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Perkataan al-Masih secara harfiah bermaksud "Orang yang disapu (dengan minyak di kepala)" dan dalam Islam, Isa al-Masih dipercayai telah disapu sejak dilahirkan oleh [[Allah]] dengan tugas tertentu sebagai seorang nabi dan raja. [[Bani Israil]] yang menjadi sasaran Nabi Isa, mempunyai amalan tradisi menyapu raja-raja mereka dengan minyak. Sebuah hadith al-Bukhari yang menarik tetapi samar menerangkan bahawa Nabi Isa memiliki rambut basah yang kelihatan seakan-akan air menitis darinya, berkemungkinan bermaksud beliau disapu secara semulajadi. Orang Islam percaya bahawa ini hanyalah salah satu petanda yang membuktikan Nabi Isa adalah Messiah.
Di kalangan orang Islam, Nabi Isa dipercayai membawa tugas membunuh messiah palsu, [[Dajjal]] (setara dengan [[Antichrist]] dalam [[agama Kristian]]) yang akan muncul tidak lama sebelum baginda di akhir zaman. Setelah baginda menghapuskan Dajjal, tugas terakhir baginda ialah menjadi pemimpin orang Islam. Nabi Isa akan menyatukan umat Islam di bawah tujuan yang sama iaitu menyembah Allah mengikut ajaran Islam yang sebenar, dengan itu menamatkan perpecahan dan penyelewengan. Sesetengah orang Islam percaya bahawa pada saat itu, Nabi Isa akan melenyapkan dakwaan-dakwaan orang Yahudi dan Kristian mengenai baginda yang tidak bersetuju dengan beberapa cabang Islam tertentu.
== In the New Testament ==
{{see also|Jesus|New Testament view on Jesus' life}}
In the [[New Testament]] it says that a saviour, long awaited, had come and shall [[Second Coming|return]], and it describes this saviour as ''the Christ'' ([[Greek language|Greek]] {{polytonic|τοῦ Χριστοῦ}}, ''tou Christou,'' {{polytonic|ὁ Χριστὸς}}, ''ho Christos'').
== Etymology ==
{{see|chrism}}
The spelling ''Christ'' in English dates from the 17th century, when, in the spirit of [[the Enlightenment]], spellings of certain words were changed to fit their [[Greek language|Greek]] or [[Latin]] origins. Prior to this, in [[Old English language|Old]] and [[Middle English]], the word was spelled ''Crist,'' the ''i'' being pronounced either as {{IPA|/iː/}} (see [[Help:pronunciation]]), preserved in the names of [[church]]es such as [[St Katherine Cree]], or as a short {{IPA|/ɪ/}}, preserved in the modern pronunciation of [[Christmas]].
The term ''Christ'' appears in English and most European languages, owing to the Greek usage of ''Christos'' in the [[New Testament]] as a description for [[Jesus]]. In the [[Septuagint]] version of the [[Old Testament]], it was used to translate into Greek the [[Hebrew (language)|Hebrew]] ''Mashiach'' ([[Messiah]]), meaning "[one who is] anointed." The Jewish tradition of "The Messiah" understands "The Messiah" to be a human being – without any overtone of deity or divinity.<ref>[http://www.jewsforjudaism.org/web/faq/general-messiah-criteria.html] "The Jewish Messiah: The Criteria." Jews for Judaism.</ref>
The Greek term is [[cognate]] with [[Chrism]], meaning ''perfumed oil''. ''Christos'' in classical Greek usage could mean ''covered in oil,'' and is thus a literal and accurate translation of Messiah (just as [[Saul the King]] was anointed with oil when he was proclaimed king). The Greek term is thought to derive from the [[Proto-Indo-European language|Proto-Indo-European]] [[root word|root]] of ''ghey-,'' which in [[Germanic languages]], such as [[English language|English]], mutated into ''gris-'' and ''grim-.'' Hence the English words ''grisly, grim, grime, gizm'' and ''grease,'' are thought to be cognate with ''Christ,'' though these terms came to have a negative connotation, where the Greek word had a positive connotation. In [[French language|French]], the Greek term, in ordinary usage, mutated first to ''creŝme'' and then to ''crème,'' due to [[Use of the circumflex in French|the loss of certain 's' usages in French]], which [[loan word|was loaned]] into English as ''[[cream]].'' The word was used by [[extension (semantics)|extension]] in Hellenic and Jewish contexts to refer to the office, role or status of the person, not to their actually being an oily person, as a strict reading of the etymology might imply.{{Fact|date=September 2007}}
== Christian mainstream view ==
{{Christianity}}
In most Christian thinking, Jesus is the [[Incarnation (Christianity)|incarnation]] of the [[Logos]]—the divine Word of God—as described in the first chapter of the [[Gospel of John]] ({{niv|john|1:1–18|1:1–18}}).
