“Christ” is a title, not a surname. The Greek Christos translates the Hebrew Mashiach, “Messiah” — the Anointed One. In ancient Israel, kings, priests, and prophets were anointed with oil to set them apart for God’s service, and “the Anointed One” came to name the hoped-for deliverer in David’s royal line.
In Jewish tradition the Messiah remains the awaited anointed king who will restore Israel. The New Testament confesses that this hope is fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth, applying the title to him more than five hundred times (Matthew 1:1; 16:16; John 20:31) — so consistently that “Jesus Christ” comes to read almost as a name. To call Jesus “the Christ” is therefore a claim: that the long expectation of Israel’s anointed king has arrived in him.
Explore Christ and related terms in the full glossary → a.fortt.com/glossary-app
How this is made · A Fortt Media project, created & edited by Jon Fortt. Grounded in a curated Scripture database and carefully drafted and audited with the help of AI — described plainly, and written to assume no particular denomination or doctrine. Read the full approach → · Report a correction →
