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Jesus Messiah

“Christ” means “Messiah” or “anointed one”. As the Messiah, Jesus is the one who fulfills all old testament expectations. I must recognize Jesus as King (the anointed one) of God’s country.

Is it Mr. Christ? Nope. the Messiah is a title, not a name.

In Hebrew, MESSIAH מָשִׁיַח, (mashiyach) means “anointed” or “an anointed one”. Rendered into Greek as Χριστός (christos), or a verb χρίω (chriō, “to anoint”). In this sense, it is essentially the same to say that Jesus is “Messiah,” or “the Messiah.”

In Bible translations, sometimes it is Jesus the Christ (used as a title) and sometimes it is Jesus Christ, appearing to be a name. In all cases, it is a title and not a name. I try to be consistent in using the title “the Messiah”. I don’t think most people really understand “Jesus Christ”.

Jesus is the anointed King. Jesus is the anointed Priest. Jesus is the anointed Prophet. Jesus is anointed by the Holy Spirit. In all cases, Jesus is the “Anointed One” by God.

Jesus recognized as the Messiah: Jesus is called the Messiah in Matthew 1:16. In fact, every time someone says, “Jesus the Messiah,” he is referring to Jesus as the Messiah, since the Messiah means “Messiah” or “Anointed One.” The Old Testament predicts the Messiah, and the New Testament reveals the Messiah to be Jesus of Nazareth.

  • There are several things that the Jewish people who anticipated the Messiah expected Him to be, based on Old Testament prophecies.
  • The Messiah would be a Hebrew man (Isaiah 9:6) born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2) of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14), a prophet akin to Moses (Deuteronomy 18:18), a priest in the order of Melchizedek (Psalm 110:4), a king (Isaiah 11:1–4), and the Son of David (Matthew 22:42) who suffered before entering His glory (Isaiah 53).
  • Jesus met each of these messianic requirements.
  • Matthew 16:16 — Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
  • Luke 2:26–32 — And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Master’s Messiah. And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, “Now Master, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation, Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, A Light of revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.”
  • Luke 4:41 — Demons also were coming out of many, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But rebuking them, He would not allow them to speak, because they knew Him to be the Messiah.
  • John 1:41–42 — He found first his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah”. He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).
  • John 11:27 — She said to Him, “Yes, Master; I have believed that You are the Messiah, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world.”
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