Why Jesus is called Christ
Christ in Greek, Χριστός, phonetically (khris-tos’). “Messiah” in Hebrew – מָשִׁ֫יחַ, phonetically (maw-shee’-akh), means the “anointed one”. So, Anointed One, the Messiah, the Christ. Jesus is the Christ because he is consecrated by God and anointed by the Holy Spirit for his redeeming mission. He is the Messiah awaited by Israel, sent into the world by the Father. Jesus accepted the title of Messiah but made the meaning of the title clear: ‘come down from heaven’ (John 3:13), crucified and then risen, he is the Suffering Servant ‘giving his life as a ransom for many’ (Matthew 20:28). From this name Christ comes ours, Christian.
