The Anointed One

The Spirit of God and the voice from heaven confirmed who Jesus was – Son, Messiah, and Servant of the LORD. Jesus first appears in the Gospel of Mark when John baptizes him in the River Jordan. The opening verses identify him with his hometown of Nazareth, a village of no consequence. He was the “Servant of the LORD” anointed by the Spirit who did not conform to popular messianic expectations.

John was baptizing suppliants in the Jordan River. Rather than recount the details of Christ’s baptism, the story in Mark stresses the audible and visual phenomena that accompanied it: The “rending” of the heavens, the voice from Heaven, and the descent of the Spirit “like a dove”:

• (Mark 1:9-11) - “And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. And immediately, as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens being rent asunder and the Spirit descending as a dove to him. And a voice came out of the heavens: You are my Son, the Beloved. In you, I delight.”

[Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash]

The Greek verb translated as “rent asunder” is ‘schizō’, which means to “split, rip open, tear apart; to rend asunder” (Strong’s Concordance - #G4977). It provides a graphic image. The same term occurs once more in Mark when the veil of the Temple is “torn in two” as Jesus breathes his last breath.

That verbal link is deliberate. The rending of the heavens above the Jordan revealed the Messiah. Likewise, the “rending of the Temple veil” preceded the moment when the Roman centurion identified Jesus as the “Son of God” - (Mark 15:36-39).

The “tearing open of the heavens” pointed to the cosmic significance of his arrival along the banks of the river. From then on, any man or woman could join the Kingdom of God through repentance and faith. Likewise, God’s presence was now accessible to all men. No longer would it be confined to the Temple in Jerusalem or restricted to one nation.

From the moment of his baptism and anointing alongside the Jordan River - “In those days” - the Creator of all things could be found and understood in the man from the tiny village of Nazareth.

The description echoes a passage in the Book of Isaiah addressed originally to Yahweh - “Oh, that you would rend the Heavens, that you would come down so the mountains might quake at your presence… that the nations may tremble at your presence” – (Isaiah 64:1).

Isaiah’s plea was fulfilled as God “rent the heavens” and anointed His Son with the Spirit to carry out his Messianic mission and shepherd the nations. However, it was not the mountains of Judea that quaked, but the hearts of men as they saw Jesus and heard his words.

The preposition applied to the Spirit’s descent stresses movement “into” or “onto” something or someone (‘eis’), in this case, Jesus. Perhaps the Spirit entered him at this point, though the verb and preposition more likely picture the Spirit coming to rest upon him. This was the moment when he was anointed for his ministry.

THE VOICE

Jesus heard the voice calling him “Beloved Son.” The voice is heard once more in Mark when it makes a similar declaration at Christ’s Transfiguration. In the present passage, the voice combines words from two Old Testament passages to identify Jesus as the Son of God who came to fulfill the promises of Yahweh:

• (Psalm 2:7) - “I will surely tell of the decree of Yahweh: he said to me, You are my Son, today, I have begotten you.”

• (Isaiah 42:1) - “Behold, My servant whom I uphold; my chosen one in whom my soul delights. I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring justice to the nations.”

Both prophecies were Messianic. By combining them, Mark clarifies Christ’s identity and mission. He is God’s “Son” and the ‘Suffering Servant of Yahweh’ described in the Book of Isaiah. Unjust suffering would characterize his ministry and sonship.

The descent of the Spirit meant he was anointed and equipped to proclaim the Kingdom of God. The heavenly voice confirmed God’s approval of his mission and person, not just because of who he was, but also because of his submission to John’s baptism in obedience to his Father and Scripture:

• “Then came Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized of John. But John would have prevented him, saying, I need to be baptized of you, and you come to me? But Jesus answering said unto him, Allow it, for thus it becomes us to fulfill all righteousness” – (Matthew 3:14-15).

• “There will come forth a shoot out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots will bear fruit. And the Spirit of Yahweh will rest upon him…” – (Isaiah 11:1).

• “The Spirit of Yahweh is upon me because Yahweh has anointed me to preach good news…“ – (Isaiah 61:1).

Christ’s ministry began in fulfillment of Scripture as the “heavens were rent” and the Spirit descended upon him. Whether his contemporaries understood his mission, he was the long-awaited Messiah of Israel, the ‘Christ’, the “Anointed One,” sent to save his people from their sins, proclaim the Gospel, and establish and rule the Kingdom of God.

He would carry out his Messianic role as the ‘Suffering Servant of Yahweh’, something none of his contemporaries expected, and a reality that would defy popular expectations. Jesus was the quintessential Man of the Spirit who would fill his people with the Holy Spirit of God.

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SEE ALSO:

• The Promise of the Father - (With the outpouring of the Spirit on Pentecost, the blessing for all nations promised to Abraham has commenced)

• The Blessing of Abraham - (The Gift of the Spirit is one of God’s covenant promises and his ways of blessing all Nations in Abraham’s Seed)

• The Salvation of Yahweh - (‘Jesus’ means ‘Yahweh saves.’ In the man from Nazareth, the salvation promised by the God of Israel arrived in all its glory)

• Salut de Yahvé - (Jésus signifie ‘Yahvé sauve.’ Dans l'homme de Nazareth, le Salut promis par le Dieu d'Israël est arrivé dans toute sa gloire)