Messiah / Christ
MESSIAH / CHRIST
The terms “Messiah” and “Christ” are each titles that are used of Jesus. They mean the same thing, but in different languages.
Messiah|Christ|
Hebrew|Greek|
Taken from hv;m', “to anoint.”|Taken from criw, “to anoint.”|
Each title carries the same idea and speaks of “the anointed one.” As such, it can refer to any anointed person and is not always a reference to Jesus.
Old Testament Background. The concept of anointing related to three distinct Old Testament offices. Those holding these offices were initiated into their position through a process of anointing.
Prophets and Kings: Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. (1 Kings 19:16).
Priests: Then you shall take the anointing oil, and pour it on his head and anoint him. (Exodus 29:7). This anointing pictured the Holy Spirit being poured out upon the recipient of the anointing. At the same time, it was understood that these served as pictures of One who would be known as “the Lord's anointed” (Psalms 2:2; Isaiah 42:1-4; Isaiah 61:1; Daniel 9:26).
Usage by Jesus in the Gospel Accounts.
Jesus rarely used the terms “Messiah” or “Christ” as a self designation. Those times He did so were normally in private discussions and when someone else introduced the term.
Peter's great confession: He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 16:15-17). In this case, Jesus accepts and agrees with this use of the title, even though He is not the one who introduced it. He points out that the only reason that Peter has come to this conclusion is because it has been revealed from the Father. In giving instructions to His disciples, Jesus speaks of them as followers of the Christ: For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because of your name as followers of Christ, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward. (Mark 9:41). When the Samaritan woman spoke of the Messiah, Jesus told her, “I who speak to you am He.” (John 4:26).
Martha calls Jesus the Christ and He accepts the title from her: She said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world.” (John 11:27).
Jesus questions the Pharisees about the Christ: Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, 42 saying, “What do you think about the Christ, whose son is He?” They said to Him, "The son of David." (Matthew 22:41-42). In this case, Jesus is speaking in public, but He does not make any pronouncement that He is the Christ. Instead He asks the Pharisees what is their understanding of whom the Christ will be.
Jesus uses the title of Himself as He prays to the Father in His high priestly prayer: And this is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent. (John 17:3).
There is only one instance in which Jesus publicly proclaims Himself to be Messiah and Christ. It takes place on the night of His betrayal and arrest. As He stands before the high priest, He is asked directly about His ministry.
Again the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” 62 And Jesus said, "I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven." (Mark 14:61-62).
It was only now when the high priest asked Jesus point-blank whether or not He was the Christ that He replied in the affirmative. The very fact that the high priest asked this question in such a manner when Jesus had made no previous public proclamation that He was the Christ is itself an evidence of His Messiahship. The question was asked, not because He had made a public claim, but because so many people had seen the prophecies fulfilled before their eyes that the person and work of Jesus served to announce His true identity.
Usage by the Authors of the Gospels: Though they show that Jesus did not publicly pronounce Himself to be Messiah and Christ prior to the trial before the high priest, that does not mean that the authors of the gospel accounts hesitate to make such a pronouncement. Very early in each one of the gospels, we find a statement that Jesus is the Christ. The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. (Matthew 1:1). The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. (Mark 1:1). For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:11). For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. (John 1:17).
After these special introductions of Jesus as the Christ, each of the authors return to a regular using of “Jesus” as they give a gradual unfolding of Jesus as the Christ. They do this deliberately so that the reader will be brought to the same conclusion that Jesus is the Christ.
Usage in the book of Acts: Luke uses the term “Christ” regularly in the book of Acts, often in conjunction with the proper name, “Jesus.” Yet he first introduces the title in that book as a clear reference to the promised Messiah when he presents Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost and explains the prophecy by David of the resurrection of “the Christ” (Acts 2:31).
Usage in the Epistles: This is one of the most popular titles for Jesus in the epistles. The epistle to the Romans alone uses the title 68 times.