The Many Names of God –

Names of Jesus – Part 3


John 1:48-49, John 12:13, Mark 15:32, Matthew 27:42, King of Israel
Random Walk in a Gallery of Religious Art, Step 74: Mark 15:1-5, Jesus before Pilate, possibly by Domenico Mastriannai
John 21:7-21, Kurios/Lord
John 20:19-28, My Lord and My God
2 Peter 1:10-11, 2:17-20, 3:17-18, Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

1 Timothy 6:13-16; Revelation 17:14, 19:16, King of Kings, Lord of Lords
Revelation 1:8, Revelation 21:5-6, Revelation 22:12-13, Alpha and Omega
Genesis 49:9-10; Revelation 5:5, Lion of Judah
Isaiah 11:10; Romans 15:12; Revelation 5:5; Revelation 22:16, Root/Scion of Jesse/David

Revelation 19:11-13, Faithful and True
Revelation 22:16, Bright and Morning Star
Isaiah 42:1-7, 49:1-6, 52:13-15, 53:1-12, The servant Messiah

More Names of God

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John 1:48-49, John 12:13, Mark 15:32, Matthew 27:42, King of Israel (3/9/2009)

Friday I said that the wise men and Pilate had recognized Jesus as the King of the Jews. A closely related title is the "King of Israel." Nathaniel seems to be the first to call Jesus by this title, and he does it within a minute or so of meeting Jesus. Jesus is amused at Nathaniel's impulsiveness. The crowds on their way to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday also hailed Jesus as the King of Israel, but they were so fickle that by Thursday they were either interested in something else or in the center of town shouting "Crucify him!" One commentary makes the point that the words of the religious authorities present at the cross acknowledge Jesus as the King of Israel, even though their actions do not.

John 21:7-21, Kurios/Lord (3/10/2009)

Possibly the most poignant event in the Bible is the meeting between Jesus and Peter on the beach after the resurrection. So much is happening here that I want to make a few semi-unrelated points.

1. I've done some things and said some things that I don't want to remember and certainly don't want you to find out about. Poor Peter! Every time he said or did something regrettable, four gospel writers recorded it. Just a few days prior to this meeting, Peter swore that no matter who else deserted Jesus, he would be faithful (Matthew 26:33). That very night, he denied even knowing Jesus. Now Jesus asks him, "Do you still think you love me more than these others do?" Ouch! But are we any more consistent than Peter?

2. Peter denied Jesus three times; now Jesus asks three times if Peter loves him. Peter is grieved, as we all would be at such a reminder. But each time that Peter repents of his earlier statement and asserts his love, Jesus reaffirms their relationship. You mean I can come back?!

3. Probably all of us have heard a sermon or read a commentary that makes a big deal about the difference between the two words for "love" that Jesus and Peter use: (1) Jesus: agape. Peter: philo. (2) Jesus: agape. Peter: philo. (3) Jesus: philo. Peter: philo. Some people – even some serious scholars – maintain that "agape" is Christ-like love and "philo" is friendship. Maybe, but I made a little usage table once for these two words, and honestly, I couldn't see any difference at all. Remember the men who loved darkness rather than light (John 3:19)? The word is "agape." Remember where Jesus says, "The Father loves the Son and shows him everything he does (John 5:20)? The word is "philo." I love chocolate, my family, and God; so did the early Christians. They just had two words for it.

4. Back on January 8th, we learned that the Jews would not say the actual name of God out loud. Instead they said "Adonai," which means "Sir, Master, or Lord." In the Greek Old Testament, "Adonai" is translated as "Kurios," which means exactly the same thing. Many people addressed Jesus during his lifetime as "Kurios," and very often they probably meant "Sir." I think we can be assured that after the resurrection, the disciples mean "Lord."


