Names, titles and offices of Jesus. One of the means to know who Jesus of Nazareth is, is to study the names, titles and offices that the Scripture attributes to Him. This is particularly important when we are dealing with a Jewish person like Jesus, since Hebrew names are meaningful, that is, they say what the person is.

The name of Jesus. Let us start with the proper name of this man of Nazareth which is Jesus. Jesus is the Latin translation of the Greek name Iesous, and this in its turn is the translation of the Hebrew name Yehoshua, which is translated as Joshua in the Old Testament. Iesous, Joshua and Jesus mean the same: Savior, or Yahveh saves. The name Jesus, in Jesus of Nazareth, synthesizes the work He did: to save.

A name by divine intervention. This name was imposed on Jesus by divine intervention: You shall call His name Jesus —the angel said to Joseph,— for He will save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). These words of the angel attribute to this child, Jesus, what the Scripture had attributed only to God in the past: salvation. The angel also said to Mary: You shall call His name Jesus (Luke 1:31).

Use of the name Jesus. Jesus is the most common name used by the evangelists to refer to Jesus of Nazareth. It is scarcely used in vocative form. There are 930 times in the New Testament with reference to Jesus of Nazareth, and six more times with reference to other individuals called Jesus. John and Matthew are the ones who use this name more frequently, John 244 times and Matthew 152. It is found also in the letter to Hebrews; Paul seldom uses the name of Jesus separate from Christ.

The name Jesus emphasizes His humanity. It can be said that Jesus is the name to identify the man Jesus of Nazareth, when we want to put emphasis on His humanity. The other names given to Jesus have often a divine connotation, as we will note later.

Difference between Jesus and Jesus Christ. Christians usually do not make a distinction in ordinary speech between Jesus and Jesus Christ; nevertheless, when Christ is added to the name Jesus, it acquires a new meaning. The complete name Jesus Christ, in particular when the title Lord is added, "Lord Jesus Christ," expresses the synthesis of the Christian faith, as we will say later.

The title Savior in Jesus. When the New Testament wants to refer to Jesus with the title of Savior it uses the Greek word soter. The New Testament uses this word addressed to God, 8 times; and addressed to Jesus, the Christ, 17 times. It is found mainly in Luke, John and Acts, and in the letters of Peter and Paul.

Translations and use of "soter." The translations of the New Testament write "soter" as Rescuer, when the emphasis is on the negative, as saving from death; and Savior when the emphasis is on the positive, as giving life, and in particular with eschatological meaning. (From the word soter comes the word soteriology, which is the study of the salvation effected by Christ.)

Peter uses Savior with divine connotation. In his second letter Peter gives Jesus the name of Savior, associating Him in some way with the Divinity. In 1:2, he says: Our God and Savior Jesus Christ; in 1:11 and 3:18, he says: Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The use of God and Lord in conjunction with Jesus and Savior gives the latter a divine content.

The name Nazarene. The name Nazarene given to Jesus is due to His place of origin, to distinguish Him from other individuals carrying the same name. The disciples of Emmaus talked concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet —in Greek the Nazarene— (Luke 24:19); and the title on the cross, said: Jesus of Nazareth, the King of Jews —in Greek the One Nazarene— (John 19:19). The name Nazarene here is ironic and disrespectful in contrast with the title King. The Nazarenes were people without importance, as Nathaniel said: Can anything good come out of Nazareth? (John 1:46).

Use of the name Nazarene. Only the gospels and Acts use the name Nazarene referring to Jesus (Matthew 2:3). Christians were called Nazarene at the beginning (Acts 24:5), but the name Christians prevailed over that of Nazarene, and is the one which has subsisted.

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Meaning of the name Christ. The name Christ is the English translation of the Greek word Christos, and this in its turn is the translation of the Hebrew word Messiah, which means Anointed. Therefore Christ, Messiah and Anointed have the same meaning.

The anointment in the Old Testament. To anoint is to apply or pour out oil on a person as a sign of investiture, office or consecration. In the Old Testament it was used to anoint the kings, the prophets and the priests. Most of the references to anointment in the Old Testament are to kings; very seldom to the high priests or prophets.

Jesus is called the Anointed. Every time that Jesus is called Christ it is affirming that He is Anointed. And we know that He was anointed by the Holy Spirit, as Peter said at Cornelius' house: That word you know... how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:37, 38); and when the apostles were set free, the Christians raised their voice to God with one accord and said: The rulers were gathered together against His Christ. For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, Whom You anointed (Acts 4:24, 25, 27).

