The Claim: Jesus Was Never Properly Anointed and Could Not Be Christ/Messiah/Anointed One
Jesus was never properly anointed! He was smeared with ointment (Matthew 26:7-9, Mark 14:3-5, Luke 7:37). To be the Christ/Messiah/Anointed One he had to be properly anointed. To be properly anointed is the following - Exodus 30:22-25, Exodus 29:7, 1 Samuel 10:1, 1 Samuel 16:13, 1 Kings 1:34, 39, 45.
The Biblical accounts of the anointing of the first three kings of Israel – Saul, David, and Solomon – contain the following six unique elements of a template for the process of anointing royalty of Israel, one of whom will be a messiah.
1. A special preparation from pure olive oil was used as the oil of anointing.
2. Being sacred, the anointing oil was stored in the Temple.
3. A universally recognized prophet performed the ritual of anointing a king.
4. The prophets used the vial of oil, or the horn of oil, to anoint the new king, not merely a vial of oil or a horn of oil.
5. The oil of anointing was poured only on the head.
6. Anointing was tantamount to crowning a king (or appointing a high priest).
Jesus was never anointed in this way and so he cannot be A messiah much less THE messiah.
The Response
"Anointing" in a literal, physical sense just means "to smear or rub with oil". For example, Jacob anointed a stone with oil (Gen 28:18).
Christ comes from the Greek word Christos which means "anointed one". Messiah comes from the Hebrew word Mashiach which means "anointed one"
The claim mentions a "proper anointing" found in Exodus chapters 29 and 30. This anointing is associated with establishing the Levitical priesthood. Jesus wasn't a Levite and should not have received that anointing... ever. In this regard, the claim is 100% correct: the Matthew, Mark, and Luke passages quoted would never qualify as an anointing in a Levitical sense. Yeshua was a priest in the order of Melchizedek not Aaron (Hebrews 5:10).
The claim also mentions a "proper anointing" found in 1 Samuel chapters 10 and 16, and 1 Kings chapter 1. These anointings associated with man's actions in anointing a king. Each of the six points presented in the claim has problems.
1) The only oil that is specifically described as "olive oil" is found in regards to the Levitical priesthood... not kings.
2) The oil couldn't have been stored in the Temple: it hadn't been built yet.
3) Zadok the priest anointed Solomon (1 Kings 1:39) and he was not a universally recognized prophet.
4) This part of the claim doesn't make any sense.
5) Oil poured only on the head? This is apparent in only a few cases but not all of them.
6) Anointing = crowning a king? Anointing was also used for other purposes.
Is the oil really the point, though? Or is it merely an outward symbol of G-d placing His spirit upon someone (like Aaron or King David) to accomplish His work?
We see that the Spirit anointed Yeshua in John 1:32. That is the true anointing which G-d performed Himself.
Messiah Yeshua came first as the suffering servant and will be anointed as King of Kings and Lord of Lords upon His return.
Oh, Lord, may You return soon!