Christ

Our faith derives its name from the word. Our Savior is often called by it. But what exactly does Christ mean? Should we even refer to Jesus as simply Christ?

Christ is a Title, Not Jesus' Last Name

I have to admit that at one point in my life I actually thought Christ was the surname of Jesus. Growing up I would hear people refer to Him as Jesus Christ. For a kid that is an honest assumption to make. When I became an adult and studied my faith on my own I found out that Christ is not a surname but actually more of a title. Jesus is The Christ, just as He is The Savior.

What Does Christ Mean?

As with most words in the English language it best to find the meaning of the word Christ by tracing back to where the word originated from. Christ is the English version of the Greek christos. Christos in turn is the Greek version of the Hebrew word Mashiach or Messiah (The fog is lifting a bit, huh?). Mashiach means Anointed One, therefore Christ means Anointed One. That is exactly what Jesus is, the Anointed One. When John the Baptist baptized Jesus with water, the anointing of God's spirit touched down on Jesus' head like a dove. (Matthew 3:16)

Is Jesus the Only "Christ" Mentioned in The Bible?

What some may find interesting is that there are other Anointed Ones or Christs mentioned in The Bible. In fact, in both Psalm 105:15 and 1 Chronicles 16:22, God gave the same warning, “Do not touch My anointed ones, and do My prophets no harm.”(NASB) There were anointed ones before Jesus walked the Earth. These persons received their anointing with oil as a symbol of God pouring His Spirit over them, setting them apart. In the case of Jesus, He received the direct anointing of God's Spirit. This direct anointing set Him apart from those anointed before Him.

Should I Continue to Call Jesus, "Christ"?

There are varying views on this. I used to hold that He should be called The Christ since it is a title. However, some people with titles are simply called by their title. In that respect I don't think there is anything wrong with it. Christ is Jesus' title and it represents what he is just like when we call Him, Savior.

Further Reading: Is "Jesus" a good Jewish name? by John J. Parsons