Catechism of the Catholic Church

110 Part One God would send to inaugurate his kingdom definitively. 30 It was necessary that theMessiah be anointed by the Spirit of the Lord at once as king and priest, and also as prophet. 31 Jesus fulfilled the messianic hope of Israel in his threefold office of priest, prophet, and king. 437 To the shepherds, the angel announced the birth of Jesus as the Messiah promised to Israel: “To you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” 32 From the begin- ning he was “the one whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world,” conceived as “holy” in Mary’s virginal womb. 33 God called Joseph to “take Mary as your wife, for that which is con- ceived in her is of the Holy Spirit,” so that Jesus, “who is called Christ,” should be born of Joseph’s spouse into the messianic lineage of David. 34 438 Jesus’ messianic consecration reveals his divine mission, “for the name ‘Christ’ implies ‘he who anointed,’ ‘he who was anointed’ and ‘the very anointing with which he was anointed.’ The one who anointed is the Father, the one who was anointed is the Son, and he was anointed with the Spirit who is the anoint- ing.” 35 His eternal messianic consecration was revealed during the time of his earthly life at the moment of his baptism by John, when “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power,” “that he might be revealed to Israel” 36 as its Messiah. His works and words will manifest him as “the Holy One of God.” 37 439 Many Jews and even certain Gentiles who shared their hope recognized in Jesus the fundamental attributes of the messi- anic “Son of David,” promised by God to Israel. 38 Jesus accepted his rightful title of Messiah, though with some reserve because it was understood by some of his contemporaries in too human a sense, as essentially political. 39 30 Cf. Ps 2:2; Acts 4:26-27. 31 Cf. Isa 11:2; 61:1; Zech 4:14; 6:13: Lk 4:16-21. 32 Lk 2:11. 33 Jn 10:36: cf. Lk 1:35. 34 Mt 1:20; cf. Mt 1:16; Rom 1:1; 2 Tim 2:8; Rev 22:16. 35 St. Irenaeus, Adv. haeres., 3, 18, 3: PG 7/1, 934. 36 Acts 10:38; Jn 1:31. 37 Mk 1:24; Jn 6:69; Acts 3:14. 38 Cf. Mt 2:2; 9:27; 12:23; 15:22; 20:30; 21:9, 15. 39 Cf. Jn 4:25-26; 6:15; 11:27; Mt 22:41-46; Lk 24:21. 711-716 783 525, 486 727 535 528-529 547