Jesus Christ

Saviour

Shortly before Joseph was married to Mary he had a dream.  In this dream he saw an angel who told him that Mary was going to have a Son, God’s Son, and the angel added, “…you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (NRSV, Matthew 1:21).  So the name Jesus means Saviour, and reminds us that Jesus came to save us from our sins and from the Devil. 

You often see embroidered or carved in churches the first three letters of the Name of Jesus in Greek.  They look like I H S, but the H is really a long E, the whole Name in Greek being spelt IESOUS.

Anointed One

The word Christ is a title meaning the Anointed One, or in Hebrew, Messiah.  Messiah or Christ was the name that the Jews gave to the great King and Deliverer whom they believed would one day be sent by God to save them from their enemies, and in particular from the Romans who occupied their country.  They did not realise that he would come to save them from their sins and to rescue their souls from the power of the Devil. 

We’ve seen that the word Christ means the Anointed One.  This is significant because in Old Testament times men also were anointed with oil when they were made prophets, priests and kings.  This is still done when kings and queens of England are crowned in Westminster Abbey.  So the title Christ, the Lord’s Anointed, also means that Jesus is the true Prophet, Priest and King.