Heidelberg Catechism, Question 31
Question 31
Why is he called Christ , that is, anointed?
Because he is ordained of God the Father, and anointed with the Holy Ghost (Acts 10;38), to be our chief Prophet and Teacher (John 6;14); who has fully revealed to us the secret counsel and will of God concerning our redemption (John 1;18); and to be our only High Priest (Heb. 3;1), who, by the one sacrifice of his body, has redeemed us (Heb. 9;26), and makes continual intercession with the Father for us (Heb. 7;25); and also to be our eternal King (Ps. 2;6), who governs us by his word and Spirit (Ps. 73;24), and who defends and preserves us in the enjoyment of that salvation he has purchased for us (John 10;27, 28).
Scripture references for paragraph 1
Berean Standard Bible. Public domain text and source credits.
Acts 10:3838how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with Him.
Acts 4:2727In fact, this is the very city where Herod and Pontius Pilate conspired with the Gentiles and the people of Israel against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed.
Luke 4:1818“The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed,
Acts 2:3636Therefore let all Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ!”
John 6:1414When the people saw the sign that Jesus had performed, they began to say, “Truly this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”
Acts 3:2222For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to Him in everything He tells you.
Matthew 17:55While Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him!”
John 1:1818No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.
John 15:1515No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have made known to you.
John 14:66Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
Hebrews 3:11Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, set your focus on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.
Psalms 110:44The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”
Hebrews 7:2121but Jesus became a priest with an oath by the One who said to Him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind: ‘You are a priest forever.’”
Hebrews 9:2626Otherwise, Christ would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But now He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
Hebrews 10:1010And by that will, we have been sanctified through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
1 Corinthians 5:77Get rid of the old leaven, that you may be a new unleavened batch, as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
Hebrews 7:2525Therefore He is able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.
Romans 8:3434Who is there to condemn us? For Christ Jesus, who died, and more than that was raised to life, is at the right hand of God—and He is interceding for us.
John 17:99I ask on their behalf. I do not ask on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those You have given Me; for they are Yours.
Psalms 2:66“I have installed My King on Zion, upon My holy mountain.”
John 18:3737“Then You are a king!” Pilate said. “You say that I am a king,” Jesus answered. “For this reason I was born and have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to My voice.”
Luke 1:3333and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end!”
Revelation 17:1414They will make war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will triumph over them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and He will be accompanied by His called and chosen and faithful ones.”
Psalms 73:2424You guide me with Your counsel, and later receive me in glory.
Isaiah 2:33And many peoples will come and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways so that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go forth from Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
Psalms 119:105105Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
John 16:1313However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come.
John 10:2727My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me.
John 10:2828I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand.
Hebrews 7:2424But because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood.
1 Corinthians 15:2525For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.
Matthew 16:1818And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.
Source and edition
Heidelberg Catechism. RCA English, E. R. Good & Bro., Tiffin, 1879. RCA English, E. R. Good & Bro., Tiffin, 1879
Public Domain (historic text); CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikisource transcription). Source transcription.
Transcription licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0.
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