What is a Christian?

The word “Christian” is used in many different ways in books, films, and everyday conversation. Because of that, people often have very different ideas about what it actually means.

So what is a Christian?

At its simplest, a Christian is someone who follows Jesus Christ.

Jesus lived about 2,000 years ago in the region of ancient Israel. The title “Christ” is not his last name. It comes from the Greek word Christos, which means “anointed one” or “chosen one.” It is the same idea as the Hebrew word Messiah.

In the Old Testament, the Messiah was promised as a coming king chosen by God—someone who would rescue God’s people and establish a lasting kingdom of peace and justice.

By the time Jesus arrived, many people were expecting this promised king to appear.

Jesus claimed, in both his words and actions, to be that promised Messiah. He taught with extraordinary authority, performed miracles, and gathered followers around himself. But the most surprising part of his life was not only what he did, but what happened at the end of it: his death and resurrection.

Christians believe that Jesus’ resurrection is the decisive evidence that he is who he claimed to be—the true King sent by God.

During his ministry, Jesus called people to follow him. A small group of twelve disciples travelled with him, learned from him, and tried to live according to his teaching. After his death and resurrection, these same followers began to tell others what they had seen and heard.

As their message spread across the ancient world, communities formed around belief in Jesus. It was in these communities that the term “Christian” first emerged—meaning, quite simply, “a follower of Christ.”

So what does it mean today?

In the New Testament, a Christian is described as someone who trusts in Jesus’ death for their forgiveness and believes that he rose again. The apostle Paul puts it like this: “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

To be a Christian is not only to believe certain things about Jesus, but to follow him—learning his way of life, trusting his teaching, and living out his command to love God and love others.

That is what Christians mean when they say they follow Christ.