The Names and Titles of Jesus

John 7:40 “When they heard these words, some in the crowd said, ‘This is really the prophet.’ Others said, ‘This is the Messiah.’ But some asked, ‘Surely the Messiah does not come from Galilee, does he? Has not the scripture said that the Messiah is descended from David and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?’ So there was a division in the crowd because of him. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.”

Prophet- the next three titles are often spoken within the same descriptive phrase and specifically speak of Christ’s work among us, Prophet, Priest and King. Today’s title, prophet, was already well known to the children of Israel, although there was a 500 year gap between the recorded prophecy of Malachi and the controversial forth telling of John the Baptism. Prophet means, a person regarded as an inspired teacher or proclaimer of the will of God. 

Who are the prophets of today? Pope Francis teaches that we must listen to the poor and the marginalised because they have a special insight into the reality of the world and of God.

It has been said that there are two ways of approaching Jesus: some hear him, see how he lives, and love and enjoy him. Others go back to their books and argue about his pedigree. The problem with a prophet is, some listen, others oppose and argue whilst still others ignore the message all together. So it is, with listening to the Prophetic word of Christ today.

Prayer can allow us be surprised by the prophetic Jesus – or to be questioned by him. We can end our prayer with the question, ‘Who is this Man, and what have I learned about him today?’ He gives no easy answers but walks with us while we ask the questions.

So prophet means  public"spokesman," not "fortune-teller." The one whom in their unfathomable audacity the prophets claimed to speak for was the Lord and Creator of the universe. Mind you, there is no evidence to suggest that anyone ever asked a prophet home for supper more than once. The truth spoken by the profit requires a lasting response with those who have ears to hear.

1 COME, O thou Prophet of the Lord,

Thou great Interpreter divine,

Explain thine own transmitted word,

To teach and to inspire is thine;

Thou only canst thyself reveal,

Open the book, and loose the seal.

2 Whate'er the ancient prophets spoke

Concerning thee, O Christ, make known;

Chief subject of the sacred book,

Thou fillest all, and thou alone;

Yet there our Lord we cannot see,

Unless thy Spirit lend the key.

3 Now, Jesus, now the veil remove,

The folly of our darkened heart;

Unfold the wonders of thy love,

The knowledge of thyself impart;

Our ear, our inmost soul, we bow,

Speak, Lord, thy servants hearken now. 

Charles Wesley

The Names and Titles of Jesus

Cornerstone

Isaiah 28:16 : "Therefore, thus says the Lord God, Behold I am laying in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation; he who believes will not be in haste." 

The stone at the top of the arch holds the arch together. Without its strength and correct positioning, the arch would fall. Like the cornerstone, the keystone is an image of Jesus. The one rejected by many has become the centre of our faith and our lives. People's rejection of Jesus only strengthens his relationship with his father, who makes him the keystone and the centre of gospel-faith. He knows our weakness and the pain of rejection; is this what makes us want to be close to him and to follow him closely?

The cornerstone also holds together two walls, so Christ joins together Christians, into one body dedicated to God.  A cornerstone also contributes to sustain the edifice, binding the rest of the structure into a building that can stand against all threats to destroy it.

There is a famous story from Sparta. A Spartan king boasted to a visiting monarch about the walls of Sparta. The visiting monarch looked around and could see no walls. He said to the Spartan king, "Where are these walls about which you boast so much?" His host pointed at his bodyguard of magnificent troops. "These," he said, "are the walls of Sparta, every man a brick."

In order for the Church to remain a stronghold of faith, and by that I don’t mean bricks and mortar but the flesh and blood of those who rely upon and follow Jesus Christ,  is that we should remain firmly aligned to Him, the Cornerstone

1 Behold the sure Foundation-stone

Which God in Zion lays

To build our heav’nly hopes upon

And His eternal praise

2 Chosen of God, to sinners dear,

And saints adore the name;

They trust their whole salvation here,

Nor shall they suffer shame.

3 The foolish builders, scribe and priest,

Reject it with disdain;

Yet on this Rock the Church shall rest,

And envy rage in vain.

4 What though the gates of hell withstood,

Yet must this building rise.

’Tis Thy own work, Almighty God,

And wondrous in our eyes.

Charles Wesley 

The Names and Titles of Jesus

Bridegroom (illustration - Icon - Christ the Bridegroom)

John 3:29 

The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.

There are a number of wedding scenarios found in the New Testament, starting with the first miracle at the wedding in Canaan, through the parable of the wedding feast, the 5 wise and 5 foolish single women right through to Revelations where it speaks of the marriage of the lamb.

The Bride of Christ is a prominent symbol and metaphor used in Scripture to describe God’s relationship with his beloved bride, the church. Portrayed as the bridegroom in this relationship, God reveals Himself to be faithful, loving, and committed to a covenant union with his church, comprised of all who believe in Jesus Christ and have accepted His atoning grace and gift of salvation.

