And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. (Matthew 16:16)
Christ (Xristos) is the most familiar of all the titles of our Lord. (Xristos is Greek for our English name Christ)
The Hebrew word messiah and the Greek word Christ both mean “anointed.”
Christ is Jesus’ official designation and the title occurs in the four gospels 50 times, and it is usually prefixed with the article “the.”
The use of the article formed a vital part of our Lord’s testimony to the Jews, who knew of the claims of false messiahs. However, “the” is not usually given in English bibles. In the person of Jesus, the Messiah had come and offered Himself as “the Christ,” the Deliverer of the Jews, not only from Gentile rule but from their sin (Luke 1:67-79).
The general use of Christ, as an anointed one, is associated with Old Testament prophecies (Matt. 22:42; 23:8, 10; John 7:26, 27, 31). As the priests, kings, and prophets of old were anointed to their respective offices, and were thus reckoned as God’s anointed ones we can readily understand why Christ – the Anointed One – should be chosen to express the fact that Jesus of Nazareth was the prophet priest and king of whom Moses and the Prophets gave witness.
Through grace the name of Christ has become the cherished name of Christians who from they take their name
And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. (Acts. 11:26).
Questions:
1. What is the Hebrew word for “Christ”?
2. What does Christ mean?
3. What does it mean that Jesus is the Christ?
4. What does Jesus as the Christ deliver people from?
5. What is the significance of using “the” with Christ?
Prayer:
O Lord, thank you for sending Jesus as the Christ. Thank you for sending Him to be the Deliverer of our sins. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Hymn: O Christ, Our Hope, Our Heart’s Desire
O Christ, our hope, our heart’s desire,
redemption’s only spring!
Creator of the world art thou,
its Savior and its King.
2 How vast the mercy and the love
which laid our sins on thee,
and led thee to a cruel death,
to set thy people free.
3 But now the bands of death are burst,
the ransom has been paid;
and thou art on thy Father’s throne,
in glorious robes arrayed.
4 O Christ, be thou our lasting joy,
our ever great reward!
Our only glory may it be
to glory in the Lord.
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