Christ Though the Old Testament is full of references to the Christ, the actual word Christ is used only in the New Testament. Jesus used the title Christ of himself in L:Luke 24:46. Christ was also used as a personal name. Why was the Christ so important? It is through God's Messiah that his promises are kept. One of the most meaningful times in the Bible that the title "Christ" is used occurred during Peter's declaration of who Jesus is. One day Jesus asked his close followers, " ' Who do you say I am?' Peter answered, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God' " (Matthew 16:16). By his statement, Peter acknowledged that Jesus fulfills all the promises God ever made about the Messiah. In the four books written specifically about Jesus' life (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), Jesus is established as the person promised throughout the Old Testament. Once this fact is established, the rest of the Bible talks about Christ as a "given" - as the point of the entire Christian faith. To be a follower of Christ is to be a Christian. Jesus
is introduced and established as the Christ. |