When an Israelite man was officially made a prophet or priest or king, oil was usually poured on his head. Such pouring was called “anointing,” and served as a sign of the authority to lead. The Hebrew word Messiah means “His Anointed” (Psalm 2). This same word from the Greek language is Christ. Today most people who know the word “Christ” think immediately of Jesus Christ. This is because so many proofs point to Jesus as the One promised by God. Jesus fits the descriptions of the Messiah or Christ as foretold by the Old Testament prophets. Jesus also did the miracles of mighty power that we would expect of the prophet like Moses. He healed the blind, deaf and lame. He stilled storms and walked on the water. He even gave life back to the dead! At the town of Nain, Jesus met a funeral group going to bury the only son of a widow. When He saw the widow’s great sorrow, He went to the coffin. He touched it and called out, “Young man, I say to you, arise!” Many were present. They saw the boy arise from death! Luke 7:16 reports,
Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, ”A great prophet has arisen among us!” and ”God has visited his people!”
The people knew what they had seen. Jesus lived among them. Many were present to see His great works. Here were miraculous “signs” showing more clearly than ever the power that only the Creator has over His creation. Therefore Jesus really was “a great prophet.” The people who saw these things reasoned correctly,
When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done? (John 7:31).
Here were the greatest teachings ever heard, and the greatest miracles ever seen. If Jesus was not the Christ, who could possibly do greater things?
So even at that time many realized that He had to be the Prophet (John 7:40). If so, that also meant He was the Christ. When Jesus came into the city of Jerusalem for the last time they welcomed Him as “the Son of David,” “the King” and “the Prophet” (Matthew 21:8-11; Luke 19:37-38).