Messiah / Christ: What Does It Mean?
Messiah / Christ: What Does It Mean?
For a while now, I’ve been writing about the names of God. Most of them have referenced God, the Father. God is a trinity with each part being God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I’m going to turn now and focus on some of the names of Jesus, God the Son.
First let’s discuss the word, Messiah. It comes from a Hebrew word that means “to anoint.” So, Messiah means “Anointed One.”
Is there a difference between Messiah and Christ?
No. Messiah is a Hebrew word-the language of the Old Testament. The New Testament was written in Greek. The writers took the Hebrew word Messiah (Anointed One) and translated it into the Greek word Christos which has the same meaning of Anointed One. The English translation for the Christos is Christ.
Messiah and Christ both mean the same thing in two different languages: Anointed One.
To better understand Jesus as THE Anointed One, we look at how the term was used in the Old Testament. Throughout those days, individuals were anointed with oil to show they were set apart for a specific role. Oil is symbolic of the Holy Spirit. Priests were anointed with oil. Kings like Saul and David were anointed. Those who were anointed with oil were chosen by God for a specific, holy purpose. It was a serious thing to be anointed with oil -to be set apart for service to God. We can see this in the life of David. After running and hiding from King Saul for years, David had the chance to kill Saul but he would not harm him. David said he would not “stretch out my hand against the LORD’S anointed.” I Samuel 26:23.
The people of Israel understood the sacredness of being anointed for the service of the LORD.
It was in the writings of the prophet Daniel when Messiah (anointed one) was firmly connected as a title for the son of God (Jesus). God revealed to Daniel the prophecy of the seventy weeks.
“So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing . . . “ Daniel 9:25-26.
In the Old Testament days, those who studied Scripture understood and anxiously awaited the Messiah who would come one day. For example, after King Herod was visited by the wise men, he called in the chief priests and scribes asked them, “where the Christ (Messiah, The Anointed One) was to be born.” Matthew 2:4. They answered him “In Bethlehem of Judea.” Matthew 2:5.
Did Jesus ever connect Himself to the title Messiah?
Yes. Jesus asked his disciples who they believed He was. Peter said “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 16:16-17.
Jesus Christ (Messiah) is the Son of God. Jesus is the Messiah who was prophesied in the Old Testament. Jesus fulfilled each and every prophecy of the Messiah through His birth, ministry, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension.
One day in the future, Jesus the Messiah, the Anointed One, the Christ, will return. Jesus said:
“And then they will see The Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” Luke 21:27. (This will fulfill the prophecies of Daniel 7:13 and Revelation 1:7)
Carla Killough McClafferty
It's a transliteration of the Greek word christos, which described the anointed Jewish king who was to come. When we speak of Jesus Christ (or Jesus the Christ or Christ Jesus), it's a helpful reminder that he is more than our Savior who saves us from our sins: he's our king who deserves our allegiance.
Christ Is the King. It is "who" Jesus is. Savior is what Jesus does for us.