What does the name “Christ” mean?
“Christ” (Greek Christos) means “Anointed”; “Messiah” (from the Hebrew Mashiach, transliterated into Greek as Messias, Joh 1:41; see Q235) means the same.
“Anointed” refers to the anointing with sacred oil, which signifies consecration for a special purpose. Of the first high priest, Aaron, God spoke thus to Moses: “After you put these clothes on your brother Aaron and his sons, anoint and ordain them. Consecrate them so they may serve me as priests” (Exo 28:41).
Anointing likewise set a man apart to be king: “And Samuel said to Saul, ‘The LORD sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel’” (1Sa 15:1; cf. 16:13, where the Spirit comes upon David from the day of his anointing).
In the Church, anointing with sacred chrism is the sign through which the gifts of the Holy Spirit are bestowed, “the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit” spoken at Chrismation and is to be distinguished from the anointing with oil unto healing (Mrk 6:13; Jas 5:14; see Part I, on the Mysteries; see Q351, Q359).
“Anointed” was of old a title of kings, high priests, and prophets; and anyone, or anything, set apart by God for a special purpose could be so called, even the pagan king Cyrus: “Thus says the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus” (Isa 45:1).
Yet, Jesus is called Christ, the Anointed, in a special sense because all the gifts of the Holy Spirit were imparted to him in absolute fullness, “God gives the Spirit without measure” (Joh 3:34), so that he possesses in the highest degree the knowledge of a prophet, the holiness of a high priest, and the power of a king. In him the three anointed offices of Israel converge and are fulfilled: he is the Prophet foretold by Moses (Deu 18:15; Act 3:22; see Q437), the great High Priest (Heb 4:14), and the King of kings (Rev 19:16).