John 20:19-28, My Lord and My God (3/11/2009)

Thomas gets a lot of flak for being a doubter, but I think we'd do well to have more people like him around. Think of the reduction in successful scams! Think of the reduction in email! He isn't a doubter so much as a person who would like some facts in the face of something that sounds too good to be true. Since I also tend to be interested in facts, I'm really interested in what he decides. When he gets the facts, Thomas is the first person to acknowledge Jesus as "My Lord and my God."


2 Peter 1:10-11, 2:17-20, 3:17-18, Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (3/12/2009)

Probably the most commonly used title for Jesus is "Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." Let's look at each part.

"Lord" is kurios, which as we have seen means sir, master, or Lord in the theological sense, depending on the context. Kurios is the word the rabbis used in the Greek Old Testament to translate adonai, which in turn is the word said aloud when a Jewish reader comes to the name of God. So "Lord" in this phrase is a Godly title, not "sir" or "master."

Savior is just what it sounds like – when you are in deep trouble, you need someone to save you. Save you from what? In this case, sin. "Jesus" is the Greek form of the Hebrew name "Yeshua" or "Joshua," which means "God saves."

Finally "Christos" is "Messiah" is "Anointed One." Sometimes we say "Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" with little regard for the theological depth of this title. At least for this week, let's try to say and think about each word separately.


1 Timothy 6:13-16; Revelation 17:14, 19:16, King of Kings, Lord of Lords(3/13/2009)

Like kurios,"King of Kings" and "Lord of Lords" are titles applied both to God the Father and to Jesus, the Son.


Revelation 1:8 (God the Father is speaking), Revelation 21:5-6 (God the Father is sitting upon the throne), Revelation 22:12-13 (The risen Christ is speaking) Alpha and Omega (3/16/2009)

When we want to express complete confidence in some authority, we say, "He knows his subject from A to Z." Jesus doesn't just know the subject, he is the subject. Most of you have seen a Christian symbol that combines an A with an upside-down-horseshoe-looking-thing. The A is really a capital alpha, the first letter of the Greek alphabet, and the horseshoe is a capital omega, the last letter. Just as we saw last week for King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the title "alpha and omega" is used for both God the Father and for Jesus, the Son. In saying "I am the alpha and the omega," God and the risen Christ are asserting their omnipresent and eternal being.

Just as an aside, most translations that you normally read probably have "Almighty" as the last word in Revelations 1:8. In Greek, this is pantokrator. Panto means "everything," and krator means something like "hold strongly." William Barclay says this word "describes God as the one who has dominion over all things, the one who controls all things, the one who holds all things in his grasp." Sometimes pantokrator is translated "omnipotent," which I suspect is what we usually think when we hear "almighty." God may be all-powerful; however, you can't prove it from pantokrator.


Genesis 49:9-10; Revelation 5:5, Lion of Judah (3/17/2009)

When Jacob was on his deathbed, he talked about each one of his sons. He described their characters and fairly accurately foretold what would become of each tribe. Now, some people have expressed skepticism about this and suggested that the "prophecy" was written well after the death of Jacob, but I don't see any necessity for that. By the time he died, Jacob had grandsons and great-grandsons. No doubt he could already see how the kids were turning out, and from that he could predict what would become of each family in the future. If you've already got three generations of respectable, upright descendants of Judah taking leadership positions in the family, it's a good bet that this will continue.

Apparently the tradition that the lion is the king of beasts is a very old one. Jacob prophesies that Judah's leadership role will continue, and he compares Judah to a lion. Eventually the Jews came to understand that not only kings but the Messiah himself would arise from the tribe of Judah.


Isaiah 11:10; Romans 15:12; Revelation 5:5; Revelation 22:16, Root/Scion of Jesse/David (3/18/2009)

Have you ever searched for your roots? According to some sources, gardening and genealogy are the #1 and #2 hobbies in the United States, so most likely you do have something to do with roots, one way or the other. In English idiom, "roots" give rise to "branches," whether you are dealing with plants or families. "Roots" are older and provide a foundation for newer "branches." This makes perfect sense to me (even though I know for a fact that you can start a plant from a leaf, which then develops roots!), because I speak English, live in the United States, and do a lot of genealogy and a little gardening.

