Knowing the Messiah: What you Should Know About the Messiah

Knowing the Messiah is vital to building faith in God. How do you expect to have faith in a person you don’t know anything about? 

We have known Jesus Christ as the Messiah all our lives, but we must answer certain questions to know Him truly. What is the meaning of Messiah? Why do we refer to Jesus as the Messiah? What part of the Bible shows that Jesus is the Messiah? Did Jesus Christ refer to Himself as the Messiah?

While the questions are endless, this post will shed some light on the questions above. Let’s dive straight in.

What is the Meaning of Messiah?

We can trace the origin of “Messiah” to the Hebrew word “Mashiach,” which means “anointed or chosen one.” The English word for “Messiah” is translated from the Greek word “Messias.” John translates this word to “Christos” in John 1:41, which means “the anointed one.” While “Messias” is scarcely used in the New Testament, “Christos” appears about 530 times. Almost all of the uses refer to Jesus directly.

We have previously discussed “the Anointed One and the Anointing” in some of our previous posts. Genesis 3:15 shows us the earliest prophecy about Jesus Christ. God gave this prophecy Himself when speaking to the serpent. The Messiah was to be the Deliverer that would redeem God’s children. Jews believed this Deliverer was sent to the household of Israel to restore the lost kingdom.

Why do we refer to Jesus as the Messiah?

When we call the name “Jesus Christ,” what we are actually saying is “Jesus the Anointed One” or “Jesus the Messiah.” Christ isn’t a last name, it is a title to show that God sent Jesus of Nazareth to fulfill Genesis 3:15.

Several prophets foretold the coming of the Messiah, yet the disciples didn’t believe that Jesus Christ was that Messiah very quickly. Jesus of Nazareth often explained His identity and even stood up to read Isaiah 61 in the synagogue, yet the Jews didn’t believe Him. Many people don’t still accept Jesus Christ as our Savior to date.

Scripture proves beyond reasonable doubt that Jesus Christ is the Messiah. Check out some of the verses in the next section.

What part of the Bible shows that Jesus is the Messiah?

The first chapter of Matthew shows us the Messiah’s genealogy. He refers to Mary as Jesus’s mother before saying that He was also the “Messiah.” Mark refers to his gospel as the “beginning of the good news about the Messiah.” 

Remember when Jesus Christ asked His disciples who they thought He was? Simon Peter answered profoundly, saying that He was the “Messiah, the Son of the Living God.” In John 11:27, Martha, one of Jesus’ friends, said, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

Jesus also referred to himself as the Messiah when speaking in the synagogue and to the Samaritan woman at the well. 

Finally, John says that Jesus Christ performed numerous miracles before His disciples that weren’t recorded in scripture. John 20:30-31 says, “But these are written,” John said, “that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

Did Jesus Christ refer to Himself as the Messiah?

Several people referred to Jesus Christ as the Messiah, as seen above. But we need to figure out if Jesus referred to Himself in this light. Scholars believe that Jesus mostly hid his “Messianic” status from the crowds. More often than not, He would refrain from using the title. He preferred to use “Son of man” instead. 

Anytime someone figured Him out, He was quick to instruct that they didn’t tell it to others. This must have been odd considering the nature of His ministry. One school of thought proposes that His refrain was because of the people’s understanding of the term. 

Notwithstanding, Jesus Christ still referred to Himself as the Messiah in some parts of the scripture. Two important examples include when Simon Peter gave His proclamation and to the Samaritan woman.

Jesus Christ did all of this to redefine the “Messianic” concept, especially to His followers. They fully understood the idea after the resurrection and have proclaimed Him as the Messiah since then.

Conclusion

This post has attempted to introduce you to Jesus the Messiah. We have answered several essential questions to help us further understand Jesus’ Messianic status. Do you have any questions? Feel free to post them in the comments section.