Christ means anointed. In Biblical times, kings and priests were anointed as a sign of their appointment. So Christ means someone appointed for a special purpose. Other themes show what the Bible tells us this special person will do. A selection of verses showing that Jesus is the special person referred to as the Christ.
At the start of his gospel, Matthew tells us that Jesus is the Christ:
16 Jacob became the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, from whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
Shepherds are told that Jesus is the Christ when he is born:
11 For there is born to you today, in David’s city, a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.
The apostle Peter says that he believes that Jesus is the Christ:
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
A Samaritan woman says that she is expecting the Christ. Jesus confirms that he is the Christ. She then suggests to other Samaritans that Jesus is the Christ:
25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah comes, he who is called Christ. When he has come, he will declare to us all things.”
26 Jesus said to her, “I am he, the one who speaks to you.” 27 At this, his disciples came. They marvelled that he was speaking with a woman; yet no one said, “What are you looking for?” or, “Why do you speak with her?” 28 So the woman left her water pot, went away into the city, and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me everything that I did. Can this be the Christ?”
The apostle Peter says that the suffering of the Christ predicted by the prophets has happened:
18 But the things which God announced by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he thus fulfilled.
When Paul is on trial, as part of his defence, he says that the suffering of the Christ is part of his message:
23 how the Christ must suffer, and how, by the resurrection of the dead, he would be first to proclaim light both to these people and to the Gentiles.”
These chapters have links to this theme: