John 1:41 “The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (that is the Christ)”
Have you ever discovered something so exciting you couldn’t wait to share it? I recall stumbling upon a massive fifteen-dollar dress sale at Macy’s. The first thing I did was call my friends, (while guarding the rack, of course) because the news was just too good to keep to myself.
In John 1:41, we find Andrew discovering something immensely better than that and the first thing he wanted to do was share it. “We have found the Messiah, the Christ,” Andrew announced to his brother. It is noteworthy that Andrew does not say here he found Jesus. No, Andrew proclaims he found Christ. Consider for a moment the boldness of Andrew making such an unwavering statement. A safer option would have been to wait awhile and observe this man named Jesus in order to be sure of His Christ identity. But Andrew was confident of his discovery and the first thing he wanted to do was tell others about Christ.
I first appreciated the distinction in the words, Jesus and Christ when I spent time in Saudi Arabia. Because the nation’s constitution is the Qur’an, bringing a Bible, any religious materials, or any religious icons or symbols into the country was strictly forbidden. Additionally, everyone entering the country was required to sign a contract stating you had read the rules, and if broken, you would be subject to Saudi law. (I never wanted to know what that was!)
Speaking the name of Christ in that society was strictly forbidden and considered blasphemy. But, interestingly, I found that speaking the name of Jesus was allowed. To many, like the Saudi people, Jesus is considered a virtuous prophet. But that is where the line is drawn. They will acknowledge Jesus the prophet, but not Jesus the Christ. To understand the difference in Jesus and Christ, we need to understand the difference in a name and a title. Many years ago, I recall my father addressing my mother as the Queen of our house. Her name was Maxine, but her title was Queen. Likewise, His name was Jesus. His title was Christ.
The title, Christ comes from the word christos in Greek, meaning “the anointed one.” Its equivalent in Hebrew is “Messiah.” Jesus was the name used among the people with whom He walked through life. Tragically, to acknowledge Jesus, but not Christ, is to miss the best part of the story: a story of incredible love, incredible sacrifice, and an incredible ending. Jesus chose to leave heaven and live a sinless life here on earth. Jesus chose death on the cross. And Jesus unequivocally rose from death. Jesus proved He was more than a prophet. Jesus proved He was the Christ, the anointed, the Son of God, the Savior of the world. As Christians, the whole, beautiful story of Christ is precious and the very foundation of our faith. I shudder to realize that merely typing these words in other countries would land me in jail.
As Easter approaches, we turn our thoughts to the story that lies with Christ: a sinless life of love, an agonizing cross, a gloriously empty tomb, and the promise of His return to us. It is the Christ we celebrate. It is a risen Savior and an empty tomb that make an eternity of difference between a “prophet named Jesus” and our wonderful Christ.
Sisters, this news is far better than any fifteen-dollar dress sale! So, what are we waiting for? Let’s get busy and share Christ!
Blessings in Christ,
Rita Cochrane