RS

• Messiah


  The anointed one
• Christ


  The anointed one
• The proper rendering should be Jesus the Christ to mean "Jesus the Anointed"
• Christ has now become a name, one part of the name "Jesus Christ, but originally it was a title (the Messiah) and not a name
• Christograms


  • Symbols for representing Christ developed by early Christians, e.g. the Chi Rho symbol formed by superimposing the first two Greek letters in Christ: Chi X and rho P
• Anointing


  The act of pouring and rubbing of perfumed olive oil on the head or other parts of the body, for both profane and sacred use
• Profane anointing


  • Israelites anoint themselves with olive oil especially after bathing
  • Rich people use heavily perfumed oil for this purpose
• Sacred anointing


  • Egyptians anoint a corpse with various perfumes and spices for preservation
• Professional perfumer


  Either a woman (1 Sam 8:13) or a man (Neh 3:8) who mixes fragrant ingredients in a special pot (Job 41:23)
• Anointing


  • It is especially the head that is anointed (Ps 23:5, 141:5, Eccl 9:8)
  • The destitute, as charity demands, ought to be anointed with oil (2 Chr 28:15)
  • Anointing is a sign of joy (Prov 27:9, Isa 61:3), and should not be used in time of mourning (2 Sam 12:20, 14:2, Dan 10:3)
  • Anointing makes objects sacred (Gen 28:18, 35:14, Ex 30:26-27, 40:10-11, Lev 8:11)
• Persons that receive sacred anointing

  • King
  • Patriarch
  • Prophet
  • Priest
• Anointing is the initiation into a sacred office
• Messiah/Christ


  The use of the term is exclusively reserved for Jesus in the New Testament
• Profane or ordinary use of anointing in the New Testament


  • Expression of hospitality and affection (Mt 26:7, Mk 14:3, Lk 7:46, Jn 12:3)
  • Anointing the sick (Lk 10:34, Jn 9:6, Mk 6:13, Jas 5:14, Rev 3:18)
  • Anointing the corpse (Mk 16:1, Lk 23:56, Jn 19:39-40, Mt 26:12)
  • Anointing the faithful (2 Cor 1:21, 1 Jn 2:20, 27)
• The New Testament always uses the Greek rendering 'Christ' (from Christos) except in two Johannine passages where the word 'Messiah' is used instead
• Messiah/Christ


  Title for Jesus
• Jesus in the temple

  1. Read scroll from Book of the Prophet Isaiah

  2. Proclaimed passage about anointed one to bring good news, bind up the broken-hearted, proclaim liberty, release prisoners, comfort mourners
• Jesus


  • Portrayed as a prophet
  • God's anointed one
  • Showed preferential concern and attitude toward the economically and socially poor
  • The poor in Luke's gospel are the downtrodden, oppressed, afflicted, forgotten, neglected - they accept Jesus' message of salvation
• In synoptic passion narratives


  Jesus affirms he is the Messiah when asked by the high priest
• Jesus: '"I am" (Mk 14:62)'
• Jesus' "I am"


  Evokes the "I am" name of God revealed to Moses (Ex 3:14)
• Jesus as Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven

  Fulfillment of expected future king (Dan 9:24-26)
• This purports the enthronement of Jesus as Judge in the transcendent glory of God's kingdom
• You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God: 'St. Peter'
• This is not a result of mere human reasoning but a revelation from the Father in heaven
• Only God can open the mind and heart of the person to believe that Jesus is the Son of God
• Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God: 'St. Peter'
• Peter's confession is the most famous proclamation of faith in Jesus as the Christ/Messiah
• Jesus makes Peter a rock on which He builds his church
• Jesus and Martha: 'Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world'
• Martha already believes that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God


  Comparable to the confession of Peter in Mt 16:16
• Martha believes her brother will rise on the last day


  Jesus ushers her to an even deeper faith: that Jesus is not only the resurrection, he is also the life
• Whoever believes in Jesus will never die
• Lazarus' return is a sign, as he will die again
• Lazarus' return is resuscitation to ordinary life, not resurrection to eternal life
• Lazarus' return is similar to those done by the Old Testament prophets Elijah and Elisha
• Jesus' own resurrection is of a higher caliber as it is in anticipation of God's raising of the dead in the last days
• Jesus


  At first, Jesus had only one name
• Jesus from Nazareth

  Qualification of Jesus' name for greater precision
• Joseph's son

  Qualification of Jesus' name for greater precision