50. What does it mean to call Jesus “Christ” and “Son of God”?

Christ comes from the Greek translation of the Hebrew word “messiah,” meaning “anointed one.”  In Israel, those who were consecrated to God for a special mission were anointed, including priests, prophets and kings.  Jesus is all three of these.  He is the messiah because he completed perfectly the mission of the Father and shares in that three-fold ministry.

Son of God is a phrase used throughout the Old Testament, in the New Testament it is a revelation of the unique relationship between Jesus and God the Father.