Occurrences of Messiah and Christ. The word Messiah is in the New Testament only twice, in John 1:41 and 4:25; John himself translates it as Christ. The name Christ is 531 times in the New Testament; all the books of the New Testament have it, the third letter of John excepted. Matthew has it 16 times, Mark 7, Luke 12 and John 19 times. Paul uses it 83 times.

Christ or Messiah as title. When the Scriptures talk about Christ or Messiah they refer to the One who would be chosen by God to reestablish the kingdom of David. Christ or Messiah indicated therefore a mission in Israel. Hence Christ is more a title than a name, although the use of Christ by Christians converted the title into name, and they called Jesus by the name Christ from the beginning. Mark means exactly that when he starts his gospel, saying: The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ (Mark 1:1).

Personification of the Christ in Jesus. When the article is added to the title Christ, the Christ, ascribing it to Jesus, it means that the Messiah is not a vague and intangible promise, but a concrete person, Jesus of Nazareth; it is not somebody who must still be expected, but one in particular in Whom all the promises made by God in the Scriptures were accomplished. Jesus of Nazareth is really the Christ, the Messiah.

Jesus Christ is a name of faith. As a matter of fact the name Jesus or Jesus Christ, for Christians, is more than a simple name: it is a profession of faith, it is a name of faith. When the early Church started calling Jesus the Christ, it was making a profession of faith in what the church believed regarding the person of Jesus: the One in Whom the Scriptures regarding the Messiah were accomplished. This was therefore an act of faith in His redemptive action, and so the ignominy of the death on the cross acquired the character of a sacrifice of atonement. That is why Paul said: The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18).

Jesus approved being called Christ. Jesus never said: I am the Christ, I am the Messiah; but He did accept to be called the Christ, and confirmed that He was the Christ on several occasions. He revealed Himself as Messiah to the Samaritan woman (John 4:25, 26), although paradoxically when Peter confessed Him to be the Christ or Messiah by revelation of the Father, He commanded His disciples to tell no one. Peter said to Him: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God... —Jesus answered:— Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah... My Father who is in heaven revealed this to you... Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ (Matthew 16:16, 17, 20).

Concept of the Jews regarding the Messiah. It seems that there was a powerful reason for Jesus to forbid His disciples to say that He was the Christ or Messiah. The title Messiah was charged with political implications in the Jewish mentality; the Jews were expecting a Messiah that would free them from the Romans. They didn't expect a Messiah, spiritual Liberator, but instead a conqueror, a restorer of the kingdom of David. Jesus, aware that His mission was mainly spiritual, didn't want to be involved in that "political" interpretation, and if He had openly acknowledged His Messiah-ship, as spiritual leader, the Jews would have felt defrauded of their expectations.

Did Jesus know that He was the Messiah? Jesus' attitude, as we just said, shows that Jesus did know that He was the Messiah, and that His mission was spiritual. Some critics put this in doubt, but we believe that Jesus not only approved being called the Christ, the Messiah, but He also accepted to be called the Son of David (Mark 10:47), which had the same messianic meaning. When Jesus was asked by the high priest: Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? Jesus answered: I am (Mark 14:61, 62).

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The use of "son of man" in the Scripture. The expression "son of man" is found in Psalms referring to men: What is the son of man that You visit him? (Psalm 8:4). Ezekiel uses it many times speaking about himself. In Daniel this expression acquires a messianic and eschatological dimension when the prophet describes, in a prophetic vision, the coming of the Son of Man in glory (Daniel 7:9-13). It can be understood that in this context the Son of Man is more than a simple man.

Son of man in Jesus' mouth. "Son of Man" was the name most often used by Jesus to refer to Himself; this way, He avoided the use of Messiah which, as we said before, was charged in the Jewish mentality with political content. The phrase occurs 81 times in the gospels, and always as an expression from the lips of Jesus, not as a name given to Him by the evangelists. Matthew, who uses it the most, has it 30 times.

Context of the use of Son of Man. Jesus called Himself the Son of Man in very different contexts; many times bound to actions implicating power, authority, majesty. The Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins, Jesus says in Mark 2:10; The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath, in Mark 2:28; And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, in Mark 14:62. But this power and majesty of the Son of Man contrasts with His poor and humble condition, when He counts Himself among the homeless: The Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head (Matthew 8:20). Jesus used this name also alluding to His passion: He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things (Mark 8:31).

