THE NAME OF JESUS

                                          

According to the Holy Scriptures, the process of divine revelation to mankind reached its climax with the entrance of God Himself into the world (Philippians 2.5-8). This happened two thousand years ago when the Creator became a creature and lived bodily among men. Today, He continues among us through His Spirit who dwells in the minds and hearts of those who have opened to the faith in Him. In this post I want to talk about the name given to God in his incarnation, Jesus, and the titles Messiah and Son of man.

The name "Jesus" is the English translation of the Greek "Ἰησοῦ", which translates the Hebrew word "יְהוֹשֻׁ֣עַ", which translates directly to English is "Joshua" and means "the LORD saves". It was a common name to the time of Jesus, but was chosen to designate the Son of God. This is because God "chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him" (1 Corinthians 1:28,29). And it will be before the majestic person who bears that name that every knee will bow and confess that He is Lord (Philippians 2:10,11)

When Jesus began his public ministry, preaching the message of the Kingdom of God and performing miracles, he soon received the title of "Christ." This title was so associated with Him that it became his surname and was then called Jesus Christ. This word "Christ" is the English translation of the Greek Χριστός (Christos), which in turn translates the Hebrew word מְשִׁיחִֽ, which translates directly into English as "Messiah" and means "Anointed One."

But Jesus rarely accepted this title or referred to Himself as it. This is because, being associated with the kings of Israel, it gained a political and nationalistic connotation in such a way that, at the time of Jesus, a Messiah was expected to liberate Israel from the Roman yoke and transform it into a world power. When He, near the end of His ministry, asked His disciples who they thought He was and Peter, having answered "You are the Christ," that is, the Messiah, He commanded them not to tell anyone (Mark 8:29,30).  

Jesus did not come into the world to establish an earthly kingdom in Israel. His reign was spiritual; He came to establish the Kingdom of God among men. Therefore, He rejected the title of "Messiah" and always referred to Himself as the "Son of man", which appears 81 times in the Gospels. It is a reference to the prophecy of Daniel (7: 13,14) that speaks of a celestial character to whom, in the end times, God entrusted authority, glory and sovereign power to establish an eternal kingdom.

Antônio Maia – M.Div.

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