2-Christ.
This the most familiar of all the titles of our Lord, is frequently coupled with His name Jesus, especially in the Epistles, and the two form what is considered to be His full name.
The word is derived from the Greek word for anointing, and means The Anointed One. It is used as an equivalent for the Hebrew word Messiah, which has the same meaning, and which we may consider at another time.
That priests (Ex. 40:15), kings (1 Sam. 9:16), and prophets (1 Kings 19:16), were anointed to their office, sufficiently explains why the title " Christ" should have been chosen by the inspired writers to express the fact that Jesus of Nazareth was the Prophet, Priest, and King of whom Moses and the Prophets did write. The general use of this title is plainly seen in connection with Old Testament prophecies, as in Matt. 22:42; 23:10; 24:5, 23; Mark 12:35; 13:21; Luke 3:15; 20:41; John 7:26, 27, 31, 41, 42; 12:34; in all of which places the character of " Christ" as described in the Old Testament is referred to. Were this, however, all the meaning connected with this special title, it would only have at most a secondary interest for us, poor lost sinners of the Gentiles; but such is not all its meaning. If we turn to Matt. 16, we shall there find a remarkable change given by the Lord in the force or meaning of this title or name.
At this time the Lord had been definitely rejected by His ancient people. He had come unto His own and His own had received Him not. In Chapter 12 their leaders attributed His mighty works to Beelzebub (v. 24), thus committing the unpardonable sin (v. 32), and Jesus calling them a " generation of vipers," and " an evil and adulterous generation," pronounces the final judgment on the people (39-45), declaring that His brethren now were all who should do the will of His Father in heaven (50). He then goes forth as a sower to sow the seed of a new race, of whom Matt. 13 gives the history in parable. In Chapter 16 Peter, by the express revelation of God, not now from Old Testament Scriptures, places the name of " Christ " in a hew connection as " Son of the living God," and Jesus declares that on this confession He would found His church, and at the same time charges His disciples no longer to proclaim Him on earth as Messiah (v. 20); that is to say, that having been rejected by His earthly people when presented to them as the " Christ," Jesus takes up this same title and transfers it in resurrection (" the living God ") to a new and heavenly race, gathered from Jew and Gentile, the church of God, of whom henceforth He was to be the Head. The subject is resumed in Chapter 18, where the value of "the name," taken in this new connection (with the church instead of with Israel), is shown (v. 20). The result of this wondrous change is that the name of Christ now ceases to be Jewish property, and becomes the cherished possession of Christians, the new race thus scripturally ( 1 Peter 4:16) taking their name, not from Jesus, but from Christ. In proof of this we find that, whereas " Christ" only occurs some 22 times in the Gospels, in the Epistles, as now belonging to us, it occurs over 220 times; "Jesus Christ" which is found only some 8 times in the Gospels, occurs about 90 times after. Looking at the new use of this wondrous name, it is seen at once that it has a far deeper meaning to the Christian than it ever had to the Jew. That wonderful expression, so constantly occurring that we are in danger of passing over its deep meaning, "in Christ," could never be applied to the Messiah as such. It is Christ who is the Head of His body the church, as well as the head of every man (1 Cor. 11:3). The new life is Christ in us for He is our life (Col. 3:4). So inseparable is Christ now from His people, that in the well-known passage in 1 Cor. 12:12, they, the body, with the Head are called " the Christ " (lit). What special thoughts are there then to feed our souls in connection with this name! We get in it the one Body, the union of all believers with one another and with Christ, we get our security " in Christ," and our power for walk " Christ in us," we get the Rock (Matt. 16) on which all our hopes are built. In short, in this name we see expanded in a full and glorious way in resurrection all the meaning that lay hidden in the latter half of the Lord's own name, JESUS. And if we put the two together we get a full picture of the person and work of Christ. Jehovah the mighty God is our help, the God of Jacob is become our refuge and is now in resurrection our life, our portion forever. Jesus the humbled man, Christ the risen Lord, the two together tell all the story of the "sufferings of Christ and the glories that follow."