We are very familiar with the words Christ and Christians. Read here to learn what the word Christ means and how it is applicable to us.
by Dr MJ du Plessis
“Jesus … who is called Christ,” is how Matthew 1:16 describes Jesus. In the gospel of Luke, the apostle Peter calls Jesus “The Christ of God” (Luke 9:20). He is proclaiming that Jesus is the Messiah. As Christians we know that Jesus is the Messiah that is spoken about in the Old Testament.
The Hebrew word ‘Messiah’ means “one who is anointed”. In the same way, the name ‘Christ’ comes from a Greek word that means “anointed one”.
Anointment in the Old Testament
Many years ago, it was a custom to anoint someone when they were inducted into service. It was a simple ceremony: someone would pour a small amount of olive oil with fragrances on and over the person’s head, so that it would drip into his hair and beard and eventually onto his clothes.
There are many examples of this in the Bible. For example, 1 Kings 19:16 where we read about two anointments: “And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place.”
Jesus is anointed
Jesus Christ was officially appointed by God as the Savior. Thus, Jesus was anointed (“Christified”) in his office for which God sent Him. Christ was publicly baptized. He was anointed with the Holy Spirit to work towards getting rid of the power of death over those who follow Him.
This is also the difference between the anointment of the Lord Jesus and all other anointments. In all the other cases, the oil that was poured out was a symbol of the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus was not anointed with a symbol, He was anointed with the actual Holy Spirit himself.
Christians carry the name of Christ
Each one of us is called by God towards a particular calling. The content of this calling is faith in Christ: to be Christians. It is the same as being anointed to serve God. We are “Christified” to the faith.
The name Christian is used for the first time in the New Testament. “And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians” (Acts 11:26). The Gentiles gave the name to the people who were converted to indicate that they were people who follow Christ. The name was often used as a nickname as Agrippa uses it in Acts 26:28 when speaking to Paul: “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?”
Over time, the name Christian became a household name among believers. Therefore, Peter could encourage the believers with the thought that it is an honor for them to bear the name Christian: “Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name” (1 Peter 4:16).
