Jesus is anointed by the Spirit

Jesus is anointed by the Spirit     

Isaiah 11:2 “The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him-the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord”

Extra Reading:  Isaiah 11: 1-5

The gospel in Isaiah is clearly focused on Christ. I have learned three times in Isaiah, Jesus is described as the one fully anointed by God’s Spirit. In Isaiah 42:1, the Lord’s servant is anointed to become the ultimate justice-bearer: “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations.” In Isaiah 61:1, Christ’s anointing is for the sake of bearing good news: “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.”

In today’s message, the Spirit rests on the Branch (Jesus) so that he becomes the ultimate wisdom-bearer. Unlike us humans, the incarnate Son of God never stumbled into deceptions or embraced this world’s lies. With a clear eye he stayed focused on the divine purpose of his life. We believe that it’s easy to declare that Jesus saw things perfectly because he was Immanuel (“God with us”). But observe a special emphasis in this passage. The Spirit inspires “the fear of the Lord.” Of course, this fear is not cowering terror but a sense of deep awe, even love for the Father. The “fear of the Lord” kept Immanuel clear-eyed regarding the truth. When the Spirit of the Lord inspires that same “fear of the Lord” in us, we can focus on the truth too.

Prayer:  Father God, anoint us with your Spirit. Instill the fear of the Lord in us. In Jesus Christ’s name we pray, Amen.

Rev. Samuel N. Modise