The Psalter of Jesus: The Call of the Anointed // Psalm 132

From the moment of his Transfiguration, Jesus began a journey down from the mountain of glory, toward Jerusalem, and ultimately to the upside down glory of the cross. He flipped the world on its head, demonstrating forever that true divine glory works itself out in the self-sacrifice of love. Jesus was eternally destined for this journey to Jerusalem. He was sent to bring God's love to Zion and establish a heavenly culture there. He entered Jerusalem to great adulation and yet also riding a donkey, foreshadowing both the conquest and humiliation of the cross. In the kingdom of God, conquest is won through humiliation. Jesus achieved his greatest victory by way of his greatest defeat. He was anointed to spend himself in love for the sake of re-creating God's city and redeeming God's people. This anointing covered Jesus from head to toe. And it likewise covers all people who are baptized into his body. In baptism, Christians are anointed to participate in the life and death of Jesus. In baptism, we are anointed to minister redemption through the great gain and loss of love.