JESUS THE CHRIST
“Jesus” is the name given at birth; “the Christ” is the truth revealed through eternity. One was spoken by Mary with trembling lips; the other is confessed by heaven with thunderous joy.
To say Jesus the Christ is not to repeat a surname—it is to declare an office, a mission, a cosmic certainty. He is not merely a teacher among many, nor a savior in a crowded pantheon; He is the Anointed One—God’s chosen King, Priest, and Prophet, converging in one flesh-and-blood life.
The word Christ means Anointed One—the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew “Messiah.” Israel waited for Him through centuries of silence and song, through exile and expectation. Kings were anointed with oil; priests were consecrated with sacrifice; prophets were seized by the word of the Lord. Jesus fulfills them all without remainder.
He wears no borrowed crown, offers no repeated sacrifice, and speaks no uncertain word. “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16).
He is King, yet His throne is a cross before it is a crown. “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder” (Isaiah 9:6). His reign is not enforced by sword but established by truth; not expanded by conquest but by conversion.
When Pilate asked Him if He were a king, Jesus answered without hesitation or bravado—“My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). And yet, it rules this world still.
He is Priest, standing not between God and man with trembling uncertainty, but with settled authority. “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God” (Hebrews 4:14).
Unlike the priests of old, He does not bring the blood of another—He brings His own. Once. Completely. Forever. “By one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14).
He is Prophet, not merely foretelling the future but revealing reality as it truly is. “The law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). He does not speculate about God; He unveils Him. “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). No prophet ever spoke like this—because no prophet ever was this.
Yet the wonder deepens: the Christ is not only Israel’s hope but creation’s hinge. “All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist” (Colossians 1:16-17).
History does not wander aimlessly; it orbits Him. Time itself bends around Bethlehem and Calvary. He steps into the universe He authored, subjecting Himself to the laws He wrote—gravity holding its breath as its Maker learns to walk.
And still, this Christ kneels to wash feet. Still, He weeps at tombs He knows He will soon empty. Still, He calls fishermen, tax collectors, doubters, and the broken by name. “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). Not to improve the lost—but to resurrect them.
To confess Jesus the Christ is not mere theology; it is allegiance. It is to say that Caesar is not lord, chance is not king, and death is not final. “For there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). The name is humble enough for a child’s prayer and mighty enough to shatter graves.
One day, every argument will fall silent. Every knee—willing or unwilling—will bow. Every tongue—believing or broken—will confess what has always been true: “Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:11). Not because force demands it—but because reality finally permits no denial.
He is Jesus.
He is the Christ.
And the universe is still learning what that means.
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Lord Jesus Christ—Anointed King, faithful Priest, living Word—draw my heart into glad submission. Teach me to confess You not only with my lips but with my life; and let every thought, breath, and hope find its center in You. Amen.
BDD
