Christos: Jesus the Anointed One Who Restores Us to God
What does the title Christ tell us about Jesus, and what does His work restore? The Greek word Christos means "Anointed One," carrying the same meaning as the Hebrew Mashiach: God's chosen and consecrated deliverer. When we call Jesus the Christ, we're declaring that He is the One God promised, the One who fulfills Scripture and brings redemption to humanity.
The Hebrew prophets spoke of the coming Deliverer, and the New Testament also shows how Jesus fulfills those promises. His redemption does more than save us from sin; it brings us into God's purpose for a new creation, with fellowship restored through Jesus, the Second Adam. In Eden, Adam and Eve lost the relationship with God for which humanity was created, but Jesus restores the way for us to walk with God; we can begin by understanding Christ as the Anointed One.
Christos Means the Anointed One, and Jesus Is the Christ
The Greek title Christos means "Anointed One." It is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew Mashiach, the source of our word "Messiah." When we call Jesus the Christ, we are declaring who He is: God's chosen Deliverer, sent to do the work the Father gave Him.
Anointing Sets Someone Apart for God’s Purpose
In Scripture, anointing with oil set a person apart for an appointed work. Kings were anointed to rule, and priests were anointed for sacred service. The Hebrew term Mashiach could describe different people set apart in this way. Scripture even calls the Persian king Cyrus God's anointed, so the word did not always refer only to one future ruler.
The meaning becomes clear when we read each passage in context. Anointing showed that a person had been appointed for a purpose; it did not make every anointed person the promised Messiah. We can see more about the Biblical meaning of anointing and how Scripture speaks of God's calling and the Holy Spirit's work.
Christ Is Jesus’ Title, Not His Last Name
"Christ" is a title, not Jesus' last name. The New Testament identifies Jesus as the Messiah, or Christ, and presents Him as the One God chose to deliver His people. In John 1, Andrew tells his brother they have found the Messiah, which John explains means the Christ.
Peter also declares that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. This is not a title given casually. It identifies Jesus as the One promised in Scripture, and His works confirm His calling. In Acts, Peter says God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and speaks of the good He did and the people He healed (Acts 10:38-44).
Jesus Fulfills the Kingly, Priestly, and Prophetic Calling
We Christians often describe Jesus' mission through three Biblical roles: King, Priest, and Prophet. These themes help us understand His work, though every passage does not present all three at once. Jesus is the promised King who rules under God's authority. He is our High Priest, bringing us near to God through His sacrifice. He is also the Prophet who speaks God's truth and calls people to obey Him.
Together, these roles show why the name Christ matters. Jesus does not merely carry a title; He fulfills God's purpose as the Anointed One. Through Him, God brings deliverance and opens the way for humanity to be restored to fellowship with Him.
How Hebrew Prophets Point to the Promised Deliverer
The Hebrew prophets spoke to people facing invasion, exile, injustice, and spiritual failure. Their words addressed real crises in their own time, while Christians also recognize in them a promise fulfilled in Jesus. We read these passages in their original settings and see how the New Testament connects their hope to Christ, the Anointed One. For more on Jesus as the promised Messiah, we can follow that connection through the prophets and the Gospels.
A Davidic King from Bethlehem
Isaiah spoke during a time of threat and fear for Judah. In Isaiah 9:6-7, he announces a child who will rule on David's throne with justice and peace. After describing judgment and loss, Isaiah 11:1 pictures new life coming from Jesse's family, David's line. The promised King is not a ruler who serves himself; His reign brings righteousness and peace. This is true with Christians inside our inward selves as we are shaped into the image of Christ more and more each day. This is also true for the entire earth during Jesus' Millennial Reign.
Micah prophesied amid corruption and the threat of invasion. He names Bethlehem, David's hometown, as the place from which a ruler for Israel would come (Micah 5:2). Matthew connects this passage to Jesus' birth in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1-6). Zechariah, speaking to a community rebuilding after exile, called Jerusalem to rejoice because its King would come humbly, riding on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9). The Gospel accounts connect that image to Jesus' entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1-11). We see the promised King, but He comes in humility and brings God's peace.
The Suffering Servant and the Rejected Righteous One
Isaiah 52:13-53:12 speaks of a servant who suffers, bears the wrongdoing of others, and is afterward lifted up (Isaiah 52:13-53:12). We Christians understand this passage in light of Jesus' suffering, death, and vindication. The servant's identity has also been interpreted in different ways, so Isaiah's words are neither detached from their place in the prophet's message to Israel. Many Jews see the suffering servant as Israel as a whole.
