The Word That Changes Everything
The word "Christ" is not Jesus's last name.
It is a title. A translation of the Greek word "Christos," which is itself a translation of the Hebrew "Messiah." They all mean the same thing: the anointed one. When you say "Jesus Christ," you are saying "Jesus the Messiah" every single time.
Which raises the obvious question: anointed to do what, exactly?
In the Hebrew Bible, kings were anointed to rule. Priests were anointed to serve at the altar. Prophets were sometimes spoken of in anointed terms as well. By the time of Jesus, centuries of prophetic expectation had loaded the word "messiah" with enormous weight. It was not just a title for a political leader. It had become shorthand for the whole package of Israel's hope: deliverance, restoration, justice, the return of God's presence to the temple, and the beginning of a new age in which the world was finally set right.
The prophets had spoken of this age in sweeping terms. Isaiah described a servant who would bear the suffering of the people and through whom God would restore both Israel and the nations (Isa 42:1-9; 49:1-6; 52:13-53:12). Daniel spoke of a figure like a son of man who would receive authority and dominion from the Ancient of Days (Dan 7:13-14). Jeremiah and Ezekiel both promised a new covenant that would not depend on the people's ability to keep their end of the deal (Jer 31:31-34; Ezek 36:26-27).
All of this was active, living hope in the first century. The question was not whether God would act. The question was when, and through whom.
When Jesus began proclaiming that the kingdom of God was at hand, he was stepping into this loaded moment and saying: now. Through me.
That claim is what made him dangerous to some, deeply disappointing to others, and absolutely compelling to the ones who were paying closest attention.
(The way Jesus lived out that claim, and what the religious establishment did with it, is the subject of Chapter 4. His answers to their challenges are some of the most devastating things anyone has ever said in public.)
WHAT TO DO THIS WEEK
Pick up Isa 52:13-53:12 this week and read it slowly. This is the famous Suffering Servant passage. Read it not asking "is this about Jesus?" Read it asking: what would a first-century Jewish reader have made of this? What kind of hope is this passage holding out? What does it expect God to do about the brokenness of the world?
Then consider how this passage reframes what it might mean for God to rescue someone. The answer is stranger and more costly than most people expect.
The word "Christ" is two thousand years old. It has not lost its weight.
Want to go deeper? (Re)Discover Jesus walks through all of this with historical scholarship and modern application, making it ideal for personal study, a small group series, or a church-wide reading plan. Grab a copy for yourself, order a set for your group, or invite Dr. David Pendergrass to bring these ideas to life in person at your church.
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