What a Beautiful NameSample

Do people ever call you by a different name? Some people who are named Katherine get called 'Kat', or a person named William might be called 'Bill'. Some nicknames come from a surname, like 'Smithy' or 'Jonesy'. You could even have a nickname that doesn't sound like your real name at all. We all have a few different names people use when they're referring to us. These names often describe something about a person's relationship with us. Your sibling calls you brother or sister. Your parents call you son or daughter. If you're Australian, your friends might call you 'Mate'!

The Bible uses a few different names when referring to Jesus, including the name 'Jesus Christ'. Christ isn’t Jesus’ surname. The New Testament was originally written in Greek, and in Greek, the name Christ is 'Christos' which means 'The Messiah' or ‘anointed royal figure’. It is customary for a king or queen to be anointed with oil, marking them as set apart in service to God and their country. So, when the Bible talks about Jesus being 'The Christ' it's saying that Jesus is an anointed royal figure. Jesus is not just a king, He is THE King. Jesus is the Messiah, the one sent by God to deliver people from sin.

The New Testament begins with the book of Matthew and the first chapter tells the family genealogy from Abraham to Jesus, showing that Jesus is from the royal line of King David.

The New Testament uses the name 'Christ' hundreds of times and it's not just a nickname, it reminds us that He is the Messiah, anointed, set apart to save us from our sin. Jesus our Christ.