Did You Know?/Who Were the Scribes Who Opposed Jesus?

 What did it mean for a person to be anointed? 

In the middle East in Bible times, greasing a person's head with oil was a sign of favor toward him or an act of hostility toward a guest. Generally, the oil was used was olive oil with perfume added to it. The Hebrews also poured oil on a person's head, or anointed him, when he was officially appointed to a position of authority. Aaron, for example, was anointed upon being appointed to serve as high priest. (Leviticus 8:12) In the case of King David, 'Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him . . . , and the high spirit of Jehovah began to be operative upon David from that day forward."- 1 SAMUEL 16:13. 

In the Hebrew language, the term used for such anointing is ma-shack,' Greek word is khri'o, from which khro-stos', or Christ. Thus, Aaron and David can each be referred to as a messiah, or an anointed one. Moses too is called a christ, or an anointed one, in the sense that God appointed him to serve as his representative. - HEBREWS 11:24-26. 

Jesus of Nazareth was personally appointed by God to a position of great authority. Rather than being anointed with literal oil, Jesus was anointed with God's holy spirit. (Matthew 3:16) As Jehovah's chosen Anointed One, Jesus is properly referred to as the Messiah, or Christ. - LUKE 4:18.

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