Jesus. He goes by many titles. Each one means something significant that will help us follow him more closely. We call him:
Lord – he is in charge (Matt 8:2)
Christ/Messiah – This means anointed one (Implies he is King – John 1:17)
Savior – He is the liberator from all that oppresses us including but not limited to sin (Luke 2:11)
Son of God – He is God’s very special and only Son and divine, fully God (Matt 14:33)
Son of Man – He was not only fully God but also fully human (Matt 9:6)
Logos – the Word made flesh (John 1:1,14)
Son of Abraham – a genetic and faith son of Abraham, making him Jewish and eligible to be the coming Messiah who would bless all the nations (Matt 1:1)
Son of David – The one who would sit on David’s throne forever (Matt 1:1, 2 Samuel 7)
Lamb of God – the pure, spotless one whose blood releases us from judgment and death (John 1:29)
He is the 7 “I am’s” – living water; bread of life; light of the world; door for the sheep; true vine; way, truth and life; and the good shepherd
He is the firstborn from among the dead – His resurrection from the dead, his body coming back to life again in a new creation body, gives us hope that he will do the same for us (Col 1:18)
Rabbi – Teacher (Mark 9:5)
Jesus was thoroughly Jewish. He wasn’t blonde haired and blue eyed. As an observant Jew he had fringes on his clothes (Numbers 15:38 – the tzitzit). He had sidelocks (payot) on his beard in accordance with Lev 19:27. He had all the identifying markers of Judaism because he never violated a single commandment (including phylacteries – the tefillin.
Why is this important? Because to be Messiah (the annointed one) he must be a descendent of Abraham, making him Jewish. To sit on the throne he must be a descendant of David (2 Sam 7).
Jesus is our example. He is the faithful covenant keeper. He is so hospitable that he invites us on the greatest journey one could ever participate in – to be his disciple.
Come follow along as we study his teachings next.
