Jesus the Christ

When you hear the word Christ, don't think of Jesus' last name. Think of Jesus' three elected offices. Dr. Tony Evans explains why regarding Jesus as prophet, king, and priest is so important.

If we understood the priesthood of Jesus Christ, we wouldn't be all wiped out by the circumstances of life. Celebrating 40 years of faithfulness, this is The Alternative with Dr. Tony Evans. Author, speaker, senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas, and president of the Urban Alternative. Jesus' death on the cross brought us redemption, but today Dr. Evans explains that other facets of his ministry brought us relationship and more, and they're all described by the word Christ.

Let's join him as he explains. My given name is Anthony Tyrone Evans. That's the name my parents gave me.

Most people know my name as Tony Evans. If I hear that name, Tony Evans, I'm going to turn and respond because Tony Evans is my personal identity, doctor is a title, and pastor is a role or responsibility. Jesus' human name was Jesus, meaning savior or deliverer. So when Jesus' name was referenced, it was a reference to one whose role it was and is to rescue or deliver people out of something, predominantly sin, but he also spent his three years of ministry delivering people out of circumstances, whether it was trouble or disease or demonic oppression.

He was in the rescuing business, which was consistent with his name. The title in his name is Lord. Lord Jesus gives the title to the name Jesus. Our focus today is on Christ. Now, that's not his last name.

That is his role or office name. The word Christ is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word for Messiah. That's why it says in verse 41 of John 1, we have found the Messiah, which is translated Christ.

So when you hear the word Christ, which is spoken of over 500 times in the New Testament, you are literally hearing the Old Testament word Messiah. Now, the word Messiah, from which we get our Greek word translated in English as Christ, meant anointed one. That's what Messiah means. That's what Christ means. It means anointed one. When Andrew says we have found the Messiah, he's talking about something they were looking for.

When you say you found something, that implies you were looking for it. The whole Old Testament is written in anticipation of the one to come called the Messiah. It was called the Messianic hope. You can't understand the Old Testament, and the Old Testament will never make full sense unless you understand the Messianic hope. That is the anticipation of Messiah. Generation after generation after generation after generation was looking forward to this promised person that God would send who would have the anointing to fulfill the purposes of God for not only His people Israel, but for the whole world, and that person would be the Messiah, which is translated Christ.

In Luke chapter 24, when Jesus is on the Emmaus road, and He walks beside people who do not recognize who He is, and He's on the road with them in verses 25 to 27, they didn't recognize Him, and He tried to explain, did not the Christ have to suffer these things? And He took the Old Testament and said, and explained about Himself from the whole Old Testament. So the whole Old Testament, while not using Jesus's name, anticipates Jesus's person. From Genesis 3.15, that the woman would have a seed because no man would be involved. Whenever you talk about the birth of a child, you're talking about the seed of a man.

But since no man would be involved because of the virgin birth, He speaks about the seed of a woman. So the Messiah would come through the seed of a woman. God would set up a whole system of sacrifices in anticipation of the coming of Messiah. He would set up a whole festival regime in anticipation of the coming of Messiah. He would make certain promises to Israel and to the whole world that would be filled by the reign of Messiah. And so you would see prayers in the Bible looking forward to the coming of Messiah. You would see sermons in the Bible, how justice would reign at the coming of Messiah. Everything was in anticipation of this One who was to come, who would be the messianic hope, the Messiah whose name means in Greek Christ.

So when He says we have found Him, He is saying we have found all that the Old Testament anticipated, all that the Old Testament prophesied, and that was the coming of the Anointed One. Now, in the Bible, to receive an anointing was to be elected to an office. So think of the anointing as being like an election.

So look at it. They're being dubbed to fulfill an office. So in the Old Testament, Messiah, the anointed ones fit in three categories. There were three classifications of people that were anointed. The first classification of an anointed person in the Old Testament, which has to do with the meaning of the word Messiah, was the prophet. The prophet was the person who spoke for God.

You would always hear the prophet say, thus saith the Lord. Not only did they speak for God, but they not only foretold, they also foretold. They foretold the future.

So they were predictive in nature. They would say what God said, and then they would declare things that had not happened yet on behalf of God to the people. And so they were anointed to be prophets. The second category of anointing was the priest. Now the priest would get anointed. There was a whole line of priests. This line of priests would be anointed for the purpose of standing as a mediator between God and men.

