Scripture Reading: Leviticus 8:12, 2 Corinthians 1:21-22
In Leviticus we have the ordination of Aaron and his sons as priests to Israel. In the OT, God demanded a consecration of all things, places, and persons who ministered before Him.
In Isaiah 61:1f we have a powerful statement about the coming Messiah—“The Spirit of the Lord is on me because He has anointed me…”
We see the fulfillment of this in the baptism of Jesus in Luke 3—“As He was praying heaven opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him…”
Then in Luke 4 we read, “then Jesus left the Jordan full of the Holy Spirit and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for 40 days to be tempted by the devil.”
Psalm 23:5 says, “You anoint my head with oil…” This verse is very inviting to us as in Jewish society oil was not only a symbol of rejoicing but was also used in welcoming guests.
Psalm 45:7—God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of joy.
Throughout the OT when someone was anointed for service it is symbolic of the work of the Spirit in that person’s life and the call of God—such as priests, prophets, and kings.
But all of this is to point forward to the coming of the Messiah and the completion of all things.
As I said earlier, the holiness of God demanded consecration of all things/people who ministered before the Lord. This was fully satisfied by Jesus and His perfect offering of Himself.
(Ref. Hebrews 7:28-29; 9:11-12)
What does this mean for us then as children of God?
The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 1:20-22 that all the promises of God are yes in Christ and that it is God who strengthens us in Christ and who “has anointed us.” He has also put His seal upon us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a down payment.
Once again, in 2 Cor. 1:21-22 we see the work of the Trinity. God the Father confirms believers as His own. He initiates the anointing of believers in Jesus. God put His seal on us with the Holy Spirit which guarantees our heavenly inheritance.
In 1 John 2:20, 27—But you have an anointing from the Holy One…This anointing remains in you and it teaches you all things.
This anointing from the Lord has staying power! It enable each of us to stand firmly in our faith and the truth of the Word of God.
In Acts 1-2 when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples and others it was to empower them to be witnesses of the sharing of the Gospel.
The OT/NT are resplendent with examples of the anointing for service—Moses, Joshua, Aaron, Deborah and the like in t he OT and in the NT not only in the life of Jesus but in the Book of Acts forward in how the Spirit of God led and empowered believers.
Remember Isaiah 61 where it says the Messiah will do such things as heal the brokenhearted, set captives free etc.…Well, Jesus said that those who serve the Lord will do greater things!!!
John 14:12-14—“Truly I tell you the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do. And he will do even greater works than these because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”
Our lives and how we live them reflect the work of the Triune God in our lives. We are servants of the Lord and everything we do and say is to reflect this precious relationship. Each of you have been anointed by the Spirit to do what you do—whether its ministry in the church, baking a meal for your family, or simply loving one another—its all part of our being anointed to serve in whatever capacity the Lord leads.
Charles Stanley writes this: “The Holy Spirit is constantly tuned in to both our emotional state and our surrounding circumstances. He is always sensitive to both. He leads at the perfect pace. He always takes our weaknesses and strengths into consideration.”
Being anointed to serve in any capacity has to do with each of us being willing to yield to the Spirit’s influence and to follow through.
I John 4:3 “By this we know that we abide in Him and He is us, becaue He gave us of His Spirit.”
We understand that the presence of the Spirit in our lives is our source of assurance. Because we belong to Jesus the Spirit dwells in each of us…and it is as we walk in the Spirit day by day that He anoints us for service—and that service is anything He leads us to! Whether it is helping prepare food for the potluck or pulling weeds in our flower beds—or warmly greeting other as we gather for worship. Or perhaps it is giving someone a warm smile at the grocery store or being kind to a waiter or waitress that is overwhelmed because of a heavy load.
Being anointed to serve has unlimited possibilities—we only need to listen and respond accordingly.
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