What Is Messiah (Christ)?
Messiah comes from the Hebrew 'mashiach' (anointed one); its Greek equivalent is 'Christos', from which the word 'Christian' also derives. In the Old Testament, kings, priests and sometimes prophets were appointed by being anointed with oil, so 'anointed one' describes a person God has chosen and equipped for a special task. Over time the title grew into a term of hope in the prophetic writings, pointing to an expected deliverer-king: one from David's line who would establish justice and peace. The New Testament presents Jesus as the fulfillment of this expectation; Peter's confession 'You are the Christ' is one of the turning points of the Gospels. 'Jesus Christ' is therefore not a first and last name but a name and a title: it means 'Jesus, the Messiah'. The title sums up the early church's core testimony about who Jesus is.