Names and Titles
The fullest revelation of God was through his son Jesus Christ. God the Son came to earth by taking on human flesh, this is called the incarnation (in flesh.) As he walked among men he revealed God to us. Read Hebrews 1:1-3 to see how it is expressed in God's Word.
The following names and titles are part of that revelation of Jesus Christ.
Elohim: Plural name for God would include all 3 persons. (Gen 1:1)
How is the Trinity seen in Is 48:16?
Lord: The appearance of God the Son in the OT before the incarnation was called a theophany. (Gen 17:3)
The Angel of the Lord: (Exodus 3:2-4)
In each verse identify the person in the burning bush, does the identity ever change names? If so what does this tell us about the identity of the speaker?
Captain of the Lord's host: (Joshua 5:13-15)
How can we tell this was Jesus or just another angel?
Immanuel: Means God with us. (Is 7:14)
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)
Jesus: Is the Greek name for Joshua (Yeshua) which means Jehovah is Salvation. (Luke 1:30-31)
Son of Man (Luke 9:56) Why would Jesus us this term for himself so often?
The Word: Logos, Personal Manifestation of God . (John 1:1)
Son of God: (John 1:34)
Saviour (John 4:42)
Christ: This is the Greek word Christos, for the Hebrew term Messiah, the anointed of God. (John 4:42)
Alpha and Omega: First and last letter of Greek alphabet, it means the first and last. (Revelation 1:8)
Is Jesus God?
Some who will believe that there was a man named Jesus who lived two centuries ago, will not believe that He was anything more than just a man or prophet. Since our eternal destiny rests upon Him it is imperative that we know Jesus was God, for no mere mortal can gain eternal life for himself much less all those who believe in him.
He is called God. John 1:1, Romans 9:5, Hebrews 1:8, Titus 2:13, John 20:28
He claims Deity. John 8:58, 10:30-33, Mark 2:7-12.
Equated with God by scripture. Philippians 1:2; 2:5-6; Matthew 28:19-20, Paul's Greetings.
He is worshipped as God: Matt 2:11,14:33,28:9; John 20:28,
Heb 1:6.
C. S. Lewis’ Trilemma
I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. ... Now it seems to me obvious that He was neither a lunatic nor a fiend: and consequently, however strange or terrifying or unlikely it may seem, I have to accept the view that He was and is God. – Mere Christianity
Napoleon on Christ Divinity
Editor’s Note: Napoleon expressed the following thoughts
while he was exiled on the rock of St. Helena. There, the conqueror of
civilized Europe had time to reflect on the measure of his accomplishments. He
called General Bertrand (Count Montholon) to his side and asked him, “Can you
tell me who Jesus Christ was?” The General declined to respond. Napoleon said:
The Divinity of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, By Henry Parry Liddon
Well, then, I will tell you. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I myself have founded great empires; but upon what did these creations of our genius depend? Upon force. Jesus alone founded His empire upon love, and to this very day millions would die for Him I think I understand something of human nature; and I tell you, all these were men, and I am a man: none else is like Him; Jesus Christ was more than man. ... Christ alone has succeeded in so raising the mind of man towards the Unseen, that it becomes insensible to the barriers of time and space. Across a chasm of eighteen hundred years, Jesus Christ makes a demand which is beyond all others difficult to satisfy; He asks for that which a philosopher may often seek in vain at the hands of his friends, or a father of his children, or a bride of her spouse, or a man of his brother. He asks for the human heart; He will have it entirely to Himself. He demands it unconditionally; and forthwith His demand is granted. Wonderful in defiance of time and space, the soul of man, with all its powers and faculties, becomes an annexation to the empire of Christ. All who sincerely believe in Him, experience that remarkable supernatural love towards Him. This phenomenon is unaccountable; it is altogether beyond the scope of man’s creative powers. Time, the great destroyer, is powerless to extinguish this sacred flame; time can neither exhaust its strength nor put a limit to its range. This is it which strikes me most I have often thought of it. This it is which proves to me quite convincingly the Divinity of Jesus Christ”
Is Jesus man?
Equally
important is our belief that Jesus was fully man. He was not an hybrid nor was He half god and
half man. He was fully God and fully
man. As man he was in all points tempted
like we are yet as God never failing in the temptation. Only as a perfect sinless man could he pay
the price for all our sin.
He had a human birth: Gal 4:4, Matt 1:18-2:12.
He had a human development: Luke 2:40, 52.
He had a physical body: Heb 10:5,10; Matt 26:38.
He had sinless infirmities
Weary : (John 4:6)
Hungry: (Matthew 4:2)
Thirsty: (John 19:28)
He is called man. John 8:40, 1:30; Acts 2:22; 1 Timothy 2:5.
Conclusion
All these titles are merely words unless we know Jesus personally. We need Him, not just the facts of his life. Have I experienced Jesus as Saviour? Have I submitted to Him as Lord? Have I shared my sorrows with Him as counselor? Have I followed Him in battle as Captain of the Lord's host? With each shared experience Jesus becomes not just a collection of names or facts but a real person, a friend who walks and talks with me though every step of my life.
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