3 Bible Tips: The Anointed One
In biblical usage, anointing is an act of consecration—setting one apart for the holy work of God.
1. Anointing was symbolic of the pouring out of God's Spirit onto someone, representing God's power and intervention.
"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because 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" (Isaiah 61:1; see also Romans 5:5 and Acts 10:38).
2. Both Messiah (from the Hebrew) and Christ (from the Greek) mean the Anointed One, fulfilling the prophecies of a great King of the line of David who would rule the world.
"He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, 'We have found the Messiah' (which is translated, the Christ)" (John 1:41; see also Psalm 2:1-12 and Daniel 9:25-26).
3. Peter recognized that Jesus was the Messiah and the Son of God.
"Simon Peter answered and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God'" (Matthew 16:16).
For more about the Anointed One, see "What Do 'Messiah' and 'Jesus Christ' Mean?" from the booklet Jesus Christ: The Real Story.