Day 2 Christmas Countdown Devotional: significant titles given to Jesus

When the angel brought the good news to the shepherds of Jesus’ birth, he introduced Jesus with  three titles. So often we’re drawn to the “baby in the manger” part, that we miss the designations. The angel said,

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:11-12)

Savior. Christ. Lord. Three titles that reveal the purposes of Jesus coming to earth. The term Christ comes from the Greek word christos. It means “the anointed one” and is the exact equivalent of the Hebrew word Messiah. Typically, we think of anointing a king at his coronation. But one scholar rightly points out that, in ancient times,  three offices were anointed: prophet, priest, and king.

In Biblical times, the prophet was one who spoke on behalf of God. The priest was a mediator between God and man. And the king served as the people’s protector and provider. To think of Christ fulfilling each of these roles is quite encouraging. In our lostness, we needed a message from God. In our sinful rebellion, we needed a mediator on our behalf to the Father. In our weakness, we needed the tender protection of a loving king. As the anointed one, Jesus was all of that.

As Jesus’ ministry waned in popularity, he warned the people what they were overlooking. Pay careful attention to the illustrations he selected. He said that the men of Nineveh would judge them because “they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here” (Matt. 12:41). When he spoke of the temple (where the priests served), he said, “I tell you, something greater than the temple is here” (Matt. 12:6). Finally, he spoke of the Queen of the south who “came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here” (Matt. 12:42).

Jonah was a prophet, the priests served in the temple, and Solomon was king. Jesus was reminding them of his role as prophet, priest, and king. He was the anointed one that God had sent to fulfill these three roles. All of that is packed into one simple word: Christ. A word the angels used to announce the birth of Jesus.

PHIL MOSER is the author of the Biblical Strategies series and the developer of 4M Training: a 13-week small group study for men. All of his resources can be found on amazon or at biblicalstrategies.com.

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