Many Christians believe that there is no [[ontology|ontological]] distinction between [[God]] and Jesus (holding that Jesus is the second person of the [[Holy Trinity]]), and that Jesus did not lose his divinity in the incarnation, but rather took on humanity.
== Distinctions among "Jesus," "Christ," "God," "Trinity" ==
Jesus and Christ refer to the same person whom Christians believe is God's son, who died on the [[Death and resurrection of Jesus|Cross]] to miraculously save his followers from their sins, and who rose from the dead on the third day after his death and later ascended into heaven where he sits at the "right hand of [[God the Father]]."
=== Jesus ===
According to the [[Bible]] in {{Bibleref2|Matthew|1:20-21|NIV}}, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph, at the time Mary's fiancé, told him that what was conceived in her was from the [[Holy Spirit]], that she would give birth to a son. The angel instructed Joseph to "give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." The name Jesus, the Greek form of Joshua, which means the LORD saves.<ref>Footnote to Matt. 1:21 in NIV</ref>
Christians believe Jesus has no earthly biological father, and that Mary, his mother, was a virgin who "conceived by the Holy Spirit" ({{bibleref2|Luke|1:26-37}}), and therefore Jesus was God's son. (See [[Virgin Birth of Jesus]].) Christians believe the virginity of Mary is important for two reasons: She was sexually pure; and she was not pregnant already.<ref>Piper, John. "Christ Conceived by the Holy Spirit," ''Desiring God,'' 1984. Online: [http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/1984/429_Christ_Conceived_by_the_Holy_Spirit/ Resources from the ministry of John Piper. Accessed 09-26-2007</ref>
=== Christ ===
Christians worship Jesus as savior and Lord, believing Jesus is the ''Christ'', the "Son of the Living God." They believe Jesus is "the anointed one" as predicted in the Hebrew Scriptures. The apostle Peter, in what has become a famous proclamation of faith among Christians since the first century, said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" ({{bibleref2|Matthew|16:16}}), thereby affirming that Jesus is the Christ, and that he was God's son.
Often, Christians use the names "Jesus" and "Christ" interchangeably according to Christian understanding. (See above for a decontextualized understanding of Christ.) Some may refer to "Jesus" when emphasizing his human nature in an event in the [[New Testament]], and refer to "Christ" in discussing his [[divine]] nature.
=== God ===
The word [[Tetragrammaton|YHWH]] (Hebrew: ''[[Yodh]]-[[He (letter)|He]]-[[Waw]]-[[He (letter)|He]]'', יהוה ), often transliterated as [[Yahweh]], is the name most often used for God in untranslated Hebrew scriptures, appearing more than 6700 times and usually translated as ''the LORD'' (cf. [[Adonai]]) in most English Bibles.<ref>[[God#Names of God#Names of God]]</ref> In some cases, it is transliterated to function as a name as in [[Jehovah]] as found in the [[American Standard Version]], the [[Darby Bible]] and the [[New World Translation]] or [[Yahweh]] as found the [[Jerusalem Bible]].
The specific name "Living God," as used by the apostle Pater in the foregoing example, is also used in {{Bibleref2|Psalm|84:1-2|KJV}}, "My heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God." Jesus often addressed God as Father. The Psalmist in {{Bibleref2|Psalm|84:3|KJV}} revered God "Lord of hosts, my king and my God."
=== Trinity ===
The [[Trinity|Holy Trinity]] is a term used since about the third century to denote one God in three Persons – God as Father, God as Son ([[Jesus|Jesus Christ]]), and God as [[Holy Ghost]]/[[Holy Spirit]]. Today the doctrine of the Trinity is orthodox among most Christian churches and denominations.
== Gnostic Christ ==
{{seealso|Sophia (Gnosticism)|New Thought}}
The [[gnosticism|gnostics]] generally believed not in a Jesus who was a Divine Person with a human nature, but in a spiritual Christ who dwelt in Jesus. Through the spiritual path of gnosticism, followers of these schools believed that they could experience the same knowledge, or ''[[gnosis]]''<!-- suggestion: don't disambiguate "gnosis" -->. Their theology was or is [[dualism|dualistic]] and premised upon demigods, salvation for the elect, and the actions of an unknowable, formless God who takes human form. This was considered heresy by the Early Church as per the first [[Ecumenical Council]], which occurred at Nicaea in 325 A.D., although condemnation of the belief existed well before.