Psalm 22 gives voice to a righteous sufferer who cries out in distress, then turns toward praise and declares God's faithfulness (Psalm 22). The New Testament applies its language to Jesus' suffering. As Christians, we see His death and resurrection in the psalm's movement from agony to praise, while recognizing that its original voice is a worshiper's own lament. We can also read how Psalm 22 points to Jesus without treating the psalm as though it had no meaning for its first hearers.
The Son of Man and the Difficult Seventy Weeks
Daniel's visions offered hope to God's people under foreign rule. In Daniel 7, a humanlike figure comes before the Ancient of Days and receives dominion that will not pass away (Daniel 7:13-14). The chapter also connects the kingdom with the holy ones, so the vision speaks of God's people as well as the figure who receives authority. Jesus uses the title "Son of Man" for Himself, and us Christians understand His Kingdom through this vision.
Daniel 9:24-27 responds to Daniel's prayer about Jerusalem's desolation and Jeremiah's prophecy of seventy years (Daniel 9:24-27). We Christians connect the passage's anointed figure and promised restoration to Jesus, while some interpretations differ about the timeline and the figure's identity. Together, Daniel's visions point us to God's lasting rule, fulfilled in Jesus and shared with His people.
Balaam’s Star and Other Witnesses Beyond Israel’s Prophets
God's witness to the coming King was not limited to Israel's prophets. Balaam, a non-Israelite seer summoned to curse Israel, instead spoke a royal oracle that we Christians have connected with the Messiah. We should keep the passage's first setting clear while recognizing why its words point us toward Jesus.
Balaam’s Oracle Speaks of a Ruler
In Balaam's final speech to Balak, king of Moab, he says, "A Star shall come out of Jacob, A Scepter shall rise out of Israel" (Numbers 24:17). The oracle continues with images of Israel striking Moab and Edom (Numbers 24:14-19). Its immediate setting is a conflict between Israel and neighboring peoples, not a direct account of Jesus' birth.
The star and scepter are royal images. Together, they picture a ruler rising from Israel with authority over its enemies. The Bible also records David's victories over Moab and Edom (2 Samuel 8:2; 2 Samuel 8:13-14), which gives the oracle a plausible connection to Israel's monarchy and Davidic rule. Readers have also interpreted Balaam's words as messianic; discussion of Balaam's oracle describes how later interpretation developed.
Christians See the Promise Fulfilled in Jesus
Us Christians connect Balaam's royal imagery with Jesus because He is the promised King from Israel, the Christos, God's Anointed One. The star and scepter fit the larger Biblical hope of a ruler who brings God's authority and victory. We can see how this hope connects with Jesus as the promised Messiah.
Matthew tells of Magi who saw a star and came seeking the newborn King of the Jews (Matthew 2:1-12). The star and royal purpose may echo Balaam's oracle, but Matthew does not name Balaam or explicitly cite Numbers 24. Balaam's words first addressed Israel's rise among its neighbors; while we Christians see our fullest hope in Jesus, the King whose reign God promised.
How Christos Confirms Jesus’ Mission to Fulfill Scripture
The title Christos, meaning the Anointed One, tells us that Jesus came to carry out God's promised work. The New Testament presents His ministry, suffering, death, and resurrection as the fulfillment of Scripture. This fulfillment is larger than matching separate predictions to events. Jesus brings Israel's hopes and God's saving purpose to their goal.
Jesus Fulfills the Prophetic Hope
In Nazareth, Jesus read from Isaiah and declared that the Scripture was fulfilled in the hearing of those present (Luke 4:16-21). The passage speaks of the Spirit-anointed messenger who proclaims good news, liberty, and the Lord's favor. Jesus was not merely describing a future hope; He was announcing that His Spirit-empowered mission had begun.
After His resurrection, Jesus explained that the Messiah had to suffer before entering His glory (Luke 24:25-27). The promised King would not fulfill God's purpose by taking earthly power through force. He would willingly suffer, bear sin, and rise again. The New Testament's witness to Jesus' fulfillment is presented more broadly in the account of Scripture pointing to Jesus.
The Cross and Resurrection Complete the Mission
At Pentecost, Peter proclaimed that God raised Jesus from the dead and exalted Him as Lord and Christ (Acts 2:22-36). Peter used the Psalms to explain Jesus' resurrection and exaltation. In Paul's summary of the Gospel, Christ died for our sins, was buried, and was raised on the third day "according to the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Paul does not name the particular passages here; the central claim is that Jesus' saving work fulfills God's written purpose. A survey of passages Christians connect with Jesus' fulfillment offers further examples.
As Pentecostal Christians, we believe the Holy Spirit anointed Jesus and empowered His ministry, and that God raised Him bodily from the dead. These are central Biblical claims. Christians may differ over how particular prophetic passages apply, but the New Testament's testimony is clear: Jesus is the Christ, and through His death and resurrection, God brings His saving purpose to completion.
