Christ is not His Surname: It's His Title

JESUS THE CHRIST.
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Last week we discussed about the name of Jesus our Lord. Today we shall talk about one of His titles: the most famous one, which is Christ, the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew Messiah, which means anointed.

When they were in the area of Caesarea Philippi [see Matthew 16: 13-19], Jesus asked His Apostles about who do people say He is. They mentioned John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or anyone else among the prophets. Then He asked them as to who they say He is. It was Peter who took the courage to respond with the confession of Faith which the Lord said as having been revealed to him by the Father himself earning Peter that of being called by the Lord as blessed and that of being given an important role to fulfill,

"You are the Christ. 

The Son of the living God." 

The Jewish nation waited for the Messiah, God's Anointed, as their national savior, who will lead in raising their nation above the other nations of earth. The Old Testament records prophecies about the Messiah. They believed that the Messiah will give Jerusalem its due glory and lay the foundations of an Israelitic theocracy. From among the many Old Testament passages which speak of this Jewish expectation, the following will help us understand His rightful claim of being the Messiah or Christ:

The prophecy that the scepter will not depart from Judah [see Genesis 49:10] and that He will be of the line of David [see 2 Samuel 7: 11-16]; and these passages which speak of His reign: as eternal [2 Samuel 7:13]; of His sway as boundless [see Psalm 71:8]; and that all nations shall serve Him [see Psalm 71:11].

But then the prophesies also point to a savior who will bring other nations into the family of God as the Servant of Yahweh. This Messiah will not be an exclusive national hero of the Israelites but someone who will save not only Israel but many others and the salvation that He brings is not contained in time. 

In some of these passages, we can read that He will be the light of the Gentiles [see Isaiah 42:6] and that He will lay down His life for the salvation of many [see Isaiah 53: 10, 12]. 

As we can notice in the passage about Caesarea Philippi, the Lord Jesus approved of Peter's confession of faith. It was short of telling the Apostles directly that He indeed is the expected Messiah. Then in Mark, we read that the Lord answered the High Priest who asked Him if He was the Christ with, "I am" [see Mark 14:62] even if in Matthew He merely answered with, "You have said it yourself" [see Matthew 26:64]. 

Aside from these, the entire life of the Lord Jesus and all the works and the miracles that He performed were perfect testimonies to His being the Christ or Messiah. As He started His ministry, He already applied to himself the words of Isaiah about the Servant of Yahweh [see Luke 4:18; Isaiah 61:1]; He claimed being superior to the Law [see John 1: 16-17], as the Lord of the Sabbath [see Matthew 12:8], and Master of the Temple [see Matthew 17: 25-26]; He performed miracles and wonders in His name and through His words; and more. 

Jesus our Lord is clearly the Messiah or the Christ. The Jews had a different expectation about Him, while we, Christians, with the help of the Holy Spirit, have received more enlightened understanding. 

For more about these, you may read the topic on Messiah at the online Catholic Encyclopedia.