In the New Testament Jesus was introduced to the shepherds that first Christmas eve as follows: “For today in the city of
The title Christ comes from the Greek word Christos, which means anointed. In a ceremony a person appointed to a specific task was announced by having oil poured on his head. Christ was anointed by His Father when at His Baptism the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in the form of a dove. The Father then pronounced: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased” (Luke
The Hebrew equivalent for this title is Messiah. These titles are similar to the Latin Caesar, the German Kaiser, the Russian Czar, and the Persian Shah. All of these titles indicate that the person bearing the title has been selected and installed in a special, important office. Throughout the Old Testament God promised to send His people a special Messiah to bring them salvation. The New Testament declares Jesus of Nazareth to be the One God selected for and anointed to do this special work.
New Testament writers wanted their readers to discover and trust in Jesus as “the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John