What was Jesus Christ's purpose?
Why did He come to earth? Why will
He come again? The answers to these
questions become evident when we
examine the concept of the Messiah.
Messiah is a Hebrew word meaning
"Anointed One." Anointing was used,
among other things, to signify that
kings had been chosen by God
(1 Samuel 15:1; 16:12-13; 1 Kings 1:34). Christ means "Anointed One" in
Greek, the language in which the New
Testament has been preserved for us—
the same as the Hebrew word Messiah.
The two terms mean the same thing
(John 1:41; 4:25).
A prophesied king and kingdom
The Hebrews understood that their
Scriptures contained many prophecies
of a divinely appointed ruler who would
restore the glory and grandeur of the
kingdom of Israel. For example, Isaiah 9:6-7 says: ". . . The government will be
upon His shoulder . . . Of the increase of
His government and peace there will be
no end, upon the throne of David and
over His kingdom, to order it and establish
it with judgment and justice from
that time forward, even forever . . ."
Jeremiah 23:5 adds: "'Behold,
the
days are coming,' says the LORD, 'That I
will raise to David a Branch of righteousness;
a King shall reign and prosper, and
execute judgment and righteousness
in the earth."
