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MESSIAH

Christos meaning "anointed" translates the word "Messiah," a term applied to the anointing with oil of kings, prophets and priests (later only the high priest) (Lev. 4:3, 5, 16). The Hebrew prophets were called "the anointed of God" (Psa. 105:15), and kings were called "the anointed of the LORD" (1 Sam. 2:10, 35; 2 Sam. 1:14; 2:7; 5:13; Psa. 2:2; 18:50; Hab. 3:13).  The most common form of anointing is that of kings. "The LORD’S anointed” was the phrase used to designate the king chosen by God (1 Samuel 12:3; Lamentations 4:20). Psalm 45:7 says God does the anointing. Christ is twice so designated, as the Messiah (Psalms 2:2; Daniel 9:25, 26; “the anointed one”). Christ combines all three offices of prophet, priest and king in His own Person.

The Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ is the Anointed of the LORD God. Jesus Christ is the King of kings, and Judge of the judges. The spiritual David shall come in glory and in majesty as Zion's king and dash to pieces with the rod of iron the antichristian confederacy, and take possession of His long promised inheritance.

Jesus the Messiah in His eternal glory is now Lord, not only of all living creatures, but of all created things as well. We do not yet see all things put under His feet as the King of kings and Lord of lords, but we have steadfast confidence in the "blessed hope "that He shall come and rule over all of God's enemies.

Daniel 9:25 tells us the "Messiah" is the Anointed One. The verb Mashach and involves consecration. The New Testament usage of "the Messiah," i.e. "the Anointed One," is built on this word and refers only to Jesus of Nazareth.

Jesus Christ is in the fullest sense of the word the Anointed of Yahweh. The "Anointed One" is the "Messiah Prince" of Daniel.

Jesus clearly accepted the title in Matthew 16:17; Mark 14:61, 62; John 4:26). It is as the Son of God that Jesus is the Messiah. His self-chosen title was the Son of Man which is clothed with messianic expectations.

John Gill declared, "What a glorious person the Messiah is; the brightness of His Father's glory; having all the perfections of Deity in Him; how the glory of God appears in Him and in all that He has done; and especially in the work of redemption, in which the glory of divine wisdom, power, justice, truth, and faithfulness, love, grace and mercy, is richly displayed." Then he added, "see that glory He is advanced unto, having done His work, being exalted, set at the right hand of God, and crowned with glory and honor, and what a fullness of grace there is in Him, for the supply of His people; and what a glory on Him, which they shall behold to all eternity."

Only Jesus Christ, the God-man, is the ultimate fulfillment of Psalms 2, 8 and 45.

One of the Roman emperors was Julian the apostate. In the days of his prosperity he is said to have pointed his dagger to heaven defying the Son of God, whom he commonly called the Galilean. But when he was wounded in battle, he saw that all of was over with him, and he gathered up his clotted blood, and threw it into the air exclaiming," Thou hast conquered, O thou Galilean."

"He shall reign forever and ever." The royal office and character of our glorious Redeemer is a King. He is my King. He is King over His enemies. He is the saints King, and He is His Father's King. Christ is King above all kings. He is the King over all the kingdoms of the earth, over all nations, over all governments, over all powers and all peoples. Is He your King? Unspeakable must be the wrath of God be when it is kindled fully against everyone who rejects the Anointed One of Yahweh.

There will finally come an eternal dominion by the Messiah. It is an "everlasting dominion" and "will not pass away." Moreover, "and His kingdom will not be destroyed." We have an "absolute assurance" that He will come again and reign triumphantly.

Every Christian will forever sing with the heavenly choir, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and His Christ [Messiah]; and He will reign forever and ever" (Revelation 11:15).

The New Testament is filled with hundreds of references to Jesus the Messiah and they are found in every book in the New Testament. For example, the Gospel of Matthew gives evidences that Jesus Christ fulfilled the Old Testament promises concerning the Messiah. His birth at Bethlehem fulfilled Isaiah 7:14 (Matt. 1:22–23). Jesus was taken to Egypt for safety, and this fulfilled Hosea 11:1 (Matt. 2:14–15). When Joseph and the family returned and decided to settle in Nazareth, this fulfilled several Old Testament prophecies (Matt. 2:22–23). Matthew used at least 129 quotations or allusions to the Old Testament in this Gospel. He wrote primarily for Jewish readers to demonstrate to them the evidences that Jesus Christ was indeed their promised Messiah. The author of the Gospel of John states clearly that the purpose of writing his book is "that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name" (John 20:31).

Charles Hodge wrote in his Exposition of First Corinthians, "There are two passages of the Old Testament frequently quoted in the New Testament as foretelling the absolutely universal dominion of the Messiah, Psalm 110and Psalm 8. The former is quoted, or its language appropriated, in 1 Cor. 15:25. Matthew 22:44; Acts 2:34; Ephesians 1:22; Hebrews 1:13; 10:12, 13; 1 Peter 3:22. In this there is no difficulty, as that Psalm clearly refers to the Messiah and to none else. The 8th Psalm is quoted and applied to Christ in 1 Corinthians 15:27; Ephesians 1:22; Hebrews 2:8; and 1 Peter 3:22. As this Psalm has no apparent reference to the Messiah, but is a thanksgiving to God for His goodness to man, the use made of it in the New Testament is to be understood as an inspired exposition of its hidden meaning. That is, when the Psalmist said, “’Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands, thou hast put all things under his feet,’ we learn from the New Testament that the Spirit of God intended by these words far more than that man was invested with dominion over the beasts of the field. There is no limit to the all things here intended. Hebrews 2:8. Man is clothed with dominion over the whole universe, over all principalities and powers, and every name that is named, not only in this world but also in that which is to come. This is fulfilled in the man Christ Jesus, into whose hands all power in heaven and earth has been committed."

Key Scriptures

Psalm 110:1; Isaiah 9:5-6; 11:1; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Ezekiel 34:23-24; 37:22ff; Luke 1:31-33; 2 Samuel 7:16; Daniel 2:31-35, 44-45; 4:3; 7:13-14; 9:24-26; Matthew 1:16-17; 16:27-28; 19:28; 24:30; 25:31; 26:64; Luke 22:30; Revelation 1:7; 11:15-18; 19:5; chapters 14, 15, 19; Zechariah 14:9 

Abiding Principles and Practical Applications

1. When we kiss the Son, we make peace with the Sovereign Father (Psalm 2:12). If you have never made peace with the Anointed of Yahweh, you will never experience peace with God.

2. When kings, presidents, dictators, politicians and judges obey Jesus Christ they find true wisdom to govern the nations of the earth.

3. When Satan offered Jesus the world's kingdom, He refused it (Matthew 4:8-9), and chose to obey His Father and die on the cross, rose from the dead, and returned victoriously to heaven to receive His inheritance from the Father (Ps. 2:2-9). He will continue to reign until He defeats all His enemies (1 Cor. 15:25). One day Jesus the Messiah will come to earth again, and He will reign over all of creation as Sovereign King and Lord.

For Further Study