:9,11,16,23; II Samuel 1:14,16; [his shield: II Samuel 1:21]

David [king]: I Samuel 16:6; II Samuel 19:21; 22:51; 23:1; II Chronicles 6:42

Children of Israel: I Chronicles 16:22; Psalms 105:15 [a kingdom of priests: Exodus 19:6]

David and the Messiah: Psalms 2:2; 18:50; 20:6; 28:8; 84:9,38; 89:51; 132:10,17

Zedekiah [king]: Lamentations 4:20

Old Testament uses of “to anoint” [mâshach]

Pillars, altars, tabernacle and its vessels: Genesis 31:3; Exodus 29:36; 40:9,10,11; Leviticus 8:10,11; Numbers 7:1,10,84,88

Offerings: Exodus 29:2; Leviticus 2:4; 7:12; Numbers 6:15

Shields and buildings: Isaiah 21:5; Jeremiah 22:14

High priest [and priests] and his clothing: Exodus 28:41; 29:7,29; 40:13,15; Leviticus 6:20; 7:36; 8:12; 16:32; Numbers 3:3; 35:25

The Messiah [prophecy]: Psalms 45:7; Isaiah 61:1 [quoted by Jesus in Luke 4:18]; Daniel 9:24

Those at ease in Zion: Amos 6:6 [anoint themselves]

Prophet:

Elisha: I Kings 19:16

Priests:

Leviticus 4:3,5,16; 6:22

Kings:

Saul: Judges 9:8,15; I Samuel 9:16; 10:1; 15:1,7;

David [Israel and Judah]: 16:3,12,13; II Samuel 2:4,7; 3:39; 5:3,17; 12:7; I Chronicles 11:3; 14:8; Psalms 89:20

Absalom: II Samuel 19:10

Solomon: I Kings 1:34,39,45; 5:1; I Chronicles 29:22

Hazael: I Kings 19:15

Jehu the son of Nimshi: I Kings 19:16; II Chronicles 22:7

Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat: II Kings 9:3,6,12

Joash: II Kings 11:12; II Chronicles 23:11

Jehoahaz the son of Josiah: II Kings 23:30

Old Testament uses of “an anointing” [mishchâh]

Special oil: Exodus 25:6; 29:7,21; 30:25,31; 31:11; 35:8,15,28; 37:29; 39:38; 40:9; Leviticus 8:2,10,12,30; 10:7; 21:10,12; Numbers 4:16

Aaron and his sons: Leviticus 7:35; Numbers 18:8

New Testament uses of “anointed one” [christos]

Jesus the Messiah: 569 times

False Messiahs: [Matthew 24:24; Mark 13:22]

New Testament uses of “to anoint” [chriō]

Jesus: Luke 4:18; Acts 4:27; 10:38; Hebrews 1:9 [quoted from Psalms 45:7]

Believers: II Corinthians 1:21

New Testament uses of “an anointing” [chrisma]

Believers: I John 2:20,27