Jesus is the most special and unique name in the entire universe. Nobody has ever lucky enough to earn this name except Jesus himself as God has bestowed him the precious and unique name “which is above every name” (Philippians, 2:9, Bible, 2009). However, Jesus has many other names in the Bible and New Testament that are rich in context and meaning and communicate a particular and unique aspect of Jesus’ personality to the world. In the Bible alone, there are approximately more than 15 different names for Jesus used in reference to his particular aspects of what he is to us. This essay explores 5 different names and titles of Jesus, the meaning of each title, the place in the New Testament where these titles are found, an explanation of Jesus’ character in these titles, and their attractiveness towards the audience.
Jesus
The name and title Jesus is used throughout the New Testament and is most likely the most well-known of all the names. The meaning of the title “Jesus” is “Messiah.” This name was used by Jesus’ disciples and followers including Peter (Mark 8:9) and Paul (1 Corinthians 12:3). The New Testament quotes that an angel appeared to Joseph and instructed him in the dream “And she will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21, Bible, 2009). Thus, he is the only one for the world who works out on God’s plan to bring the good news of salvation to His people.
Christ
The name “Christ” means “anointed one.” The word “Christ” added to the name “Jesus” is not the name but the title given to him by Simon Peter in Matthew 16:16. The context is that this name was used by Jesus’ followers after his death and resurrection to identify him as the long-awaited Jewish Messiah and the savior of humanity “Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ” (Matthew 16:20, Bible, 2009). In today’s World full of sins, destruction, and turmoil, Christ is the one who heals our broken hearts, opens our eyes, and proclaims liberty to us from our sins.
Lamb of God
“Lamb of God” is one of the sweetest names used to identify Jesus for all those who believe that Jesus was and is the spotless precious lamb of the Lord God. In John 1:29, the New Testament, John the Baptist saw “Jesus coming to him and said, Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” while John was baptizing people in Bethany (John 1:29, Bible, 2009). To us, this name signifies that someone’s blood needed to be shed in the World to save people from sins and destruction and this one person is Jesus, the innocent Lamb of God. He sacrificed his life to redeem our lives so we can do nothing in return but love him for saving our life.
Emmanuel
The New Testament uses another name in Matthew 1:23 to identify Jesus “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel” (Matthew 1:23, Bible, 2009). The word Emmanuel is translated as “God with us” to particularly signifies that God dwells among us which is a tremendous thing to be felt. In the resurrection, Jesus become the life-giving spirit and became an approachable God in the guise of a man to live with his people. So, when we try to regenerate ourselves, we receive Jesus into our deepest part so we can experience the presence of God with us always.
Son of God
The meaning of being “Son of God” is one who has the characteristics of a god-like being. This reflects that he is the second person of the Trinity as Jesus was born to a virgin “Mary” and was a son of God. Jesus is identified as the “Son of God” throughout the New Testament as in Matthew 14:33, his divinity was praised by those who were in the boat when he walked on water “And those in the boat worshipped him, saying, ‘Truly, you are the Son of God’” (Matthew 14:33, Bible, 2009)
When it comes to personal development, I have always found two of Jesus’ names and titles impactful and helpful to me. As a Christian believer, one of the names or titles that has had the most impact on me is Jesus Christ. Christ is both my personal savior and the reason for my faith. I believe that through him, I can gain forgiveness for my sins and be welcomed into the Kingdom of Heaven. Moreover, Jesus Christ’s example is one of great sacrifice and love for me that gives me the strength that I can be saved for eternity. The second name of Jesus that has become important to me is the name “Lord.” As a follower of Christ, I strive to live my life in a way that pleases him. I believe it is important to do unto others and I do this by treating all people with respect and kindness. Through this attitude, I hope to bring glory to Jesus Christ and the Lord God.
Factors Contributed to the Expansion of the Early Christian Church and Movement
The early Christian church and movement experienced a rapid expansion due to many factors including personal, religious, and political. This section explores these factors and discusses how these factors contributed to the early expansion of the Christian church and the movement of Christianity. To understand the factors that contributed to the spread of Christianity, it is important to consider the characteristics of the early church and movement as well as the social and political context of the Roman empire. The Christian churches and movements of the early period emerged from within society and responded to the needs of their audience. These churches were influenced by the philosophies of their time, and as a result of these influences, they developed different practices and doctrines. However, despite differences based on the influences, the churches shared a common goal of spreading the message of Jesus Christ throughout the Roman Empire. Furthermore, the factors that lead to the expansion of the early Christian church and movement were the conversion of Constantine and the spread of Christianity.
One of the factors that majorly contributed to the expansion was the Roman Empire’s acceptance of Christianity as a legitimate religion as the Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity who was the first Roman emperor to do so. The church’s expansion was also due to the favorable political climate, the spread of Christianity through missionary work, and the religious tolerance that help Christianity become more acceptable to the people because it allowed for a more egalitarian (fairer) society. Moreover, the factor that helped Christianity spread throughout the Roman World was its radical teachings. It was a very different religion from the others that were present in the Roman World as its teachings differed from the religious practices of the time in that it preached salvation through faith in one God, rather than through observance and rites (Dreyer, 2012). This belief was attractive to the Romans as they had little faith in their own gods as the belief in one God encouraged them to cast away their doubts and to become spiritual rather than materialistic.
Importance of Johannine’s Literature for a Student of the New Testament
Johannine literature is an important part of any student’s education in the New Testament. First, Johannine literature is unique in that it is the only New Testament book written by the member of Jesus as the content of Johannine literature is the gospels of the book Revelation, John 1, John 2, and John 3 that offer a unique perspective on Jesus and his teachings. Through his writing, John brings the followers of Jesus Christ an apostle’s own perspective of Jesus’ teachings and mission in the World. Besides, John provides a New Testament student with a valuable historical record of the early church and its beliefs. This gives us a first-hand account of how the early Christian church understood the gospel and what they believed about it. Johannine’s literature provides a unique insight into how Jesus was viewed by the early Christian community and how early Christians understood his message to them and the world.
The writings of John are an important source of information for a New Testament student to understand how the early church responded to the teachings of Jesus and develop the World’s understanding of Christian theology. They provide important information about the historical setting within which Jesus lived and the social context in which he carried out his ministry including his call to love one another, his emphasis on faith and prayer, and his words about the Kingdom of God (Painter, 2010). The information also quotes dramatic accounts of Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection. These insights are essential if Christians are to fully understand the gospel message and how it developed over time and across the centuries into the form we have today. Therefore, Johannine’s literature is essential for any student of the New Testament to understand Jesus’ message and purpose.
References
Bible, E. S. V. (2009). The English standard version Bible: Containing the old and new testaments with apocrypha. Oxford University Press.
Dreyer, W. A. (2012). The amazing growth of the early church. HTS Theological Studies, 68(1), 1–7.
Painter, J. (2010). Johannine Literature: The Gospel and Letters of John. The Blackwell Companion to the New Testament, 344–372.