Son of Man as a title. When Son of Man is used with the article, it has the same significance we mentioned in reference to the title of Messiah, that it is personalized in Jesus, meaning that this is the Son of Man about whom Daniel spoke. And, as a matter of fact, what the evangelists say is in accord with Daniel's vision: I was watching —Daniel says,— and behold One like the Son of Man... Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed (Daniel 7:13-14). Matthew writes: They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory (Matthew 24:30).

The Son of Man after resurrection. After the resurrection nobody addressed Jesus calling Him Son of Man, perhaps because they could openly call Him Messiah, and it was not necessary to look for a substitute for His title of Messiah. The only one that we know that called Jesus, Son of Man, was Stephen, as we read in Acts 7:56. But the fact itself that Stephen used it means that this could have been a common title used by Christians to refer to Jesus.

The sound of the words. We shouldn't be carried by the literal meaning of the words, thinking that the expression "Son of Man" refers to the man Jesus, and that the expression "Son of God" refers to the divine Jesus; it is not so. The expression Son of Man could have divine connotation, and Son of God does not have the divine connotation all the time.

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The name "Son of God." The name and title of Son of God referring to Jesus is 80 times in the New Testament, in which Matthew is the one who uses it the most, 15 times, compared with 8 of Mark and 10 of Luke. The name "sons of God," in plural, appears many times in the Old Testament referring to men. Genesis already spoke about the sons of God who came in to the daughters of men (Genesis 6:4). This phrase is found in Job and Psalms in the same meaning, in reference to men. God said to David: I will be his Father, and he shall be My son (2 Samuel 7:14). that is why the expression "son of God" for the Jews of the time of Jesus, didn't have necessarily a divine connotation, as we could suppose it today.

Different content. The expression "son of God" does not have the same meaning and content in all the places it appears in the gospels, because sometimes it could simply be a sign of reverence for somebody who has intimacy with God and, in other times, the natural Son of God, the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ (John 1:14).

The Son invokes God as Father. When the expression Son acquires more divine content is when Jesus calls God His Father, as in His prayer at the garden of Gethsemane, when He said: Abba, Father, take this cup away from me (Mark 14:36); or when He said: I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes (Matthew 11:25; Luke 10:21).

Relationship of the Son with the Father. The name or title of Son has also a divine content when Jesus talks about the special knowledge He has of His Father: No one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son (Matthew 11:27; Luke 10:22); or when He talks about the relationship between Him and the Father, as is stated quite often in the gospel of John. The culminating point are the words of Jesus: I and my Father are one (John 10:30). The name Son acquires also special content when Jesus distinguishes between "His Father" and "our Father" (John 20:17).

The use of Son of God in the gospels. The name or title of Son of God appears, first of all, at the beginning of the gospel of Mark (1:1). All three synoptics mention it at Jesus' baptism and in connection with the effusion of the Spirit (Matthew 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22). This name appears invested with divine and supernatural power over the demons, as we read in the miracle of Gadara which is accounted by the three synoptics (Mark 5:1-20; Matthew 8:28-34; Luke 8:26-39). The Son was also revealed as divine to Peter, James and John in the transfiguration (Mark 9:7; Matthew 17:5; Luke 9:35).

The Son in Peter's confession and in the great commission. The divine character of the Son is found also in Peter's confession, which was by divine revelation (Matthew 16:16, 17). And Matthew concludes his gospel with the great commission: Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19), where the Son is found at the same level of the Father.

Jesus did not call Himself God nor Son of God. It is a fact that Jesus never said that He was God or the Son of God, nor explained how He was God; neither did He explain the relationship of the Son with the Father. Jesus rather left all this established like a fact, and used unmistakable words as we quoted before, to refer to His godship: I and my Father are one (John 10:30). This affirmation was so clear that the Jews took stones to stone Him, because You, being a Man, make Yourself God (John 10:33). Jesus answered to this, making reference to His divine anointment, saying: Whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, do you say, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'? (John 10:36).

Language of the writers of the New Testament. The writers of the New Testament, the evangelists included, never said directly: Jesus is God. But that was not the only way to talk about the godship of Jesus, and in effect they used equivalent words as when they called Him Lord, as we will describe in the next Step.

