Was Jesus a Christian?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Jesus was not a Christian; rather, He is the Christ—the anointed Jewish Messiah whom Christians follow. The term "Christian" first appeared years after Jesus’ death and resurrection, referring to those who put their faith in Him. Jesus Himself lived as a Jew, faithfully following and fulfilling the Mosaic law. Christians are followers of Jesus Christ, acknowledging His divine nature, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection for salvation. Understanding this distinction helps clarify the foundation of the Christian faith and its origins in the early church.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• The term "Christ," Χριστός (christos), is a Greek word meaning anointed, or anointed one. This is the Greek equivalent to מָשִׁיחַ (mashiach) or more commonly, Messiah, which is the Hebrew word for anointed or anointed one. This is why Jesus is often referred to as Jesus The Christ or Jesus The Messiah. Christ is not His last name; it is His title. Jesus Christ is the Anointed One of Israel (Daniel 9:26).

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Jesus was not a Christian. A Christian is someone who follows Jesus Christ (Acts 11:26).
• Jesus is, of course, the foundation of the Christian faith (1 Corinthians 3:11; Ephesians 2:20). But Jesus Himself was a Jew who followed and fulfilled the Mosaic law (Matthew 5:17; Galatians 4:4).
• Jesus is the Jewish Messiah (John 4:25–26; Luke 24:26–27).
• People who have placed their trust in Jesus and follow Him today are referred to as Christians (Romans 10:9; 1 Peter 4:16).
• Acts 11:26 is the first recorded instance of the term "Christians." In part, it says, "And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians." The term Χριστιανός (christianos) is a Greek word meaning a follower of Christ.
• Since Christians are followers of Jesus Christ, then Jesus Himself would not have been a Christian. Scripture clearly indicates that the disciples of Jesus Christ were first called Christians at Antioch. Acts 11:26 refers to Paul teaching the disciples in Antioch for about a year, probably sometime around AD 46. This means that the term "Christian" was first used ten to fifteen years after Jesus' death and resurrection. So, the term Christian would not be applied to Him chronologically either.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

While Acts 11:26 tells us the first time the term "Christian" was applied to the followers of Jesus, it is not the only use in Scripture, and there are several instances of its use outside of Scripture in the first century. In Acts 26:28 Agrippa accuses Paul of trying to make him a Christian, and in 1 Peter 4:16, Peter tells Christians not to be ashamed for suffering "as a Christian." Peter probably wrote his first letter between AD 62 and 64. Outside of the Bible, Josephus referred to the followers of Christ as "the tribe of Christians" around AD 94. Pliny the Younger, in his correspondence with Tacitus and with Trajan, referred to them as "Christians" around the end of the first century. The Annals by historian Tacitus, refers to the followers of Jesus as being "commonly called Christians." And of course, Nero blamed "the Christians" for the fire that ravaged Rome in AD 64. So, the term was rather widely used by the middle of the first century, but first applied in Antioch.

Jesus Himself was not a Christian. Rather, Christians—those who have put their trust in Jesus Christ, believing He is fully God and fully human, lived a perfect life, died as a payment for our sins, rose back to life proving victorious over sin and death, and offers us salvation by His grace received through faith—are followers of Jesus Christ.

UNDERSTAND

• Jesus was the promised Jewish Messiah, not a Christian.
• Jesus is the Christ, whom Christians follow.
• The term "Christian" was first used after Jesus’ resurrection for His those who trust Jesus as Savior and follow Him.

REFLECT

• How does understanding that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah, not a Christian, affect your view of His life and mission?
• How does Jesus being a Jew impact our understanding of Christianity?
• How does recognizing Jesus as the foundation of the Christian faith inspire you to live out your beliefs today?

ENGAGE

• How does the fact that the term “Christian” was first used years after Jesus’ resurrection shape our understanding of early church identity?
• What significance does Jesus’ fulfillment of the Mosaic law have for Christians living under grace today?
• How can recognizing Jesus as the Jewish Messiah deepen our appreciation for the continuity between the Old and New Testaments?