Lord's Day 12 — Monday: The Anointed One
Lord's Day 12: The Name 'Christ' - Three Offices
Monday — The Anointed One
The Catechism
Q31. Why is he called 'Christ,' meaning 'anointed'?
Because he has been ordained by God the Father and has been anointed with the Holy Spirit to be our chief prophet and teacher who fully reveals to us the secret counsel and will of God concerning our deliverance; our only high priest who has delivered us by the one sacrifice of his body, and who continually pleads our cause with the Father; and our eternal king who governs us by his Word and Spirit, and who guards and keeps us in the freedom he has won for us.
Q32. But why are you called a Christian?
Because by faith I am a member of Christ and so I share in his anointing. I am anointed to confess his name, to present myself to him as a living sacrifice of thanks, to strive with a free conscience against sin and the devil in this life, and afterward to reign with Christ over all creation for eternity.
Today's Emphasis
The title 'Christ' (Greek) or 'Messiah' (Hebrew) means 'anointed.' In the Old Testament, prophets, priests, and kings were anointed with oil to set them apart for their sacred offices. Jesus alone holds all three offices perfectly and eternally.
Scripture Readings
Psalm 2:2
The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed.
Isaiah 61:1
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.
Acts 4:26-27
'The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed'—for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel.
From the Reformers
Zacharias Ursinus (Commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism)
"Christ was anointed, not with material oil, as were the priests, prophets, and kings of the Old Testament, but with the Holy Spirit and his gifts without measure, that he might execute the threefold office for which he was sent into the world."
Reflection Questions
• Why is it significant that Jesus holds all three offices—prophet, priest, and king—when in the Old Testament these were always held by separate individuals?
• How does knowing that Jesus was 'ordained by God the Father' and 'anointed with the Holy Spirit' strengthen your confidence in his saving work?
Growing in grace through the Catechism — The Hearthside Team 🔥