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The name Lord in the New Testament. Lord is the most frequent translation of the Hebrew word adonay, which is one of the names of God in the Old Testament; and it is the English translation of the word kyrios, used 719 times by the New Testament writers, 104 in the gospels.

Meaning of the title Lord. The title Lord applied to Jesus means that He is equally God. Lord is a title that belongs exclusively to God, and to call Jesus Lord means recognition of His divine status. In many places of the Scripture it is difficult to say if the word Lord is being used in reference to God or to Christ.

The use of Lord in the Gospels. The narratives of the gospels imply that the apostles and disciples, as well as the people, referred to Jesus with the title of Lord. That does not mean however that the people and the disciples had recognized the divinity of Jesus from the beginning, because it was not so. The explanation is rather that when the gospels were written, Christians had "discovered" that Jesus was Lord, believed that Jesus was divine, and used that title to name Jesus. This is particularly clear in the gospel of Luke when he gives this title to Jesus before He was born (Luke 1:43), at His birth (Luke 2:11), and throughout his whole gospel. (Some quotations: 7:6, 13; 10:1, 40; 11:39; 13:15.)

Lord, the proper name of the risen Jesus. Lord is the proper name of the risen Jesus, which does not mean that He was not Lord before His resurrection. Peter, talking on behalf of all the apostles and disciples at his first speech the day of Pentecost, says: This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses... God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:32, 26). And when Peter announces the gospel at Cornelius' house, he says that He is Lord of all (Acts 10:36).

Jesus accepts the title of God and Lord for Himself. When Jesus appeared to the disciples for the second time, Thomas who was present said to Jesus: My Lord and my God (John 20:28). Jesus accepted Thomas' confession, which was also an act of worship, but rebuked his incredulity.

Paul recognizes Jesus as Lord. Paul on his part recognizes Jesus as Lord from the first moment he saw Him, already risen, and responded to His call, saying: Lord, what do You want me to do? (Acts 9:6; 22:10). Jesus is not a common man for Paul any longer, but the Lord, even if he had been thinking of extinguishing His memory. From that encounter on, he offers Him unconditional obedience.

The condition to be saved. When the keeper of the prison at Philippi asked Paul and Silas: What must I do to be saved? Paul answered him: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household (Acts 16:30, 31). This is a beautiful example of how the summary of the Christian faith was to accept Jesus as Lord.

Jesus as Lord in Paul's letters. This is not the proper place to present this aspect of Paul's message; there is another volume of Steps by Steps devoted entirely to Paul and his message (Volume III). But, by way of information, we can remember here what he says to Romans: If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9). From all Paul's letters, the only one that does not mention Jesus as Lord, is the letter to Titus. John, for his part, does not use the title of Lord for Jesus in his three letters.

The name Lord and the Kerigma. As we said before, the kerigma or synthesis of faith for the first Christians summarized in the profession of Jesus as Lord. Lord Jesus or Lord Jesus Christ was the term most expressive of their faith, their reverence, obedience and worship, as we saw from the quotations of this chapter. The creed or summary of faith for Christians was to confess the divine Lordship of Jesus. Everyone who wants to be incorporated into the church must accept this creed.

Final aim of the Lordship of Jesus. We know which will be the final step of the Lordship of Jesus because of the readings in the gospels, when they say that they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory (Matthew 24:30); and, you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power (Mark 14:62). Paul for his part, by divine revelation, says also what the final aim of this Lordship will be. First, He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. Then, When all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under to Him (the Father), that God may be all in all (1 Corinthians 15:25, 28).

The Messiah of the Scripture is also Lord. Biblicists that do not recognize the divine dignity of Jesus, deny also His title of Lord. According to them this title was "created" for Jesus by Christians many years after His death. We think that this contradicts the biblical fact, because Jesus Himself showed the Pharisees that, according to the Scriptures, the Messiah was Lord, invested with divine dignity. Jesus asked the Pharisees: What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He? As they answered: The Son of David; Jesus argued with them, saying: How then does David in the Spirit call Him 'Lord,' saying: The Lord said to my Lord, sit at My right hand? (Matthew 22:42-44; Mark 12:35-37). With this, Jesus allowed the Jews to understand that, according to the Scripture, the Messiah was also Lord.

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Offices and functions of Jesus. To the already explained names and titles of Jesus may be added the offices performed by Jesus; the principal ones are: Prophet, King and Priest.

