The Voice of God

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
Mark 1:9-11 ESV

     Oh, to hear the literal voice of God! I have always wondered what it would sound like. Elijah heard it in a whisper; Israel heard it in the thunder on Mount Sinai. Here, it appears as a simple voice. How I long for the Day where I will hear that voice say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

     When The Holy Spirit descended on Jesus, He was anointed to begin His ministry. This was not Jesus becoming God, as some teach. This was not when Jesus “realized” his mission, as others teach. Jesus was God from birth, and looking at the encounter of the boy Jesus in the temple, it is clear that He knew who He was at an early age.

      Every king was anointed by a prophet at the beginning of His reign, or before, as in the case of David. Oil would be poured on the king’s head, symbolizing the Spirit of the Lord resting on his chosen servant. This was a picture of the event here today, where King Jesus would be anointed by the Holy Spirit, not just a representation of Him.

     None of our ministry will be effective if the Holy Spirit has not anointed it. Without the Spirit moving in out lives, in our ministries, the best efforts are simply man’s works. But when we rely on the anointing of the Holy Spirit, it is not our work, but God’s. Let us pray today that we can learn to rely on the Holy Spirit to guide us and anoint the works of our hands.