Men, because men are sinful, could not go directly to God, and God, because He was holy, would not mix up with the sinfulness of men. So God created or anointed a mediator, somebody who would stand between him and the people for the purpose of sacrificing for the forgiveness of sins so that God could have fellowship with the people and bring blessing upon the people by means of this mediator called a priest. Now among the priests, there was the chief priest called the high priest.

He would go into the Holy of Holies once a year, offer sacrifices for the nation of Israel so that God could bring blessing on the people, and they would not be judged for their sins. That priesthood was anointed. Well, the third category of anointing was the king.

The king was anointed for his civil responsibility of ruling over the nation. So he went through an official anointing ceremony to say, you are elected under God to rule over the nation. And so each one of those fulfilled a messianic role as human beings. But when Messiah would come, this Messiah would fulfill all three roles in his one person. He would be anointed as prophet, he would be anointed as priest, and he would be anointed as king. That's why at his baptism, Matthew 3.16, when heaven opened up, he was anointed by the Holy Spirit, the Bible says, this is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased, and that launched him into his trifold ministry of being prophet, priest, and king. Now, every time you hear the name Christ, you must think the name Messiah. And every time you hear the name Christ and now you're thinking the word Messiah, you must now think the word anointed one. And every time you hear the word Christ, now that you're thinking of Messiah, and now that you know that means anointed one, you are to remember he's anointed prophet, priest, and king. He has all three anointings fulfilled in one person. So when you hear the word Christ, don't think of Jesus's last name, think of Jesus's three elected offices, that he possesses all three offices. So now let's walk through the three offices of Messiah, whose name is translated Christ, to see how those three operate with him. Number one, he is anointed as prophet. He is a spokesperson for God, and he is a proclaimer of the future. Well now, if Jesus is anointed Messiah as prophet, that means that he speaks as God speaks.

Now, why is that important? Well, all the other prophets said, Thus saith the Lord. When Jesus comes on the scene, he says, I say unto you. All the other prophets were simply articulating what God told them to tell them. When Jesus spoke, he spoke with the authority of God.

But why wouldn't he? John 1, 1 says, In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. So John 1 says the reason he could speak with that kind of authority is that it was actually God doing the talking.

In the beginning was the word, the word was with God, and the word was God. Jesus Christ in his prophetic word is the final word on any subject matter. You pick the subject, and whatever Jesus has to say about the subject is the final word on the subject, okay?

Because it is God's word authoritatively on the subject. The problem today is Jesus, who has been anointed as Messiah, which means translated Christ, which means he's the anointed one, is not allowed to be the last word on every subject. He's the last word on your definition of being a woman. He's your last word on your definition of being a man. He's your last word on the definition of when life begins. He's the last word on the definition of marriage. He's the last word on the definition of government. He's the last word on the definition of justice. He's the last word on the definition of righteousness.

He's the last word on any subject matter you bring up. He is the prophetic statement of God, which means you save a lot of time and frustration in your life when you ask the question up front, what does Jesus say, rather than putting him in a debate with what your friends say, your neighbors say, the television says, and what everybody else has to say. He is the voice of God, because he's been anointed as prophet. Dr. Evans will tell us more about how Jesus has been anointed and what that means for us in our daily lives when he comes back in a moment. First though, long-time listeners to this broadcast know that Tony has hosted a number of teaching trips to the Holy Land throughout the years. Well, whether or not you've traveled to Israel with him in the past, we have a wonderful opportunity for you to bring home much of the engaging spiritual perspective Dr. Evans has been able to share from the actual locations where Jesus walked. Our team members have documented his tours, and now those photos, talks, and insights are beautifully presented in a large high-quality photo book called Experiencing Israel. Tony's current teaching series is all about developing personal intimacy with Jesus as you get to know his names and their meanings, and this book will help you grow closer to him as you see and learn about the places the Lord visited during his time on earth. For a limited time, we're making both resources, Experiencing Israel, and the comprehensive 11-part audio series, Encountering Jesus' Names, available to you as our gift when you make a contribution toward Tony's ministry. To get all the details, just visit tonyevans.org or call our resource center at 1-800-800-3222. Again, that's tonyevans.org or call 1-800-800-3222, where resource team members are standing by to help you around the clock.

We'll get back to our teaching time right after this. Add some adventure to your family time and impart spiritual truths to your kids with a library of books from Dr. Tony Evans, specifically geared toward children. Written for children of all ages, these books will help you teach your kids the Bible, lead them to depend on the Lord, and spark joy in their hearts for him, all the while enjoying time together as a family. You'll find scripture to memorize, journal prompts, and practical applications for the whole family to put into practice. But most importantly, you'll have a way to spend intentional time with your kids, having fun and enjoying each other while learning biblical truth together.