== Esoteric Christian tradition ==
{{See also|Second Coming#Non-Orthodox Esoteric or Gnostic tradition}}
For the [[Rosicrucian]]s there is a distinction to be made between Jesus and the Christ.<ref> Max Heindel, ''[[The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception]]'' (Part III, Chapter XV: [http://www.rosicrucian.com/rcc/rcceng15.htm Christ and His Mission]), November 1909, ISBN 0–911274–34–0</ref> Jesus is considered a high Initiate of the human life wave (which evolves under the cycle of [[reincarnation|rebirth]]) and of a singularly pure type of mind, vastly superior to the great majority of the present humanity. He was educated during his youth among the Essenes and thus prepared himself for the greatest honor ever bestowed upon a human being: to deliver his pure, passionless, highly evolved physical body and [[etheric body|vital body]] (already attuned to the high vibrations of the 'life spirit'), in the moment of the [[Baptism of Jesus|Baptism]], to the Christ being for His ministry in the physical world. Christ is described as the highest Spiritual Being of the life wave called [[Archangels]] and has completed His union ("the Son") with the second aspect of [[The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception#The Rosicrucian conception of God and the scheme of evolution|God]].
== Christian Science ==
[[Image:Tetragrammaton scripts.svg|frame|right|YHWH, the name of God or [[Tetragrammaton]], in [[Phoenician language|Phoenician]] (1100 BC to AD 300), [[Aramaic]] (10th Century BC to 1st century AD) and modern Hebrew scripts.]]
In the theology of [[Christian Science]], [[Mary Baker Eddy]], the religion's founder, wrote in her book, [[Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures]], that "The invisible Christ was imperceptible to the so-called personal senses, whereas Jesus appeared as a bodily existence. This dual personality of the unseen and the seen, the spiritual and material, the eternal Christ and the corporeal Jesus manifest in flesh, continued until the Master's ascension, when the human, material concept, or Jesus, disappeared, while the spiritual self, or Christ, continues to exist in the eternal order of divine Science, taking away the sins of the world, as the Christ has always done, even before the human Jesus was incarnate to mortal eyes."<ref>''Science and Health'' 334</ref> Eddy wrote that while Jesus, as a material man, was not the exact ontological or quantitative equivalent to God, he thoroughly embodied the spiritual sonship of God's nature. In Christian Science, the Christ, or divine manifestation of God, continues forever to enlighten humanity and to destroy sickness, sin, and death.
== Islamic view ==
{{main|Islamic view of Jesus}}
[[Muslims]] recognize Jesus Christ ([[Isa (name)|Isa, or عيسى]]) as the messiah and prophet of God. In [[Islam]] he is considered a Muslim and his second coming is expected to occur among Muslims.
Muslims believe in his miraculous conception and birth, but not as the son of God. Jesus would also lead Muslims in the final victory over those that disbelieved him or misidentified him as the son of God, what is considered as the highest sin in Islam, and against the [[Ad-Dajjal|antichrist]] [see Book of [[hadith]] by [[Imam Bukhari]]]. Muslims also believe that Jesus was neither crucified nor dead but was raised to Heaven by God while still living.
== Expansions and appropriations of "Christ" ==
"Christ" has taken on such power and significance as a theological, religious and devotional term that it has been appropriated and expanded by various theologians and religious writers so as to take it beyond the Christian context, in which "Christ" refers strictly to Jesus as the Messiah of prophecy.
One belief is the idea or concept that "Jesus ''became'' Christ," i.e., his "flesh was transformed to [[spirit]]s."{{Fact|date=October 2007}} By taking a spiritual and good path through life, Jesus was reunited with his true holy nature, ([[Redemption (religious)|redeemed]]) and preserved forever in God. In this view, this psychic force is often called "the Christ," or sometimes "Christ consciousness," drawing a separation between God (whose nature is incomprehensible in Christian theology) and the Holy Spirit, which can be experienced through Jesus and is therefore compatible with our humanity. [[Matthew Fox (priest)|Matthew Fox]] sometimes speaks of "the [[Cosmic]] Christ."{{Fact|date=October 2007}}
In Eastern religious traditions, "God" is often described by both, personifications
([[deities]]) which are manifestations of particular aspects of God's power, and incarnations ([[avatars]]) of God in mortal form as in case of [[Siva]] or [[Vishnu]] who are considered as "The Father" in [[Hinduism]]. In these religions, "the Christ" is akin to these personifications. [[A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada]] who coined the phrase '[[Krishna]] Consciousness,' held Jesus' teachings as non-different from the Hindu, [[Vedas|Vedic]] scriptures, and others such as [[Paramahansa Yogananda]] often wrote about a "Christ Consciousness" interchangeably with "[[Krishna]] Consciousness."{{Fact|date=October 2007}}
== Contemporary usage and other theories ==
Modern Christian non-denominational organizations such as the True Worshipper Ecclesiastical Association (TWEA) use the respective connotations of the names "Jesus" and "Christ" in a more expansive and complementary way. For example, the doctrinal treatise, entitled The Landscape of Truth describes Jesus as the eternal saviour of that which is pure in humankind, while the Landscape describes the Old Testament priestly designation "anointed one," i.e., "Christ," as being the only one who can stand in the eternal Most Holy Place of the Jewish Temple, which represents the eternal fulfilled soul of God and his purified worshipers in the savior, the Christ.{{fact|date=October 2007}}
The use of "X," derived from Chi, the Greek alphabet initial, as an abbreviation for Christ (most commonly in the abbreviation "Xmas") is often misinterpreted as a modern secularization of the term. Thus understood, the centuries-old [[English Language|English]] word Xmas, is actually a shortened form of CHmas, which is, itself, a shortened form for Christmas. In fact, the use of "X" to represent the full word goes back to the earliest days of Greek Christianity.
