Mark 8:27-29 “Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, ‘Who do people say I am?’28They replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.’29‘But what about you?’ he asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ.’”
John 20:31 “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
1 John 5:1 “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.”
According to the Bible, to be a follower of Jesus you have to believe He is the Christ, the Messiah.Only Jesus fulfills the Old Testament prophecies concerning the coming Messiah.The words, “anointed one” in Hebrew mean Messiah and in the Greek mean Christ.“Christ” is not the last name of Jesus; He doesn’t have a last name.The Bible clearly foretells the coming of the Messiah (Christ) and Jesus fulfills the requirements.He was the one the Jews waited for, yet when he came, many rejected him.
A few Old Testament references to the coming Messiah and how Jesus fulfills them:
Psalms 2:2 “The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against the Lord and against His Anointed [Messiah], saying,”Psalm 2 points to a coming Messiah, who in verse 7, is the Son of God.In the New Testament Jesus is called the Son of God.One example comes from the Book of Matthew: Caiaphas, trying to trap Jesus…Matthew 26:62-64 “The high priest stood up and said to Him, ‘Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?’ 63 But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, ‘I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.’ 64 Jesus said* to him, ‘You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see The Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power , and coming on the clouds of heaven.’”Jesus confirmed to Caiaphas and others, He is the Son of God.Psalm 2 connects the coming Messiah with being God’s Son.
2 Samuel 7:13 “He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.”This prophecy had an immediate fulfillment through the birth of David’s son, Solomon, who built the temple (a house). Yet, it also had a future fulfillment in a ruler or Messiah who would rule over His kingdom forever.Jesus, from the line of David, will reign over His kingdom forever (Col. 1:13).
Daniel 9:25-26 “So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. 26 “Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined.”What we see here is Daniel’s amazing 70 weeks prophecy predicting when Messiah would appear and a second prediction this Messiah would be killed (Messiah will be cut off).Jesus fulfills both of these prophecies by coming at the appointed time and then being crucified.
Malachi 3:1 “Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says the Lord of hosts.”Malachi, written around 515 BC, speaks of a Messiah who will come to the temple.Jesus came to the temple to be dedicated as a baby, for various religious festivals, and at the end of his life.Today the Jews say they are looking for a coming Messiah. This Messiah must come to the temple; however, there is no temple, having been destroyed in AD 70 and never rebuilt.The destruction of the temple means Messiah must have already come. And He has come; Jesus is the Christ, Jesus is the Messiah.