The title Christ is the Greek word for the Hebrew word Messiah.

5. Into what kind of line, then, was Jesus born, and what is there to prove that Israel’s kings were referred to as Messiahs?

⁵ This Jesus, who was to be the “Lord” of King David, was born into a Messianic line. How is that? Because the adjective Messianic means “having to do with the Messiah.” Well, then, were the kings of David’s line in ancient Israel called “Messiahs”? Or, would the Greek-speaking Jews call them “Christs”? Yes, because the title Messiah means Anointed One, and Christ means Anointed One. This title applied to these kings of David’s royal line because they had been anointed by Jehovah’s high priest in Israel with holy anointing oil to be kings over Jehovah’s chosen people. (1 Ki. 1:34-39) Repeatedly David spoke of King Saul, the first king of the twelve tribes of Israel, as being the “anointed [or, Messiah] of Jehovah.” Likewise, David himself as king was constantly spoken of as Jehovah’s anointed or Messiah. (1 Sam. 24:6, 10; 26:9-23; 2 Sam. 1:14-16; 19:21; 22:51; 23:1) Even Zedekiah, the last king of David’s line on the throne of Jerusalem, is called “the anointed one [or, Messiah] of Jehovah.”​—Lam. 4:20, footnote of 1958 edition.