I often hear people refer to Jesus in the same way they would me, Rod Nichols. They say Jesus Christ, as if that were his last name. His earthly father was not Joseph Christ and his mother was not Mary Christ. People didn’t look at them and say, “There goes the Christ family.”
Christ means “Anointed One” or “His Anointed”. It’s a title. The more appropriate way to refer to Jesus would be Jesus the Christ. Jesus, the Anointed One. Anointed means “to smear” or “to rub in”. In the church we use anointing oil when praying for people. This comes from James 5:14, “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.”
The prophet Samuel was directed by God to anoint David with oil to signify he was the anointed king (1 Samuel 16:13). At the time, Saul was still king and it would be about 15 years before David became king over Judah and another 7 years before he was king over Israel, so a total of about 22 years from his anointing to kingship.
When Jesus was baptized by John, as he came out of the water, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him, like a dove. Quite often the Bible will use oil as a reference to the Holy Spirit
In other words, Jesus was smeared with the Holy Spirit. He needed this anointing to accomplish His purpose on earth – the redemption of all mankind (Savior/Messiah).
We too need the anointing to accomplish our purpose on earth. When we receive Jesus as our Savior and turn our lives over to Him as Lord, we receive the Holy Spirit. We too get smeared. Jesus’ anointing was to die for the sins of all mankind, so that we could be restored in right relationship with the Father. We are smeared to carry that word, the gospel or good news of Jesus, to others around us. We cannot save people, that is the work of the Father, through the Holy Spirit, but we are anointed to carry the word.
Romans 10:14-15 tells us about our anointing, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
We are the beautiful feet that bring the good news. We are those who preach (share) about Jesus and salvation. We continue the work that Jesus started. We are to be His anointed mouth.
One day Jesus will return as the conquering King to divide the righteous (those who have received Jesus as Savior) and the unrighteous (those who have had the opportunity, but refused to accept Jesus as their Savior). The righteous will go into eternity with God in heaven and the unrighteous will go into eternity in hell, without God and tormented by fire and worms.
God never sends anyone to hell, they choose to go there out of pride or ignorance. Our job, as the anointed ones, is to make sure that everyone around us has the opportunity to know about the Good News and receive Jesus as Savior. That’s what true disciples do. Are you a true disciple?