Explore Dr. Evans' line of kids books today and start them on the path to discovering what it really means to live faithfully for Jesus. Not only is Jesus anointed as prophet, since Christ is the Greek for Messiah, and Messiah means anointed, and that belongs to Christ, he has also been anointed as priest. 1 Timothy 2, verse 5 says that there's one mediator between God and man, and that is the man, Christ Jesus. He is the in-between person who grabs God and grabs man and hooks the two up. He is our priest.

According to Hebrews chapter 2, verses 17 and 19, Jesus Christ is our perfect priest. He stands between us and God to hook us up together. Jesus says, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father but by me. You can't skip Jesus and get to God. Jesus says, I am the root.

I am the mechanism. I am the mediator between sinful men and a perfect holy God. Sinful men can't go up to God. God is pure.

He can't mix it up with sin, but the one who bore our sins, Jesus Christ, brings the two together. He is our priest. But not only is he our priest, he is our high priest. Hebrews chapter 4, verses 14 and 16, says that we have a high priest who can be touched with our infirmities, who can be touched with our weakness, and whose throne can bring mercy and grace in time of difficulty. So you not only have a priest, you have the chief priest in charge.

If we understood the priesthood of Jesus Christ, we wouldn't be all wiped out by the circumstances of life because we would understand there's somebody between us and God who can get us to God because he can feel it in a way that the Father can. So the third area of anointing is that of king. King David was anointed. He was the ruler over Israel.

He was the government or the head of the government. The Bible says that the government shall rest on his shoulders. The Bible calls Jesus Christ king of kings and lord of lords. Revelation chapter 11, verse 15, says that the kingdoms of the world come under the kingship of Christ.

Ephesians chapter 1, verse 10, says that God's philosophy of history is that all things will come under the rulership of Jesus Christ. So let's review. Let's roll it back.

Let's do a rewind. Christ means Messiah or Messiah is translated Christ. Messiah means anointed one. He's anointed one in three categories. He's prophet, he's priest, and he's king. Well, if he's prophet, that means he's the last word. If he's priest, it means he is your connecting point with God the Father.

If he is king, it means that he is ruling over you. Now with each one of those titles, prophet, priest, and king, comes the anointing. The anointing has to do with his official designation in that area over your life. So if there is any rejection of Christ, you have just rejected the anointing.

So you not only lose fellowship with the person of Christ, you lose the ability to benefit from the anointing of Christ. Everybody goes around talking about the anointing, the anointing, the anointing. Well, you only experience the anointing, prophet, priest, and king when those are allowed to operate in your life. So Jesus Christ is the anointed one in three areas.

So that raises the question I'm glad you ask. How does this prophet, prophet, priest, king, Christ, work for me? How do I get this anointed one to anoint me so that his presence, his word, his authority, his connecting me between earth and heaven as a priest, his ruling and overruling in my life and circumstances work for me? Let me quote you one of my favorite verses, Galatians 2.20. I am crucified with Christ, with Christ. Nevertheless, I live.

Yet not I. It's Christ who lives in me. And the life which I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. There are many verses like that in the New Testament where the word Christ is used, but now that you have an understanding that Christ is from Messiah and Messiah is from anointing, let me re-quote the verse. I am crucified with the anointing.

Nevertheless, not I. It is the anointing or the anointed one that lives in me. So the life which I now live, I live by faith in this anointed one who loved me and gave himself for me. Because remember, stay with me now, Christ means Messiah means anointed means prophet, priest, and king. So to have Christ is to have an elected officer operating inside of you.

Let's go back. I am crucified with Christ. Let me tell you why Paul even says that. Paul is dealing with a racial issue, a racial issue in the church.

Peter has become very Jewish. He has segregated himself from the Gentiles beginning in Galatians 2 verse 11. Paul sees this segregation take place, and he stands before Peter and he tells Peter, what you just did with that other race is evil. That's because God has spoken about race, and you don't need 250 years to fix it if you start with the anointing. Jesus says what you just did was evil, and what you just did was wrong. In fact, Peter, I don't think you know who you are, because what you just did was you put your Jewish heritage in front of your Christian commitment. And whoever you are, if it trumps being a Christian, then it's out of order. He says, I am crucified with Christ.

That speaks of his union. Okay, when I get to the office, I get a morning cup of coffee. It comes when it's poured black. When the coffee gets to me, from the time it's been poured, it has cream and sugar.

