When the Old Testament talks about the anointed one, you’re meant to buckle up.
Because the anointed one means the Messiah, and that usually means the one special person whom God was going to send into the world to save us. (The word ‘Christ’ means the same thing.) And there are loads of prophesies about the messiah. The prophet Isaiah, writing around 700 years before Jesus said these incredible words: 'The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me...' Note that phrase ‘anointed me’. That’s an alarm bell going off, saying we’re talking about the Messiah. 'The Lord has anointed me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.' Beautiful words. And when Jesus started his ministry of helping people, he went into the synagogue, took a scroll and read these words out. He then said, 'This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears!' In other words he was saying, I am the fulfilment of these words. And look at the life of Jesus. The words perfectly describe what he did - going around setting people free, healing them, helping them. You may know about the woman who was about to be executed for committing adultery: Jesus saved her. People who were in mourning had their problems solved and were given a new life. People who were sick were healed by Jesus. The poor had good news preached to them.
But it also says that Jesus was to preach about the vengeance of God. That means that one day God will judge those who have behaved wickedly and have turned to God and asked for forgiveness. And Jesus spoke a lot about the seriousness of sin and hell as well as about God’s kindness to those in trouble. This is just another incredible prophecy about Jesus that came true. |