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In this series we're talking about the names and descriptive
phrases identifying Jesus. Thus far we've talked about Jesus
as God,
Lord,
Savior,
Creator,
the Word,
the Son of
God, the life,
the Lamb
of God, and the propitiation
for our sins.
In this article, we talk about Jesus as the Christ.
The Word "Christ"
The word "Christ" means anointed, and is translates "Messiah"
in the Septuagint.
The word is applied to: (Vine's)
- The priests who were anointed with the holy
oil, particularly the high priest (Lev. 4:3,5,16).
- The prophets (Ps. 105:15).
- Kings (1 Sam. 2:10,35; 2 Sam. 1:14; Ps. 2:2;
18:50; ; Is. 45:1; Hab. 3:13).
The word "Christ" is "the official title of our Lord,
occurring five hundred and fourteen times in the New Testament.
It denotes that he was anointed or consecrated to his great
redemptive work as Prophet, Priest, and King of his people"
(Easton's).
Jesus is the Christ
Jesus declared Himself to be the Christ (Messiah).
- "The woman said to Him, 'I know that Messiah
is coming (He who is called Christ); when that
One comes, He will declare all things to us. Jesus
said to her, 'I who speak to you am He'" (Jn. 4:25-26).
Jesus did works that proved He was the Christ.
- "Now when John, while imprisoned, heard of the works
of Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said
to Him, 'Are You the Expected One, or shall we
look for someone else?' Jesus answered and said to them,
'Go and report to John what you hear and see: the
blind receive sight and the lame walk, the lepers are
cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and
the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed
is he who does not take offense at Me" (Matt. 11:2-6).
The works Jesus performed, declare that He's the Christ.
- "Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed
in the presence of the disciples, which are not written
in this book; but these have been written so that you
may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God;
and that believing you may have life in His name" (Jn.
20:30-31).
God testified that Jesus spoke His word. Therefore, God
confirmed that Jesus is the Christ.
- "How will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?
After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it
was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also testifying
with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles
and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own
will" (Heb. 2:3-4).
From the beginning of the church, the apostles taught
that Jesus was the Christ.
- "And every day, in the temple and from house to house,
they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as
the Christ" (Acts 5:42).
Antichrist Denies Jesus is the Christ
The word "antichrist" means against Christ.
John gives two traits of an antichrist.
- He doesn't believe Jesus is the Christ (1 Jn. 2:22).
- He doesn't believe Jesus came in the flesh (2 Jn. 1:7).
One thing that sets God's children apart from the world
is belief that Jesus is the Christ.
Witness of the Scriptures
Wayne Greeson wrote an informative article titled, "I Believe
Jesus Christ Is The Son Of God." Here are a few paragraphs
that are enlightening, regarding the witness of the Scriptures
of Jesus as the Christ.
The Scriptures testify Jesus is the Christ, the Son of
God. Jesus pointed to them as a witness of His identity,
"You search the Scriptures, for in them you think, you
have eternal life; and these are they which testify of
Me" (John 5:39). How?
Over 1,000 years the Old Testament Scriptures were written.
God's Word foretold of the coming Messiah through prophecy
and type. There are over 400 direct prophecies of the
promised Messiah in the Old Testament. There are also
many prophetic "types," persons and things that foreshadowed
the life, death and resurrection of the Messiah.
Jesus proved he was the Son of God by fulfilling all
the prophecies of the Scriptures concerning the Messiah.
Jesus told his disciples, "This is what I told you while
I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that
is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets
and the Psalms" (Luke 24:44; cf. Matt. 5:17-18; 26:56;
Luke 4:20-21; 24:27; and John 5:39-40, 46-47).
Jesus' apostles also pointed to this evidence (Acts
3:18, 24; 7:52; 10:43; 13:29; 26:22; 28:23; 1 Pet. 1:10).
"As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and
on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and
rise from the dead. 'This Jesus I am proclaiming to you
is the Christ,' he said" (Acts 17:2-3).
One writer estimated the probability of one man fulfilling
only eight of the prophecies of the Messiah at 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000.
. . . Yet Jesus fulfilled all of the prophecies. The Scriptures
specify so many details of the person, words and work
of Jesus that the only way to reject Jesus as the Son
of God is to reject the very Word of God.
As The Christ, Jesus Bore Our Sins
The most important aspect of Jesus as Christ relates to
our salvation.
As the Christ, the Anointed One of God, Jesus bore our
sins.
- "So Christ also, having been offered once
to bear the sins of many . . . (Heb. 9:28).
Peter tells us Jesus "bore our sins in His body on
the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness;
for by His wounds you were healed" (1 Pet. 2:24).
Conclusion
If Jesus is not the Christ, then we're all doomed to eternal
damnation. But thankfully, He is anointed One of God!
Since Jesus is the Christ, we are saved through obedience
to Him (Heb. 5:9).
To be continued.
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