It comes out black, but by the time it leaves where it came out and gets to me, it has been transformed. What was now black has now become brown, and what was in my view bitter has now become sweet, because there was a stirring which occurred, and this stirring intermingled black coffee with white cream and white sugar, which means I still have coffee, but I don't have it like it started. I have it with a different look and a different taste, because a union has occurred. Now the thing about this union is that I cannot now uncream the coffee.

I cannot now un-sugar the coffee, because the union between the cream and the sugar and the coffee has changed the nature of the coffee without getting rid of the coffee. What Paul is saying is, now that you have a union with Christ, you are still who you are created to be, but you've been stirred. You've been stirred with the person of Christ, the life of Christ, and the transforming presence of Christ.

You've been anointed with cream, and you've been anointed with sugar, which means that you're still you, but you ought to be tasting different and looking different because of the union that has occurred. So he says, I have been crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I've not lost my personality. I've not lost my identity.

I've not lost my racial orientation. He says, I've crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live.

So I'm still being me, but I'm being me in this mixture. I'm still coffee, but I've been changed because I've been unioned with Jesus Christ. He says, nevertheless, I live. But then he says, yet not I, it's Christ who lives in me.

So I have given Christ permission to let his anointing flow through me. Dr. Tony Evans, wrapping up the second lesson in his illuminating series on the many names of Jesus. Now, if you'd like to explore the full length version of today's message, including content we couldn't fit into our broadcast time, get in touch with us for details on the message titled Jesus the Christ. Better yet, get it as a part of Tony's current audio series, Encountering Jesus Names, on either CD or downloadable MP3s. It's available right now as our gift in appreciation for your donation toward Tony's ministry. And as an added bonus, we'll even include his beautiful coffee table-style book, Experiencing Israel.

This high-quality hardback is filled with stunning photos and insightful commentary and makes a wonderful gift for a friend or family member. Visit tonyevans.org today to get all the details before time runs out on this special double offer. Again, that's tonyevans.org. Or call us at 1-800-800-3222. Our resource center is open 24-7.

That's 1-800-800-3222. Well, Dr. Evans will come back in a moment, right after this quick shout-out to celebrate the Urban Alternative's 40th anniversary. Hey, Dr. Evans, O.S. Hawkins and Jack Graham here, just thanking God for you and your 40 years of ministry. We've been in this city together with Dr. Evans and his wonderful church all these years, 30 years plus for me and you, 25 years. And we've just seen God do incredible things in your life, not only in this community where you are loved and appreciated, but through the Urban Alternative and the ministry of your church around the world. I love you.

I respect you. I thank God for you, Dr. Tony Evans. And Tony, let me just add that today as Jack and I sit here just to wish you a happy 40th anniversary of ministry. As Asaph said of King David, you've led your people with the integrity of your heart and the skillfulness of your hands.

Just want you to know you're loved and appreciated. Well, sometimes there's a difference between what we believe and what we admit to believing. Next time, Dr. Evans will explain why that can be a dangerous distinction both during our life and after it. You won't want to miss it.

Right now, though, he's back to close our message for today. You know, in the Olympics, they have high jumpers. High jumpers run and they take their legs and they go as high as they can go to jump over the bar and they make it to approximately eight feet high.

And you do good if you can high jump eight feet high. But then they're pole jumpers. Pole jumpers run with a long pole. They stick the pole in the box. The pole bends and then the pole propels them. Now, a pole jumper goes 18 feet high. Now, both of them are trying to do the same thing. They're trying to get over the bar, but one is doing it with their own human effort and all they can do is eight feet.

But the other is leaning on something else to propel them higher than they could ever go on themselves. You may be able to get so far on your own without God, but when you get the anointing, when you get the pole propelling you, you'll find out that you can handle things you didn't think you can handle. You can love people you didn't think you can love.

You can be kind when you would normally be me. You can control yourself when you would normally lose it. You can be pure when you would normally be immoral. You can identify yourself for who you were created to be and not what some secular world tells you you now are. When you get propelled by the anointing working through you, you will find your ability to go above and beyond what you ever thought you could do as a human being.

Why? Because his name is Christ and Christ is from Messiah and Messiah means anointed and anointed is prophecy. Anointing is priest and anointing is king. And if you've accepted Jesus, you already have the anointing. The alternative with Dr. Tony Evans is brought to you by the Urban Alternative and is celebrating 40 years of faithfulness thanks to the generous contributions of listeners like you.