The announcement of "The Prophet." A distinction should be made between 'the prophets' and 'The Prophet.' There were many prophets in Israel up to John the Baptist. But the Scripture talks about a Prophet in particular, as Moses was, whom God would raise from the people: The Lord said to me: —Moses writes— I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth... He shall speak to them all that I command Him (Deuteronomy 18:17, 18). We read often in the New Testament that the apostles and the people pointed to Jesus as the Prophet announced by Moses (John 1:45; 6:14; Acts 3:22; 7:37).

Jesus exercised the roll of a Prophet. Jesus practiced the office of a prophet from the very moment He started preaching the coming of the Kingdom of God. His roll as a prophet is mainly related, but not exclusively, to His testimony during His ministry, when He invited people to repentance and spoke about God's judgment.

Jesus is recognized as 'The Prophet.' Jesus was recognized and called prophet from the beginning. Philip said to Nathanael: We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote, Jesus of Nazareth (John 1:45); and later He was recognized as The Prophet all through His ministry. After the feeding of the thousands, the crowd said: This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world (John 6:14). And later they identify Him with the Prophet: Truly this is the Prophet (John 7:40). The apostles had many doubts about Jesus, but they never doubted that He was a prophet (Luke 24:19).

Jesus refers to Himself as a prophet. Jesus spoke about Himself as being a prophet, when He said: A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house (Matthew 13:57); and He affirms the same when He says: It cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem (Luke 13:33). Jesus' style of preaching and teaching was that of a prophet, and the parallels He makes of Himself with the prophets and their works show that He was also a prophet.

Jesus foretells the sufferings of His passion. An important fact as prophet in the life of Jesus is the forecast of the sufferings of His passion, His death and His resurrection; and He compares His death with that of the prophets. All three synoptics report that announcement of Jesus (Mark 9:31; Matthew 17:22-23; Luke 9:44).

Jesus and His office of King. The office of Jesus as a King should not be looked for in His mortal life. We know that He was acclaimed as a King at His triumphal entrance in Jerusalem, and that He recognized that He was a King in front of Pilate. It was he, Pilate, who ordered that the title of King be put over the cross, but that was rather a mockery.

The office of King coincides with the title of Lord. The title of Jesus as a King coincides or identifies with His title and dignity of Lord. After Jesus was glorified by the resurrection, He was declared and made Lord and Christ, as we explained in the previous Step.

Jesus is King right now. Jesus, although humble and poor during His mortal life, was King from His birth. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, the angel said to Mary (Luke 1:32). Jesus is, right now, King and Lord of our lives. Paul shows that not just with his writings but he dedicated his life to serve his King and Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus' kingdom is more eschatological than temporal. Jesus refused to be proclaimed King, as we read in the gospel of John (6:15). Before Pilate Jesus said openly that my kingdom is not of this world (John 18:38). Only on His triumphal entrance in Jerusalem Jesus accepted to be called King, in spite of the rebuking of the Pharisees: Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! (Luke 19:38, 39). The kingdom of Jesus is glorious, eschatological, and it won't be seen clearly until His second coming, when He will supplant every kingdom and every power which opposes God. Paul says: He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet (1 Corinthians 15:25). John saw the glory of the King and spoke about it in his book of Revelation (chapters 19 to 22).

Jesus, the High and only Priest of the New Testament. The priestly office of Christ is explained with a luxury of details in the letter to Hebrews, whose central theme is the priesthood of Christ and His sacrifice. Jesus is the only and High Priest of the New Testament, for by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified (Hebrews 10:14; compare 9:11-12). And He did once for all when He offered up Himself (Hebrews 7:27).

There is no room for new sacrifices nor priests. With the sacrifice of Christ there is no room for new sacrifices, because His was sufficient and perfect. Neither is there room for other priests, because they do not have anything to offer or sacrifice; it was Jesus who, with His own blood... obtained eternal redemption (Hebrew 9:12).

Jesus, the only Mediator. As the only priest of the New Testament, Jesus is also Mediator between God and men. Paul affirms categorically that, as there is one God, there is also one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5).

Jesus accomplishes His office of Mediator with His intercession. Jesus lives now in function of His mediation for mankind. Hebrews says that He is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He ever lives to make intercession for them (Hebrews 7:25). Paul says also in Romans that it is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us (Romans 8:34).

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