In the parable of 5 wise and 5 foolish bridesmaids, Jesus gives us a picture of Jewish wedding customs in his time. The groom would take the bride from her father’s house to his own, but only when all negotiations had been completed: hence the delay in this case. A servant would alert the groom’s household that the couple were on their way. The foolish bridesmaids had to go off to find a late-night dealer in oil, so they were too late to welcome the couple.

From a biblical perspective, salvation is ultimately about union with God. The God of Israel is not a distant deity or an impersonal power, but the Bridegroom who wants his bride to "know" him intimately, in a spiritual marriage that is not only faithful and fruitful, but "ever-lasting”. Once More Charles Wesley frames this parable in part of a hymn.

Ye virgin souls, arise,

With all the dead awake

Unto salvation wise,

Oil in your vessels take;

Upstarting at the midnight cry,

"Behold the heavenly Bridegroom nigh!"

Then let us wait to hear

The trumpet's welcome sound;

To see our Lord appear,

Watching let us be found;

When Jesus doth the heavens bow,

Be found - as, Lord, Thou find'st us now!

Charles Wesley

The Names and Titles of Jesus

Alpha and Omega

“Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city.”Revelation 22:12-14

I recall preparing to move to London to attend College in the early 70s and purchasing an A to Z atlas, often described as the essential navigation guide to the Capital. Of course, as the title suggests, it not only includes Abbey Mews (SW4) and Zest Dolphin Square Hotel, (SW1) but also the 70,000 other addresses across the 9197 miles of London’s Roads.

The bible uses the the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet to describe Jesus by saying that he is the Alpha and Omega and qualifies this by adding the he is the beginning and the end. There is a danger when using this title to consider Jesus as only involved in the beginning and end times. However, note how the verse qualifies this title by not only adding the beginning and the end, but the first and the last. First, meaning the foremost (in time, place, order or importance) and last indicating final.

Jesus Christ is, as Paul in the letter to the Colossians and John in his gospel tell us, the source of all that is, the Alpha and the Omega; the entire 26 letters of the alphabet. Through him, the creating Word of God, all things were created. He is the foremost and final Word on all things.

Yes, he is the Omega, the final goal for all creation, but he is also the A to Z of all life. Every experience, every dream, every achievement is part of his gracious span. As Augustine put it, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts will never rest until they rest in you,” This is another way of saying that Jesus Christ is our King. He alone gives meaning to our existence, to our lives.

Fred Buechner gives us a rich picture when he writes, “that John begins His Gospel by identifying Jesus as the Word. ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,’ and that the Alpha and Omega is also referring to Jesus identity as The Word. So, Jesus is the first word and the last word and that the first word and the last word of Revelation is really one word. And that word is “Grace”. 

There is a verse in Charles Wesley’s hymn, ‘Love Divine, all loves excelling’, that is often omitted from our hymn books that says.

Breathe, O breathe thy loving Spirit

into ev'ry troubled breast;

let us all in thee inherit,

let us find the promised rest:

take away the love of sinning;

Alpha and Omega be;

End of faith, as its Beginning,

set our hearts at liberty.

Titles and Names of Jesus

Rabboni, Rabbi, Master. 

Do you have a favourite title for Jesus. I think near the top of my list is Master. Perhaps this may have something to do with that on leaving school I started an apprenticeship and after initial schooling in the training centre was assigned to a Master Craftsman who took me under his wing as I followed his lead and refined my skills.

The actual word translated Master in some versions of the scripture comes from the Hebrew word Rabbi - teacher. Rabbi, (Hebrew: “my teacher” or “my master”). In Judaism, a person qualified by academic studies of the Hebrew Bible and the Talmud to act as spiritual leader and religious teacher of a Jewish community or congregation.

In John 20:16 we find Mary at the tomb and at the moment of recognising the Risen Jesus, says, “Raboni!” Whilst this title has a similar meaning to Rabbi - teacher, some interpret Rabboni  as meaning honoured or dear teacher. Other scholars also say that God is spoken of as Rabboni; does this indicate that Mary’s entreaty at the tomb, Rabboni is a confession that sees in her dear Rabbi God incarnate.

Of the 90 times Jesus was addressed directly in the gospels, 60 times he was called Teacher. This was the word the multitudes used. This was how the disciples referred to him. Jesus himself used the term when he said, “You call me Teacher and Lord, and rightly so, for that is what I am” (John 13:13). When Nicodemus came to Jesus by night, he said, “We know that you are a teacher who has come from God” (John 3:2).

If Jesus was the supreme teacher, what of his pupils? Consider his final words, his last instructions, his ultimate command as given to us in the King James Version: “Go ye into all the world and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19 KJV). His final command was a teaching command.

