"Anointed"

Mark 1:8

Pastor Tom Johnson, January 11, 2015

Jesus’ Baptism reveals he is the Son of God, King, and the Christ—the promised Messiah. The Hebrew word Messiah and Greek word Christ is jam-packed with meaning. Messiah means prophet, priest, and king—the long-awaited Savior of the Nations—the Prince of Peace. The water, Word, and Spirit declare Jesus Messiah. The root of the word Messiah means to spread liquid over something. John spreads water over the head and body of Jesus. It is a physical sign of an invisible reality—the truth that Jesus is God and King veiled in human flesh.

 

The water visibly covers Jesus. His drenched hair, dripping beard, and shiny-wet skin all reveal God’s purpose, blessing, and presence in the Person and work of Jesus of Nazareth. He is soaked head to toe with divine essence and substance. And the message John the Baptist preaches is that this sign of water anointing Jesus points to a time when Jesus will anoint his people with the Holy Spirit. “I baptize with water,” the prophet says, “but he will baptize with the Holy Spirit.” Jesus will give us a sign that God’s anointing is on us. He will outpour his blessing, presence, favor, and grace upon us by water and the Holy Spirit. With this physical sign, he will assure us that our sins are forgiven and we have been adopted into God’s royal family.

 

This need of assurance that we are God’s precious possession is as ancient as the story of humanity. When Cain expressed fear of retaliation for the murder of his brother, God assured him of protection by putting his mark on Cain. Even though we do not know what that is, he carried that gracious sign and seal of God. Abraham and all Hebrew males received the physical mark of circumcision. It is a constant reminder that they have been set apart by God as unique blessing and call to be a blessing to all families of the earth. The Lord said to Samuel, “Rise and anoint [David]; for this is the one.” “Samuel took a horn of oil, and anointed David in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward (1 Samuel 16:12b,13). David remembers and celebrates God’s call and assurance of his loving presence when he says those familiar words, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou anointest my head with oil. My cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23).

Even though the tradition of wearing a yarmulke, kippah, or skullcap is not found in Scripture, Hebrew males wear this as a sign, reminder, and assurance that God is watching over them. One scholar said it is like you constantly feel the palm of God resting on your head from behind you as he guards and directs your path. Just days before Jesus’ crucifixion, Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, anoints Jesus with costly nard—a whole pound of precious ointment and pours it lavishly upon the head of Jesus. Jesus said it was a worshipful act that points to his death.

Jesus welcomes the additional anointing and assurance that he is the Christ—the Messiah—the Anointed—the One—the promised Son of God who goes to the Cross and rises from the dead to bring about the forgiveness of our sin and the assurance that we too have the seal of the promised Holy Spirit. Jesus welcomes the water as John submerges and poures water over his body. Jesus welcomes the Holy Spirit as he descends upon him like a dove. Jesus welcomes the voice of the Father that declares him the Beloved Son of God.

It is in our fallen, human nature to doubt God’s blessing and presence in our lives. We are, as one theologian put it, “sacramental beasts.” We long for something we can touch, see, hear, taste, and smell to reassure us that we are God’s beloved and have received his anointing of grace, peace, and forgiveness. We can invent all sorts of ceremonies, body art, clothing, and all sorts of things to show the world that we have God’s blessing, acceptance, and assurance of grace. But we don’t need to. I keep thinking about the recent violence in Paris, France where 17 people were killed in the name of their god and the more than 2,000 people killed in Nigeria Friday also in the name of their god…where the perpetrators of hatred and violence believe they have been anointed by their god to carry out brutal killing. This is false religion—palpable evil—and a formidable challenge to our human journey.

John, the greatest of all prophets, has said, “I baptize with water,” the prophet says, “but he will baptize with the Holy Spirit.” The One who is anointed with water, the Word, and the Holy Spirit—that same Anointed Messiah will anoint us. We have been anointed, sisters and brothers, to carry out the forgiveness of sins and the assurance of eternal life in the name of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We have the unction and blessing of God poured out upon us. We have the true and universal ointment to share with all people everywhere. God’s indelible mark is upon us to carry out his mission of grace, healing, and peace through the balm of the Gospel. He is our Anointed One—our Christ—our blessed Redeemer. We are his anointed ones—the baptized to spread his love over the face of all the earth. Ours is a holy salve to restore his broken and sinful creation.