One of the most important verses in the Gospel of John is John 17:3. Depending on the version you use, it will read something like, “Now this eternal life: that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” If you check out many versions, you could easily conclude the biggest difference in the translations is whether the translators say Jesus Christ or Jesus Messiah. “Messiah” is English for the Hebrew word meaning “anointed one.” “Christ” is English for the Greek word meaning “anointed one.” Therefore, many Christians and writers have concluded that Messiah and Christ mean the same thing. Literally, that is true. Messiah and Christ both have the translation of “anointed one.” However, how those two names are understood can be far different. The concept of Messiah probably originated after the Jews left exile and after the Old Testament was written. For a variety of reasons, including interpretations of certain Old Testament scriptures, many of the Jewish teachers began to believe God would be sending a savior to the Jews. By the time of Jesus, there were many differing opinions about the Messiah. Most of them centered around a person who would be a king sent by God to deliver the Jews from the Romans, establish God’s kingdom on earth, and provide justice for the Jews.