== Slang usage ==
The [[interjection]] "Christ!" is often used as a sign of surprise or anger, without a direct religious reference—that is, as an [[exclamation]]. It is sometimes elaborated, as in "Christ on a Cracker!" Many Christians find this usage [[blasphemy|blasphemous]], as they believe it violates the [[Ten Commandments|Commandment]] against taking the Lord's Name in vain. However, for those who believe in Christ, it might also be regarded as a kind of [[prayer]] (specifically, a pious ejaculation,<ref>Definition: piously repeated words or phrases that are probably uttered more from habit than with great meaning. Examples: "Thy will be done" or "May Allah be praised" when spoken casually without much if any thought.</ref> recognized by Eastern Orthodox tradition as legitimate).{{fact|date=October 2007}} Common [[euphemism]]s that have arisen for this usage include "For crying out loud!" (US) and "Crikey" (UK, Aus.), used as an alternative by people reluctant to swear using the actual name.
== See also ==
* [[Anointing of Jesus]]
* [[Anointing]]
* [[Anti-Christ]]
* [[Chrism]]
* [[Fleur de lys]]
* [[New Thought]]
* [[Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament]]
* [[Ointment]]
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
==Further reading==
* Harpur, Tom, ''The Pagan Christ: Recovering the Lost Light.'' Toronto: Thomas Allen Publishers, 2004.
* McDowell, Joshua and Don Stewart, ''Handbook of Today's Religions,'' Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1983.
* Ott, Ludwig, ''Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma,'' 1957.
* [[Lee Strobel|Strobel, Lee]]. ''[[Case for Christ]]: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus'' (1998)
== External links ==
* [http://www.about-Jesus.org/messianic.htm ''Jewish prophecies about Christ,'' About-Jesus.org]
* [http://www.leestrobel.com/channels/Christ.php ''Investigating Jesus Christ,'' video clips by best selling author Lee Stobel, [[Case for Christ]]]
* [http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Crete/6111/pneumatikos/gnostic.htm Paul A. Hughes, ''The Gnostic Christ: Gnosticism vs. Christianity'']
* [http://www.hermes-press.com/Perennial_Tradition/esoteric_christianity.htm Norman D. Livergood, ''The Christ concept in Esoteric Christianity'']
* [http://www.salagram.net/jesus-christ-kristos-page.htm ''The Etymological Derivation of the Name "Christ",'' NZs Hare Krishna Spiritual Network]
* [http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_jckr.htm ''Linkages Between Two God-Men Saviors: Christ and Krishna,'' religioustolerance.org]
* [http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_jckr1.htm ''Specific Similarities Between the Lives of Jesus and Krishna,'' religioustolerance.org]
* [http://www.oodegr.com/english/index.htm ''Orthodox Outlet for Dogmatic Enquiries]
* [http://dubitando.no.sapo.pt/qevcon.htm Latin harmony of the Four Gospels: «Live» of Jesus (1)]
* [http://dubitando.no.sapo.pt/qevconn.htm Latin harmony of the Four Gospels: «Live» of Jesus (2)]
* [http://www.lds.org/library/display/0,4945,90–1-10–1,00.html Latter-day Saint statement on the divinity of Jesus Christ]
* [[Thomas A Kempis]] [http://www.ccel.org/ccel/kempis/imitation.titlepage.html ''The imitation of Christ'']
{{Christianityfooter}}
[[Category:Esoteric Christianity]]
[[Category:Gnosticism]]
[[Category:Jesus]]
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