"The Name Christ" I John 2 & LD 12 We deal with the 2nd name of the Triune God. It is more a title than a name as it is associated with His office "the Anointed One." John also further details the criteria who is with Christ and who is not...as those who confess Him wholly in His essence.
Meaning: The name is literally "Messiah." Jesus or Joshua is essentially the name of God. But when we deal with the name Christ we deal with His title or office. He IS the anointed One as was pictured in the old testament as they anointed the kings. There are two things that pertain to "Messiah." 1. God anointed those who He appointed and 2. He qualified those for the particular task for which He anointed. In its typical form in the separate offices till the fulfillment who holds all THREE offices! God qualified His Son to be a mediator between God and His people being the anointed One of God. Our Lord becomes Prophet, Priest, and King to be the Savior of His people.
This is significant: God spoke His Word through the prophetic office. He was a seething pot who boiled over with the Word of God. This is the office fulfilled in Christ being the CHIEF Prophet. He is the head of every prophet as He IS THE WORD! He was the fulfillment of the Word! Everyone who stands in that office (us) must mimic what is spoken by the Prophet par excel lance! The priest brought the sacrifice for sin to show the people visually as the priest interceded between God and the people although it did not atone for one sin but pictured the one atoning coming for their sins. The ONLY sacrifice that enters heaven and makes intercession for us. He IS the ONLY High Priest (no earthly priesthood) and we take our stand beneath the cross of Jesus as He continues to make intercession for us while we are in the body! And our Eternal King! The pictures always fail, but you can look at it in David and Solomon who conquered and went conquering and as He rules the Kingdom that He establishes in His blood and continues to rule His Kingdom by His Word and Spirit. It is an eternal Kingdom!
Purpose: Why are we called a christian? We are partakers of the anointing in our Lord Jesus Christ! The anointing does not end in Christ, but is given to us and we are blessed as He lives within us and we too are prophets, priests, and kings! His word reflects itself in the child of God and we know all things (right and wrong) as it is our confession (speaking along with) which is being a prophet as we too "bubble over" with the Word of God! We are priests of God also as we are LIVING sacrifices unto Him! Christ dies and now lives and that belongs to us also. All our life is to the praise and glory of God. We are kings...a royal priesthood and sin no longer has power over us and we can rule over it as we have the victory in Christ!
Christ asked Peter "whom do men say that I am?" Thou art the Christ the Son of the Living God! Do WE answer this question? Does the world say that we too are Christians? If so we are blest indeed!