The anointing of Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit is a significant theme in biblical prophecy and its fulfillment is a cornerstone of Christian theology. This anointing signifies the divine empowerment and approval of Jesus as the Messiah, the chosen one of God.

Prophetic Foundations

The Old Testament contains several prophecies that foretell the anointing of the Messiah with the Spirit of God. One of the most prominent is found in the book of Isaiah:

· Isaiah 11:2: "The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the LORD."

· Isaiah 42:1: "Here is My Servant, whom I uphold, My Chosen One, in whom My soul delights. I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will bring justice to the nations."

· Isaiah 61:1: "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners."

These passages collectively anticipate a figure upon whom the Spirit of God will rest, equipping Him for His divine mission.

Fulfillment in the New Testament

The New Testament records the fulfillment of these prophecies in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. The anointing of Jesus with the Holy Spirit is explicitly described in the Gospels, particularly at the time of His baptism:

· Matthew 3:16-17: "As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. Suddenly the heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and resting on Him. And a voice from heaven said, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.'"

· Mark 1:10-11: "As soon as Jesus came up out of the water, He saw the heavens breaking open and the Spirit descending on Him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: 'You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.'"

· Luke 3:21-22: "When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as He was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in a bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: 'You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.'"

· John 1:32-34: "Then John testified, 'I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove and resting on Him. I myself did not know Him, but the One who sent me to baptize with water told me, "The man on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is He who will baptize with the Holy Spirit." I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.'"

These accounts affirm that Jesus is the prophesied Messiah, anointed with the Holy Spirit, fulfilling the expectations set forth in the Old Testament.

The Anointing's Significance

The anointing of Jesus with the Holy Spirit is not merely a symbolic act but a profound reality that empowered His earthly ministry. It is through this anointing that Jesus performed miracles, taught with authority, and ultimately fulfilled His redemptive mission. The presence of the Spirit upon Jesus is a testament to His divine nature and His role as the Savior of humanity.

In summary, the prophetic declarations concerning the anointing of the Messiah with the Spirit find their fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ, as attested by the Gospel narratives. This anointing underscores His identity as the Son of God and His mission to bring salvation to the world.Matthew 3:16
And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, see, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting on him:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

John 3:34
For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God: for God gives not the Spirit by measure to him.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Acts 10:38
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Quotations from the Old Testament in the New.
... Respecting this class of quotations, it is only necessary to remark that the ... more
numerous are the passages which are cited as prophecies of Christ and his ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxxix quotations from the.htm

Translated from the Greek.
... following the language of the prophecies respecting Him, and ... of the heavenly Church
of Jesus Christ according to ... the intercourse of Lot with his daughters, and ...
/.../origen/origen de principiis/translated from the greek.htm

Origen's Commentary on the Gospel of John
... Comparison of the Statements of the Four Evangelists Respecting John the Baptist,
the Prophecies Regarding Him ... The Temple Spoken of by Christ is the Church. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/origen/origens commentary on the gospel of john/

The Greater Prophets.
... Respecting the authenticity of this narrative there has been much ... (4.) Christ himself
recognizes ... refers to the future fulfilment of one of his prophecies as a ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxii the greater prophets.htm

Interpretation of Prophecy.
... to become absorbed in calculations beforehand respecting its dates ... to Christ as the
chief subject of the prophecies. ... the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxxviii interpretation of prophecy.htm

That the Scriptures are Divinely Inspired.
... His birth was predicted in the prophecies of Micah ... rule as the following laid down,
respecting the consideration ... composed down to the advent of Christ that the ...
/.../origen/origen de principiis/chapter i that the scriptures are.htm

The Mystery
... Respecting the great city, then, the meaning is plain ... of Babylon is described in
these prophecies; first, of ... trumpet, and the august kingdom of Christ in the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mede/a key to the apocalypse/the mystery.htm

The Seven Trumpets.
... as more appropriately pertaining to other prophecies, the defence ... It is that respecting
which they inquired, as ... TIMOTHY that the Lord JESUS CHRIST will judge ...
/.../bliss/a brief commentary on the apocalypse/the seven trumpets.htm

The Blessing of Jacob Upon Judah. (Gen. Xlix. 8-10. )
... not by any means terminate in Christ; it rather ... In Numbers 2.regulations are laid
down respecting the order ... in general, on the fundamental prophecies of Genesis ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the blessing of jacob upon.htm

Bunsen's Biblical Researches.
... an antiquity of nearly four thousand years before Christ. ... to these or like conclusions
respecting it, the ... not follow that all the prophecies arranged earlier ...
/.../essays and reviews the education of the world/bunsens biblical researches.htm

How can I identify messianic prophecies in the Old Testament? | GotQuestions.org

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Prophecies: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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