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A proper understanding of the meaning of the term ‘Christ’ gives insight into both the nature and work of Jesus as well as his relationship to God the Father.  First off it’s important to know that Christ is not Jesus’ surname. It is a title.  In order to convey this, it is better to interpose the definite article and call him ‘Jesus the Christ’.  This is the way believing Hebrew-speakers describe him: “Y’shua haMashiach” (Ha is the Hebrew definite article, the word for ‘the’).

To say Jesus is the Christ is like saying Jesus the King, Jesus the Judge or Jesus the Prophet.  It describes his office or position.  So what does the title mean?  Literally translated it means ‘The Anointed One’

Anointing in the Old Testament was when oil was literally poured over someone symbolising two things:

1. God’s appointment of them to a position of his choosing
2. God’s empowerment of them to fulfil that purpose by his Spirit

The anointing of Jesus took place immediately after his baptism by John in the river Jordan:

John 1:32-34
32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.  33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.  34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

John had been told by God that he would show him who the Son of God or Christ was and that the evidence would be the Holy Spirit coming upon him.  The anointing that made Jesus of Nazareth into the Christ was God’s Holy Spirit which came upon him at his baptism.

Acts 10:38
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power:
who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

Note- ‘for God was with him’, not ‘for he was God’.

So to call Jesus the Christ- the anointed one -speaks not of what Jesus did, so much as what was done to him by God.  Jesus made this absolutely clear. He operated not under his own power, but by the empowerment he had received from the Father when he was anointed by the Holy Spirit.  After this event he explained:

Luke 4:18-21
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me
to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.  20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.  21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

The fact that Jesus was anointed makes the one who anointed him:

1. Superior in position- since he makes the appointment and does the choosing
2. Superior in power- because he is the one that empowers.

The fact that Jesus received the anointing from God leads us to the inescapable conclusion that the Father is the God of the Son!  As the scripture clearly states, speaking to Christ:

Psalms 45:7
Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness:
therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

Hebrews 1:9
Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity;
therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

So to acknowledge Jesus as the Christ is to acknowledge two important facts about him:

1. That he needed and received empowerment from God
2. That he did nothing by virtue of his own power, but it was God working through him

Neither would apply to him if he was God Almighty.