Redemption Is More Than Forgiveness of Sin
Redemption is God's work of rescuing, reclaiming, and restoring people through Jesus. The title Christos points us to the Anointed One who does this work: He forgives sin, frees us from its rule, and brings us back into life with God. Salvation from sin is the entrance into this larger life of redemption, not its only outcome.
Redemption Brings Forgiveness and Freedom
Paul writes that we are justified freely by God's grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:24-26). He also says, "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins" (Ephesians 1:7). Forgiveness is central to redemption, because Jesus gave Himself to deal with our sin and bring us back to God.
But redemption also changes who has authority over our lives. Paul says God has delivered us from the power of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His Son, where we have redemption and forgiveness (Colossians 1:13-14). Jesus does not forgive us so we can remain under sin's rule. He sets us free to follow Him and live under God's good authority. We can read more about Christian redemption through Jesus.
Redemption Brings Us Into God’s Family
God's purpose is to restore our relationship with Him, not merely cancel our record of sin. Through Jesus, we are welcomed into God's family and given a new life with Him. We are no longer strangers trying to earn a place before God; we belong to Him through Christ. You can read more about building a relationship with God through Jesus.
This restored relationship is living and active. The Holy Spirit works in us, changing our desires and teaching us to obey God. As Spirit-filled Christians, we believe the Holy Spirit still empowers believers to live for Jesus and bear witness to Him. Grace does not give us permission to return to bondage. God forgives us, then works in us so our lives increasingly reflect the One who redeemed us.
Redemption Leads to New Creation
Paul writes, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation" (2 Corinthians 5:17). In Christ, our old life under sin no longer defines us. God gives us new life, and the Holy Spirit continues His transforming work as we walk with Him.
Redemption also points beyond our individual lives. God's saving purpose reaches toward the renewal of creation, where the effects of sin and death will not have the final word. We have forgiveness now, new life now, and hope for the complete restoration God has promised.
Jesus' redemption truly frees us from sin's guilt and rule, restores us to God's family, and gives us hope for the life God is making new.
Jesus, the Second Adam, Restores Fellowship with God
God created humanity for fellowship with Him. In Eden, Adam and Eve lived in God's presence and received a calling to care for His creation. Their disobedience brought sin into human life, and with sin came shame, alienation, and death. The close fellowship God intended was disrupted, and humanity could not restore that relationship by its own effort.
Adam’s Disobedience Brought Death
Paul explains that sin entered the world through one man, and death came through sin. Adam's choice brought condemnation and death into human history, but Paul also calls Adam "a type of Him who was to come" (Romans 5:12-21). The comparison shows us why Jesus' work matters: Adam disobeyed, while Jesus obeyed the Father and gave Himself for us.
Paul makes the contrast plain: "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive" (1 Corinthians 15:21-22). Adam's disobedience brought death; Jesus' obedience brings life. The gift of grace in Christ is greater than the trespass, because Jesus does not merely reverse Adam's failure. He brings resurrection and a new life under God's reign.
Jesus Is the Last Adam
Paul calls Jesus "the last Adam" and "the second Man" (1 Corinthians 15:45-49). The first Adam came from the dust and became a living being; Jesus is the life-giving One. Those who belong to Christ will bear the image of the heavenly Man, a promise that points to resurrection and the completion of God's saving work.
Because Jesus is the Second Adam, fellowship with God is restored through His obedience, not through our attempts to cover sin or earn access. We can describe this restoration as walking with God as Adam did before the fall. That phrase is a theological summary, not a direct quotation from one verse. It points to the relationship God intended: life in His presence, without sin's separation.
Fellowship Begins Now and Is Made Complete
Jesus promises that the Father and Son will make Their home with the person who loves Him and keeps His word (John 14:23). Through the Holy Spirit, this restored fellowship begins now. God is present with His people, changing us and teaching us to walk in obedience. We can learn more about how new birth restores fellowship with God.
The promise reaches its fullness in God's renewed creation. John sees God dwelling with His people (Revelation 21:3), and later describes the river of life, the tree of life, the end of the curse, and God's servants seeing His face (Revelation 22:1-5). Jesus, the Second Adam, restores what sin broke: life with God now, and unbroken fellowship in the renewed creation.
Conclusion
Christos means the Anointed One, and we confess Jesus as God's promised Deliverer who fulfills Scripture. Through His redemption, He forgives sin, makes us a new creation, and restores our fellowship with God.
Jesus, the Second Adam, brings us back into the life with God that humanity lost through disobedience. By the Holy Spirit, we can walk with Him now as we await the day when God makes creation whole. Trust Jesus, follow Him, and walk with God in the life He restores.