You servants of God, your Master proclaim, 

and publish abroad his wonderful name; 

the name all-victorious of Jesus extol; 

his kingdom is glorious and rules over all. 

God rules in the height, almighty to save;

though hid from our sight, his presence we have; 

the great congregation his triumph shall sing, 

ascribing salvation to Jesus our King. 

‘Salvation to God, who sits on the throne’

let all cry aloud, and honour the Son; 

the praises of Jesus the angels proclaim, 

fall down on their faces and worship the Lamb. 

Then let us adore and give him his right:

all glory and power, all wisdom and might, 

all honour and blessing with angels above 

and thanks never ceasing for infinite love. 

Charles Wesley

Name and Titles of Jesus

 

Lamb of God

To get a real understanding of the title Lamb of God we need to return to the time of the Passover and the escape of the Chosen People from the clutches of the Egyptians. We recall how the Israelites were instructed to sacrifice a lamb in a particular way. In the story of the Passover, the Angel of Death spared only those houses that were marked with the blood of a slain lamb, the Paschal Lamb. 

Later the Prophet Isaiah paints a picture of the coming Messiah as one who was led like a lamb to the slaughter, an innocent victim who would endure his sufferings to redeem his people.

Later still in the gospels we find John the Baptist proclaiming at the river Jordan, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.' I myself did not know him; but I came baptising with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel." John 1:29

So for us, there is now a new symbol of liberation, a new Lamb. Jesus is both the offerer of the sacrifice and its victim who by his death and resurrection inaugurate a New Covenant between God and his people. It is perhaps significant that in all the gospel accounts of the Last Supper there is no mention of a lamb being eaten during the Passover meal in the Upper Room. Is it because there was, of course, a new Lamb, who told his companions to take and eat, take and drink the bread and wine “handed over for you”. And it is through the blood of this Lamb that we find salvation and liberation.

Charles Wesley makes a number of references to the Lamb of God in his hymns. Here are just a three that we can prayerfully read today.

Lamb of God, I look to Thee:

Thou shalt my example be;

Thou art gentle, meek, and mild;

thou wast once a little child.

Lamb of God, whose bleeding love

We now recall to mind,

Send the answer from above,

And let us mercy find.

Think on us who think on Thee,

Every burdened soul release;

O remember Calvary,

And bid us go in peace.

In the final verse of his hymn, Jesus! “The Name High Over All”: he sings,

Happy, if with my latest breath

I may but gasp His Name,

Preach Him to all and cry in death,

"Behold, behold the Lamb!"

Link to St Nicholas Methodist Church Online Sunday Service for 11.10.2020

 John 1:1-4 - “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”

As we often find on reading the gospel in english, there is no word that corresponds completely with the original Hebrew or Greek and so it is with the introduction to John’s gospel where we read - in the beginning was the Word. 

The term Word (logos in Greek) was familiar to the Jews and in their writings long before a Greek philosopher named Heraclitus used the term Logos around 600 B.C. to designate the divine reason or plan which coordinates a changing universe. So when John says in beginning was the Word, he is describing the divine reason implicit in the cosmos, ordering it and giving it form and meaning.

So John's Gospel opens with a Prologue, a hymn that sums up John's view of who Jesus was. John asserts, in opposition to the synagogue leaders, that Jesus was a divine being. In trying to explain what he meant, he drew on ideas from the Old Testament that spoke of God's Word, or God's Wisdom, present to God before the world was created. God's Wisdom was 'the fashioner of all things.' (Wisdom 7:22) From John's point of view, Jesus was God's Word spoken to the people of Israel.

The word “Word” can be a little confusing. What does it mean? There are two pretty huge points that John is getting at here. First, when we look at the Genesis account we see a repeated phrase: “God said.” God spoke creation. Psalm 33:6 explicitly makes this clear: “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.” John’s gospel takes these seemingly minor details and injects them with meaning. The “word” that made the heavens is a person, and that person came to earth and took on flesh as Jesus. But the greek term for word, l​ogos, ​is also full with meaning—so much so that N. T. Wright says its full meaning is incomprehensible. In Greek and Jewish theology, this term was used for the principle that brings order and life to the universe. It’s that which holds all things together. John says that principle, that thing which others have tried to vaguely point to, is a person Jesus who came to earth.

The Word, the uncreated Son,

When finite things began to be,

Existing, God with God alone,

Thou wast from all eternity!

There, in Thy Father’s bosom laid,

Ineffably begot by Him,

Thou wast, before the worlds were made,

God independent and supreme.

All-wise, all-good, almighty Lord,

God over all Thou always art,

Jehovah’s everlasting Word,

Spoken into Thy creature’s heart;

With God essentially the same,

Distinct in personality,

Thou art the absolute I AM,

And all things made were made by Thee.

Charles Wesley