Christ Means Messiah and Isn’t His Last Name
To hear many people talk about Jesus, they act as though Christ is his last name, as in Jesus Christ. It is not. It’s actually a descriptor. Reinforcing this confusion is that many versions of the Bible often say Jesus Christ.
The Messiah
Christ means Messiah.
Jesus is the Messiah as foretold in the Hebrew Scriptures, that is, the Old Testament.
This phrase the Messiah occurs in multiple translations of the Bible, in many verses, appearing in both the Old and New Testaments, such as in Daniel 9:25. Jesus is the Messiah.
Jesus the Messiah
We also find Jesus the Messiah in many verses in various translations of the Bible.
One such verse is the opening sentence in the book of Matthew, introducing Jesus’s genealogy, as in the Genealogy of Jesus the Messiah (Matthew 1:1).
The Christ
The dictionary says that Christ is often used with the, as in the Christ. Its origin is Greek (whereas Messiah comes from Hebrew.)
Some translations of the Bible also use the phrase the Christ.
Consider Matthew 2:4. According to BibleGateway.com, twenty-four translations of the Bible use the phrase the Christ in this verse.
The context of the passage is when the wise men (the Magi) come before King Herod to inquire about baby Jesus. They ask Herod where the Christ was to be born.
Jesus the Christ
Though saying Jesus Christ in referring to our Savior sounds natural and flows with ease, I prefer the alternate phrasing of Jesus the Christ.
This wording is also Biblical, though not as common as simply saying the Christ. Consider Matthew 16:20, which occurs in twelve versions of the Bible.
In this passage, Jesus asks his disciples who people say he is. Peter gives his confident response that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God. This is when Jesus tells them to not tell anyone that he is Jesus the Christ.
Jesus Christ
Despite my preference to say Jesus the Christ, this seems awkward to most people. They prefer Jesus Christ. And it’s certainly biblical, occurring 219 times in the NIV, as well as most other versions of the Bible.
Yet this common usage of Jesus Christ reinforces the idea that Jesus is his first name and Christ is his last. For this reason, I try to avoid it in my writing. I simply say Jesus.
If I seek variety, I sometimes say Jesus the Messiah or Jesus our Savior. But I prefer Jesus. It’s simple and avoids confusion.
Jesus Matters Most
It doesn’t matter if we refer to our Savior as Jesus Christ, the Messiah, Jesus the Messiah, the Christ, Jesus the Christ, or simply as Jesus.
What matters is that Jesus saves us. He died for us is the ultimate sacrifice for our sins to restore us into a right relationship with Father God. That’s what matters most. Let’s never lose sight of this.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.
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