Monday, June 18, 2018

Is Jesus’ last name Christ?


When we say Jesus Christ, it sounds like a first and last name. “Jesus” comes from the Hebrew name Yeshua, which means “God saves.” It was given to him by the angel Gabriel. So it means who he is AND what he does! “Christ” is not a last name, it is a title. It comes from the Greek translation of the Hebrew word Messiah, which means “anointed.” So when we say Jesus Christ, we are saying Jesus, the anointed one. 


In Israel anointing with oil was used as a way to show God’s calling of the person for a special mission. Kings were anointed with oil, as Samuel did to David. Prophets and priests were also anointed for their duties of calling the people to remember the covenant with God and to offer sacrifice. As The Messiah, Jesus is priest, prophet, and king. He perfectly fulfills the role of priest by offering himself up as the perfect sacrifice for our salvation. He perfectly fulfills the role of prophet by calling us into a loving relationship with God. He perfectly fulfills the role of king by his servant leadership. Read more in the Catechism, par. 436-440.

Know your faith. Live your faith. Teach your faith.

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