So the idea that Jesus is both the root and the descendant of David and Jesse strikes me as a little odd. I searched around for an explanation, and I found that several reliable sources – John Wesley and The Interpreter's Bible, for example – agree that "root" literally means root, but figuratively means branch. Apparently in Biblical thinking, the root of the family is the whole living, vibrating being of it. We see this most clearly in Isaiah 11:10, where the root stands up like a flag.

In the latter part of Old Testament times, the Jews understood that the Messiah would come not just from the tribe of Judah, as we saw yesterday, but more specifically from the family of Jesse, and in fact from the family of David, Jesse's youngest son. "Root of Jesse" and its variants are a set of Messianic titles applied to Jesus, who in fact was in the hereditary line not just of David, but specifically of the kings who descended from David.


Revelation 19:11-13, Faithful and True (3/19/2009)

I was joking around with a friend about his funeral. He said if there was one word he wanted said at his funeral, it was "faithful." I could say that. I have known him for a long time, and he has been a faithful church member, a faithful Bible student, and a faithful friend. "Faithfulness" is a characteristic that is highly valued not only in the church, but in nearly every society and culture we have ever heard of.

Jesus is faithful and true. "Can we find a friend so faithful, who will all our burdens bear? Precious Savior, still our refuge! Take it to the Lord in prayer."

The white horse doesn't happen to be a symbol of faithfulness, however. For those of you who (like me) have never owned a horse, congratulations! Horses are extremely high maintenance, even more so than indoor cats. They need special diets, regular exercise, and hours of care every day. Only kings and military leaders (and the very wealthy) could afford to ride horses. When Jesus entered Jerusalem, he rode a young donkey. He didn't want to be seen as a military Messiah, but rather as a humble, servant Messiah. After the resurrection, the risen Christ rides out on a horse – King and Conqueror.


Revelation 22:16, Bright and Morning Star (3/20/2009)

Last fall I planted some crocus bulbs near the front door, and now they are in full bloom. The weekend before last I was at Ghost Ranch with friends, and as we came out of the dining hall we saw the glorious evening star. Some things are just so bright and beautiful that we use them as images of the brightest and most beautiful person we know, Jesus Christ. Do you remember this children's song? And just in case you are a practical person who isn't interested in flowers, stars, or children's songs, this title also hearkens back to the Messianic title, "Star out of Jacob" (Numbers 24:17).


Isaiah 42:1-7, 49:1-6, 52:13-15, 53:1-12, The servant Messiah (3/21/2008)

I would like to say that I especially planned today's scripture to be appropriate for Good Friday; however, that would not be true. It is a coincidence. Or is it?

The second important motif in Messianic prophecy is that of the suffering Servant. The idea of the Servant seems to flicker between a single person and the nation of Israel, although today, and in these particular scriptures, the Servant is clearly to be understood as a unique person. The Servant will bring about justice and will ensure that distant lands are filled with the light of God. After suffering and a sacrificial death, the Servant will have a life of joy, knowing that he has brought about the forgiveness of the many people for whom he has prayed.

Jesus made explicit claim to be the Servant not only in the manner of His suffering and death, which we remember today, but also earlier in his ministry. He gave only His fulfillment of the Servant prophecies (see below) in answer to the questions John sent from his prison cell (Matthew 11, Luke 7). In the synagogue in Nazareth, Jesus read from Isaiah 61: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to tell the good news to the poor. He has sent me to announce release to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to set oppressed people free, and to announce the year of the Lord's favor" (Luke 4:16-22). No wonder that the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed upon him! Note that Mark says bluntly that His listeners were amazed and offended (Mark 6), while Luke, as is his custom, puts the best possible face on Jesus' reception.
More Names of God
Names of God - Introduction
Sacred Names
Other Names
Names of Jesus - Part 1
Names of Jesus - Part 2
Names of Jesus - Part 3
Names of the Spirit

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