“Christ’s Anointing”

(Mark 1:9-11)

I. Introduction.
A. Orientation.
1. Last week, we saw John was sent to prepare the way for the Messiah.
a. He was sent to fulfill prophecy – which has apologetic value.
b. He was sent because he needed to get the people ready.

2. His message had mainly to do with repentance.

a. He opened and applied the Law.
(i) His goal was to open their eyes to their sins that they might repent.
(ii) In this way, they would be ready to receive the Messiah.

b. No one will embrace Jesus unless they first understand why they need Him.
(i) More is needed than just to acknowledge that we’ve sinned – we must
hate our sins and turn from them to Christ.
(ii) In this sense, Law comes before grace.

B. Preview.
1. John’s work was now drawing to its close.
a. Jesus now arrives and is baptized.
(i) This signals the beginning of Christ’s ministry; but also the end of John’s.
(ii) John himself said to his disciples, “You yourselves are my witnesses that
I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent ahead of Him.’ He who
has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who
stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice.
So this joy of mine has been made full. He must increase, but I must
decrease” (John 3:28-30).
(iii) His work isn’t entirely done, but now the focus shifts to Christ.

b. Jesus is also now anointed for ministry:

(i) When He came up out of the water, the heavens opened and the Spirit
descended on Him.
(ii) This was His anointing for the work He was about to begin.

c. And that all might know who this One was, and that Jesus might also be
encouraged, the Father gave this testimony: “You are My beloved Son, in
You I am well-pleased.”
(i) God is pleased with His Son, Jesus.
(ii) He has a perfect heart – He always does the things that please the Father.
(iii) The only way we can please Him is by trusting in Christ – we are also to
strive for perfection, realizing we won’t reach it in this life.
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2. This morning, let’s focus on Jesus’ anointing by the Spirit and how this affects
us. We’ll consider two things:
a. First, that He was anointed for ministry at this time.
b. And second, He was anointed that He might become the source of this same
anointing for us.

II. Sermon.
A. Let’s consider first that this was the time Jesus was anointed with the Spirit to
carry out His ministry.
1. John prophesied of His coming, and now He was here. But why was He
baptized? John’s baptism was that of repentance.
a. It wasn’t because He needed repentance – He never sinned.
b. He did this to fulfill all righteousness for us.
(i) Remember Jesus is our vicar: He came to take our place – that’s what
vicar means.
(ii) He came both to live and die in our place.
(iii) Everything He did, He did vicariously for us.
(iv) We needed to submit to this ordinance, and so He did it for us.

c. He was also baptized that we might know He was the Messiah.

(i) John said, “I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested
to Israel, I came baptizing in water” (John 1:31).
(ii) Apparently, this is how John would also know.

2. But He was baptized for one other reason: that His ministry might be
inaugurated/started with the anointing of the Spirit.
a. It’s interesting that the Father would choose this event to anoint Jesus.
Baptism, after all, signifies the work of the Spirit.
(i) As a washing, it’s meant to signify the washing of regeneration of the
Holy Spirit, “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done
in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of
regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon
us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior” (Titus 3:5-6).
(ii) It’s meant to signify the baptism of the Spirit into Christ, “For by one
Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks,
whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit” (1
Cor. 12:13).
(iii) It’s meant to signify the believer’s death to sin and resurrection with
Christ to new spiritual life, “Or do you not know that all of us who have
been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?
Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so
that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so
we too might walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:3-4).
(iv) And it’s meant to signify the anointing He gives for service – just as the
oil of anointing did in the OT.
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(a) Whenever a priest, a prophet or a king was called to an office, they

were anointed with oil.
(b) This oil represented both their entrance into this office, as well as the
power of the Spirit to fulfill it.
(c) It was poured on the head to represent the Spirit’s descent from
heaven – the reason we believe pouring and sprinkling is a proper way
to baptize.
(d) This was Christ’s initiation and empowering for ministry, when He
was anointed with the Spirit above measure (John 3:34).

b. The Spirit would now give Him the ability to fulfill His role as Mediator –
the three offices that were necessary to accomplish this.
(i) The Spirit anointed Him as a prophet.
(a) Christ would now speak with the power and boldness of the Spirit.
(b) When He returns from the wilderness and His forty day fast – just
after John has been arrested – He will immediately begin to preach,
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and
believe in the Gospel” (Mark 1:15).
(c) And so His prophetic role will begin on earth.

(ii) The Spirit anointed Him as priest.

(a) Jesus would now begin His (earthly) mediation for His church.
(b) Not only would He care for, guide and pray for her, He would now
live for her and prepare in His three and a half years of His ministry to
lay down His life for her.

(iii) And the Spirit anointed Him to be King.

(a) He was born to be King and heir to the throne of David.
(b) But He must first humble Himself to the point of death, before He
would be exalted over all creation (Phil. 2:8-11).
(c) He certainly took up authority as Head over His church at this time.
(d) And He laid the foundation for the overthrow of Satan’s kingdom and
to take the government of the world on His shoulders.

(iv) All this began when He was anointed by the Spirit at His baptism.

B. Second, He was anointed that He might become the source of this same anointing
for us.
1. Remember His ministry was vicarious – what He did, He did that He might save
us and give us this anointing.
a. He was anointed to preach the Gospel and reveal God’s will for us and our
salvation.
b. He was anointed to lay down His life, to rise from the dead, and to intercede
for us that we might be redeemed.
c. He was anointed as King that He might deliver us from the kingdom of the
evil one and bring us into His kingdom of light.
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d. And He was anointed with the Spirit that He might give us this same Spirit
and equip us with abilities/gifts to do His work on earth – that we might be
His eyes, His hands and feet, His mouth, His servants.

2. Let’s close with two questions this morning:

a. First, if you have His anointing, are you being faithful to return to Him the
service He has saved and equipped you for?
(i) Are you using the talents He has entrusted to you wisely?
(ii) Are you effectively building on the foundation He has laid in your life?
(iii) Are you bearing the fruits of righteousness?
(iv) If not, then renew your faith and repentance; purpose to serve Him
faithfully, with all your time, talents and resources, remembering that He
has pledged all His resources to help you.

b. Second, since Jesus is the only One God anointed to bring salvation, are you
trusting in Him this morning?
(i) Have you heard His call to repentance and faith?
(ii) Have you looked to His once for all sacrifice on the cross?
(iii) Have you submitted to His Lordship?
(iv) If not, today is the day you must begin. Christ didn’t come yesterday,
but one day He will return.
(v) You are called to believe now. Every day you put this off, you’re
choosing to refuse Him.
(vi) Turn from your sins, trust in the Lord, and be saved. Amen.

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