Come to Understanding

Come to Understanding

They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding,

and they that murmured shall learn doctrine. — Isaiah 29:24

So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense,

and caused them to understand the reading. — Nehemiah 8:8

February 14, 2008
Volume 7 Number 4

Anointed With Love

After He was baptized, anointed by the Holy Ghost, and tempted by Satan, Yahshua (also called Jesus) went into the synagogue and stood up and read from Isaiah:

18 The Spirit of the Lord Yahweh is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord Yahweh.

20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.

21 And he began to say to them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. -Luke 4

With the Spirit of Yahweh upon Him, He was indeed the Messiah (also called the Christ), meaning "the Anointed One." This Scripture was fulfilled.

The Scriptures are the record of the law and the prophecies, which reveal the coming Messiah. Therefore, He did not come to destroy them, but rather to fulfill them:

17 Think not that I have come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I have not come to destroy, but to fulfill.

18 For truly I say to you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no way pass from the law, till all is fulfilled.

19 Whoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. -Matthew 5

Therefore, He kept the law until He demonstrated that He had fulfilled it.

One such law concerned the anointing of the priests. Yahweh gave specific instructions on how they must be anointed:

7 Then shall you take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and anoint him. -Exodus 29

The anointing oil was not simply olive oil. Made especially for anointing priests, it was an expensive mixture of spices and fragrances (see Exodus 30:34-38) that was to be used "throughout your generations:"

30 And you shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office.

31 And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, This shall be a holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations.

32 Upon man’s flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall you make any other like it, after the composition of it: it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you. -Exodus 30

Yahshua is also called the "High Priest," who was faithful to Yahweh, just as Moses was faithful:

1 Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, the Messiah Yahshua;

2 Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. -Hebrews 3

The high priest under the law was anointed with the anointing oil in obedience to Yahweh, confirming the promise of the anointing by the Spirit of God. Likewise, then, it was necessary for Yahshua to also be anointed with anointing oil confirming the fulfillment of the promise of the anointing of the Spirit of God.

There are at least three separate instances in which Yahshua was anointed with expensive ointment. The first instance occurred after He had raised a widow’s only son from the dead. A Pharisee invited Yahshua to his house for dinner:

36 And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to meat. -Luke 7

As Yahshua was eating, a woman, who was a well-known sinner from the city, followed Him into the Pharisee’s house. While He was sitting for the meal, the woman washed His feet with her tears, dried them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment from an expensive alabaster box that she had brought with her.

37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Yahshua sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,

38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. -Luke 7

After being criticized by Simon the Pharisee for allowing this sinful woman to touch Him, Yahshua responded by saying this woman did that which he would not do:

44 And he turned to the woman, and said to Simon, See you this woman? I entered into your house, you gave me no water for my feet: but she has washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.

45 You gave me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in has not ceased to kiss my feet.

46 My head with oil you did not anoint: but this woman has anointed my feet with ointment. -Luke 7

Because of the love that this woman demonstrated for Him, He forgave her of her sins:

47 Therefore I say unto you, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.

48 And he said to her, Your sins are forgiven. -Luke 7

The second instance in which He was anointed also followed the resurrection of someone from the dead. This time it was Yahshua’s friend, Lazarus. While He was still in Bethany, six days before the Passover during which He would be crucified, Yahshua sat at dinner with Lazarus:

1 Then Yahshua six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.

2 There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. -John 12

What a celebration! Lazarus had been dead. Now he was not only alive, but he was even eating supper! How could his sisters show their love for Yahshua? Martha served Him supper. As Mary anointed His feet with costly ointment, she even wiped them with her hair:

3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Yahshua, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment. -John 12

Judas, who was apparently among those who were at the supper, complained that the ointment should have been sold and the money given to the poor. Yahshua responded, revealing that He was also about to die:

7 Then said Yahshua, Let her alone: against the day of my burying has she kept this.

8 For the poor always you have with you; but me you have not always. -John 12

The day after Mary had anointed His feet, Yahshua returned to Jerusalem to further fulfill the Scriptures:

12 On the next day many people that had come to the feast, when they heard that Yahshua was coming to Jerusalem, -John 12

As the people saw Him, they knew that the Scripture was being fulfilled, which read:

25 Save now, I beseech you, O Yahweh: O Yahweh, I beseech you, send now prosperity.

26 Blessed is he that comes in the name of Yahweh: we have blessed you out of the house of Yahweh. -Psalms 118

Repeating these prophetic words, they cried out "Hosanna," which means "Save Now," as they called Yahshua the "King of Israel" who came in the "name of Yahweh:"

13 Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that comes in the name of the Lord Yahweh. -John 12

After His triumphant entry into Jerusalem, Yahshua returned to Bethany where He lodged:

17 And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there. -Matthew 21

After returning to Jerusalem the next day, Yahshua taught about the power of prayer. However, the authorities in the temple challenged Him, "Who gave you this authority?"

23 And when he had come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority do you these things? and who gave you this authority? -Matthew 21

After all, Yahshua had not been anointed upon His head to serve as a priest. Therefore, they accused Him of serving without the authority of the Scriptures.

The Passover was only two days away when He went back to Bethany, to the home of Simon the leper. A woman came to Him there and anointed Him upon His head:

3 And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at a meal, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she broke the box, and poured it on his head. -Mark 14

While some of His disciples complained about the wasted ointment, Yahshua responded:

8 She has done what she could: she has come beforehand to anoint my body for the burying. -Mark 14

Yahweh revealed His love through the women who anointed Yahshua. The Scripture was fulfilled when Yahshua was anointed upon His head. He was then prepared to serve as both the High Priest and as the final Sacrifice for sin.

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Scriptures are taken from the Proper Name Version of the King James Bible.