Christ is the Lord

Posted by   Grace Ministries   |   Categories :   Devotionals

Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’

Matthew 16:16

This verse makes a profound statement.  The divinely revealed truth to Simon Peter that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, the Anointed One. Some people think that Christ is Jesus’ last name. Not many people understand what Peter is proclaiming here is that Jesus is the long-awaited Savior of the world. He is the One the Jewish people have been or should have been, looking for since the prophecy of Moses in Deuteronomy 18:15-19.

Paul often refers to him as “Christ Jesus,” which means in short, “Messiah Jesus,” or Yeshua Hamashiach, translated from the Hebrew, which means “Jesus the Messiah.” Messiah actually means “Anointed One.”

What does it mean to be “anointed?” In the Old Testament, anointing was performed primarily for prophets, priests, or kings. This symbolism during the ceremony was to publicly show that a particular individual was chosen by God to perform the particular duties assigned to that calling. They were set apart to do the will of God in their appointed office.

Jesus is a prophet, priest, and king. So, His anointing was something very special, indeed. His anointing came not according to the law and tradition. His anointing was of the Holy Spirit when John the Baptist baptized Jesus at the beginning of His ministry. Oil is the symbol of the Holy Spirit, so Jesus’ anointing was the fulfillment of what true anointing is, as compared to the symbolism of anointing in the Old Testament.

Jesus the Christ is also the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. Like a lamb, he was slain to atone for our sins to save everyone. He came to die in order to save us. He was anointed just two days before the Passover at which he would be crucified. A woman anointed his head with expensive ointment/perfume unknowingly preparing Jesus for burial.

Christ is the Son of God and God incarnate, embodying the Holy Spirit, and came to fulfill prophecy from the very beginning of the Bible. Throughout the Old Testament, his coming was prophesied, along with the foreshadowing of His death, burial, and resurrection. He who knew no sin, became sin for us, that we might be saved from the eternal penalty for sin.

This week, pray about this newfound knowledge of Christ and what it means for you. If you don’t really know Him, accept Him this day as your Savior and Lord, confessing your sin and believing that Christ can save you from eternity in Hell. Pray for opportunities to share the gospel with others that you encounter in your day-to-day walk with Him.

April 24, 2023