Christ is a title derived from the Greek Christos , meaning the “ Anointed One , ” which corresponds to the Hebrew - derived “ Messiah ” . The word may be misunderstood by some as being the surname of Jesus due to the frequent juxtaposition of Jesus and Christ in the Christian Bible . Often used as a more formal - sounding synonym for Jesus , the word is in fact a title , hence comes its common reciprocal use Christ Jesus , meaning The Anointed One , Jesus .