Hebrew Highlights 15 - Mashiach

Shalom, this is Yuval Shomron, coming to you from Jerusalem.

Yeshua HaMashiach, Or Jesus the Messiah, the Name above all names. What’s in a name? Let’s look today at the word Mashiach, or messiah, which means “anointed one”.

When Yeshua spoke at the synagogue in Nazareth, He quoted this passage from ISA 61:1-3 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives, And freedom to prisoners; To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To grant those who mourn in Zion, Giving them a garland instead of ashes, The oil of gladness instead of mourning, The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.

The religious leaders of the day where upset. They realized that Yeshua was claiming to be the anointed one, or Messiah. They said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?” Joseph was, after all, the town carpenter. How could his son Yeshua claim something reserved for great leaders like King David?

We read in PSA 18:50, “He gives great deliverance to His king, And shows lovingkindness to His anointed, To David and his descendants forever.”

The root word behind Mashiach is Mashach. It is also found in the word Mishcha, which means an ointment or balm.

In EXO 40:13-15 God commands Moses, saying "And you shall put the holy garments on Aaron and anoint him and consecrate him, that he may minister as a priest to Me. And you shall bring his sons and put tunics on them; and you shall anoint them even as you have anointed their father, that they may minister as priests to Me; and their anointing shall qualify them for a perpetual priesthood throughout their generations. "

Anointing was a serious ritual, done usually by placing or pouring olive oil or some other fragrant potion on some part of the person’s body.

The Greek word for anointing is Chrio. Thus the words Christ, and Christian. The Christ, of course, means anointed one. Christianos, or Christian means anointed ones. Those of us who are believers here in Israel are called Meshichim in Hebrew.

Let’s look at ACT 11:26; “and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And it came about that for an entire year they met with the church, and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.”

Now, you might ask, “do we have the right to be called anointed ones”?

2CO 1:21-22 says, “Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.”

So what have we been anointed for? Since we are to do the works of Yeshua, we also are anointed To bring good news to the afflicted; to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives, etc.

This sounds like a big job, and one we are not worthy of. Yet, this is our commission. If you do not feel up to it, you can take comfort in PSA 20:6 “Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven, With the saving strength of His right hand.”

The suffering and lost world, needs us to take our place as true disciples and followers of Yeshua HaMashiach, the anointed one. God has promised us His anointing, and keeps His promise. We must, however, not set our focus on the anointing, and get caught up in the wonderful things God does through us, but in stead, keep our eyes on the Anointed one from Nazareth, “in whom, as we are reminded in COL 2:3, are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

Shalom, Shalom from Jerusalem.