The Holy Spirit is a gift to be asked for after salvation [Luke 11:13]. On occasion, He is received simultaneously with salvation, but the blood is there to revive. Most people are not aware that the men and women in the upper room on the day of Pentecost had already been regenerated the day Jesus arose from the dead. Listen to what John says in his book:

John 20:20-22
20 And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.
21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:

Having been born again on resurrection day, the day of Pentecost was a consecration for God's service with a real immersion in holy anointing oil. They were so energized by the power of Holy Spirit oil that they spoke with tongues and prophesied. The Spirit came on them with fire, power, and untaught languages indicating that symbolic oil was no longer needed to approach God. The blood is, however. Symbolic oil, being representative imagery, cannot produce a real anointing manifesting miracles. It takes real supernatural power.

Because Jesus' efficacious sacrifice has paid the penalty, the Spirit can now regenerate whoever believes the message of salvation. Every person alive today has been reconciled to God, but most do not know it. Making people aware of this truth and helping them appropriate it is what the gospel is all about. People need to understand that nothing more can be done. God's righteousness and justice were satisfied at the cross, and God can at last fellowship with unholy people. It is all because of the blood of Jesus. Even though Grace sits on the throne, and we access heaven by a new and better way, holiness is still the scepter, and we will not gain an audience with the Father without application of Jesus' blood by faith for cleansing.

Because purification rites required full submerging, Jerusalem was well stocked with tubs called 'baths.' Did you ever wonder, as I did, when all this took place with Jesus? All things had to be done according to the rules of the Bible, and if any little point of law was abrogated, the entire house falls. Jesus had to receive His high priestly office according to the pattern in the Book.

God swore years before, that a new priestly line would come after the Order of Melchisedec [Psalm 110:4]. Did Jesus just assume His high priestly function out of thin air? We have already learned that there was a method by which the baton was passed from one high priest to another. Did this protocol just evaporate with the new order? We know from Scripture that God does not operate in an arbitrary manner, hence, the new order had to be legitimately turned over to Jesus while He was on earth. We know it was activated when He entered the heavenly holy of holies after His resurrection, sprinkled everything in heaven with His holy precious cleansing blood, and sat down on the right hand of God [Psalm 110:1]. Sitting down means that all things are done. But, how did He receive the office from the Levites?

We saw in Addendum 1 that Jesus was anointed as the final sacrifice in the Garden of Gethsemane. Yet, only the high priest could offer the daily sacrifices which pointed to the last one. So, we need to find out if Jesus' sacrificial offering was valid. Who offered Him? I submit that He offered Himself as the high priest of a new order. The anointing of Jesus as the new high priest is not as obvious in the accounts of His life as was His substitutionary sacrifice as a Lamb for the sins of the world. So let's go to the Scriptures to find out if they speak to this question.

Luke 7:24-26
24 …(H)e began to speak unto the people concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
25 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings' courts.
26 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet.
27 This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
28 For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.

What did Jesus mean when He said John the Baptist was much more than a prophet? Also, why was Elijah or Moses not greater prophets? Both of them were glorified on the mount of transfiguration with Jesus. I propose that it was because John was MORE than a prophet as Jesus said. He was a prophet and a priest whereas Elijah and Moses were not priests.

It looks like John's parents were both from the high priestly line of Aaron. The above tells us Elisabeth was a daughter of Aaron, and Zacharias was of the course of Abia, the eighth course of the sons of Aaron who ministered in the holy place performing the duties of a high priest

Luke 1:8-11
8 And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course,
9 According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.
11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

Recall from Addendum 1 that only a high priest was allowed to burn incense at the altar of incense? The people were praying outside the temple according to verse 10 while Zacharias put incense on the hot coals in the censer so that smoke could arise symbolizing that their prayers were ascending to God. Therefore, we can assume by virtue of blood lineage that John the Baptist was qualified to become a high priest of the Levitical order. He was not, in matter of fact, because usurpers had corrupted the office. Who was Caiaphas then?

According to Josephus the historian, in Jesus' day the high priest was appointed to the office by Roman magistrates. The Sanhedrin was a Mafia style operation at this time and the Negev area was the location of their headquarters. It was purchased with large sums of money and thereby controlled through bribery by Rome. Caiaphas was not the actual high priest according to the laws of Israel, and we can assume that it should have been John the Baptist because of a remark made by Jesus at His baptism.

Why did Jesus tell John to bear with Him in this ritual? Being sinless Jesus was not in need of cleansing from sin. But if He was to take over the function of the high priest, He had to assume it according to the prescribed pattern in order to fulfill all the law. As we have seen, the ordinance proscribed that the outgoing high priest baptize the incoming one. Since John qualified to be a high priest, he qualified to anoint an incoming one. Did not Jesus say in verse 15, "it becometh US to fulfill all righteousness?" Both He and John were performing the rite of changeover of the high priest. The ritual specified that the incoming one be immersed in water by the outgoing one. Since Caiaphas was not legitimately the high priest due to the fact that he was appointed to office, he could not have qualified to purify much less anoint Jesus. Furthermore, Even though corrupt officials ruled, God honored the office, but Caiaphas forfeited the office at Jesus' trial when he rent his garment in violation of the high priestly protocol that he not tear his garment nor shave his head lest he be cut off. I proposed that Caiaphas was cut off right there.

Matthew 26:63-65
63 But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.
64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
65 Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy.

Although the high priests were illegitimate, they had to play by the rules. However, verse 65 above clearly states that the high priest rent his clothes in violation of God's commandment that the garments of the high priest not be torn. Recall that Moses warned Aaron and his two remaining sons not to tear their garments lest they die, after God cut off the older boys. Strangely, the "strange fire" they offered to God burned them to death. Hence, Caiaphas forfeited his seat and no longer could hold the office even symbolically.

An interesting aside is that when Jesus was "adjured," commanded by swearing, to answer the high priest's question, He had to respond with an answer.

Leviticus 5:1
5:1 And if a soul sin, and hear the voice of swearing, and is a witness, whether he hath seen or known of it; if he do not utter it, then he shall bear his iniquity.

Let me paraphrase what Jesus said, "you said it, but since I know the truth, I must tell you myself that I AM He." His response in verse 64 was admitting that He was the one who would be sitting on the right hand of God, and everyone knew that seat was reserved for God's Son according to Psalm 110:1. This is the reason Caiaphas was so angry and tore His garments.

Thus, the office of the high priest had now been forfeited and open for another to take it. Having been anointed by John the Baptist three years earlier, Jesus was in position to assume it. At this moment in His trial, being the new high priest, He was qualified to offer the final sacrifice of the daily sacrifices. At His crucifixion, He was the high priest, He was the sacrifice, and His cross was the altar! He had everything a priest needed: the office, an altar, and a sacrifice. Therefore, He was qualified to make the final declaration in Hebrew - "nigmar." Fulfilling the last detail of His high priestly duty, with His arms outstretched to heaven He shouted, "It is finished!" The law with its Levitical priesthood was over. In three days, there would be a new Melchisedec order of priests who could approach God for themselves by way of the blood of Jesus.

Hebrews 10:19-22
19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
21 And having an high priest over the house of God;
22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

At last, the church, being made up of believer-priests, is truly a Kingdom of Priests [Revelation 1:6; 5:10]. This is what God intended in the beginning when He chose Israel to be His people [Exodus 19:6]. Glory to God! "…What manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God…"