What Was Jesus' Last Name

Many people have last names that convey something about their ancestor’s professions.  Miller might convey that somewhere along the line, when surnames were added to first names, the ancestor was in the milling business.  He was John the miller who became John Miller.  When Jesus grew up, what was His last name?  He was probably called Yeshua ben Yusef by the people of Nazareth.  Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew Joshua with (ben), meaning son of, Joseph. Nobody on the streets of Nazareth called Him Jesus Christ.  Christ is not His last name. 

Christ is His title.  It is a title that declares who He is.  Christ is the Greek form of the Hebrew word for “anointed one”.  The Jewish people had been looking forward to an anointed one for many centuries.  They had had their types of anointed ones in their culture.  The kings were anointed.  The priests were anointed.  Even some prophets were anointed.  These were people who had been specially called by God to lead His people.  Their anointing certified their authority to their position.  Some were anointed by oil and some were anointed by oil and blood, but to serve they had to be anointed. 

Jesus was anointed with power by God and with the Holy Spirit.  Mary’s womb was anointed by the Holy Spirit in His conception.  He was anointed by the Holy Spirit at His baptism.  Jesus was God’s Anointed One.  He was the Messiah, the promised anointed one, of the Old Testament.  He came to be the prophet, priest and king for Israel.  He came to be their redeemer.  Unlike their priests, however, who would offer something else as a sacrifice, He would offer Himself.  Unlike a king, however, He was first a servant.  All of these things were prophesied about Him in the Old Testament, but few were looking for a servant sacrifice and most were looking for a king and deliverer. 

He has delivered us from death in this present age and He can reign as King in the lives of His people in this present age.  Someday He will return and be the King of kings on earth.  His title of Christ, however, is present for us to know who He is and what He is doing.  It is a title deserving all praise and adoration, all worship and respect.  It is His eternal title. 

Christ hidden in a servant’s skin, Christ sacrificed our souls to win

Christ raised anoints us with His Name, Christ comes again o’er all to reign. 

Let all saints proclaim, “For me to live is Christ; to die is gain.”  

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