Names of God the Son: Lamb of God

"The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 'Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world'" (John 1:29)!

The language John chose to use here is powerful. He speaks of Jesus as the Lamb of God. The term Lamb must be understood in the context of the sacrificial system. It is hard to say how John's hearers would have understood what he meant.

The image is closely related to the Passover. In Exodus 12:1-7, the Israelites were instructed to sacrifice a lamb and smear its blood upon their door posts. When the angel of death passed through Egypt, he would spare those whose houses were so marked. Paul links Jesus to the passover lamb in 1 Corinthians 5:7.

The term Lamb was a term of substitution. The Lamb was offered in the place of the guilty. It was also a term of sacrifice. The lamb's blood was shed; it's life was ended. Lamb came to be a term of sovereignty. In Revelation 5:5-6, John sees a heavenly vision of Jesus in which he is referred to as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, but John sees a Lamb. Throughout the remainder of Revelation, the Lamb is seen as Sovereign.

John the Baptist didn't just call Jesus, Lamb. He called him the Lamb of God. The expression "of God" means that Jesus was God's. He belonged to him, and was being offered by God on behalf of the world. Isaiah makes this clearer in Isaiah 52:13-53:12.

John the Baptist also informed his hearers that Jesus was the Lamb that "takes away the sin of the world." What does it mean that Jesus "takes away sin"? It means that he removes the penalty of sin by exchanging his life for the lives of those who will come to him in faith. It means that he has power over sin and death, so that those who believe in him will live, even if they die.

The expression, Lamb of God, is a beautiful one, but it is also a bloody one. As Peter said, "For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver and gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect" (1 Pet. 1:18-19).

Names of God the Son: Son of Man

Of all the names (or titles) Jesus bears, I find the Son of Man the most mysterious. The expression is used primarily by Jesus in the New Testament. It occurs 86 times in New Testament, but only four of those occur outside of the Gospels. It also occurs 100 times in the Old Testament, but 93 of those occurrences are in Ezekiel. I recognize that there is a correlation between some of the Old Testament uses for "Son of Man," and Jesus' usage. However, I keep wondering why a name used so frequently by Jesus wasn't used more often outside of the Gospels.

George W. Knight in his book, The Names of God, lists three ways in which Jesus used the expression during his earthly ministry. First, he used it as a replacement for the pronoun "I." Second, he used it when he spoke of his suffering and death. Third, he used it to convey authority.

In Luke 9:58, Jesus states, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." Here we see Jesus using the expression "Son of Man" instead of saying "I."

Luke 9:22 is a passage where Jesus addresses his suffering and death. He states, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life." Luke 9:18-22, sets the context. Peter has just confessed the Jesus is the Christ. Jesus warns them to be silent. It appears he uses the expression "Son of Man," so he could speak about his mission as the Christ without having to unpack cultural baggage.

Mark 2:28 is an example of where Jesus used "Son of Man" as a way to convey his authority. He stated, "So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

As Knight demonstrates, it is easy to demonstrate how Jesus used the title "Son of Man." But why he used it is harder to explain. There are several theories:

1. Some think he was trying to identify with humanity.

2. Some think he could have used it to express humility. The quote of Psalm 8:4 in Hebrews 2:6 makes this a possibility, but doesn't necessarily imply that he used it this way.

3. Some think it refers to Daniel 7:13-14. Where one "like a son of man" is given dominion and power over the whole world. Jesus' own words makes this connection clear. Matthew 26:64 states, "'Yes, it is as you say,' Jesus replied, ' But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.'" The expression "Son of Man . . . coming on the clouds of heaven" parallels Daniel 7:13.

4. It may have been a way for Jesus to express the reality that although he was more than just a man, he was not less than fully human. He is fully God, and fully man.

Thinking about Jesus the Son of Man helps us to think in terms of our shared nature. He was tempted in all the ways we are, yet without sin. Therefore, he is able to sympathize with us. It makes us able to think about humility, in terms of what it truly is and how it is best displayed. Jesus as the Son of Man reminds us that he has an everlasting dominion that cannot end nor can it be taken away, and that is certainly something worthy of thinking about.

Names of the Son of God: King of kings and Lord of Lords

Revelation 19:11-16 paints a terrifying, yet encouraging picture of Jesus. We see Jesus as the conquering king in his return. He sits upon his white horse ready to bring just judgment. It this passage, John gives us several names for Jesus, but I just want to focus on the terms King of kings and Lord of lords.

If someone is the King of kings, it means that they are king over a vast domain. The King of kings means that He has leadership over other kings. It demonstrates Christ complete sovereignty over all. I think it also point to our roles as co-heirs with Christ, and the promise that believers will reign with Christ in his kingdom.

As Lord of lords, he is absolutely in control. He is in charge. He is the master above every master. It is to Christ that our first allegiance belongs.

When we worship Jesus as the King of kings and Lord of lords, we worship him as he is. We worship him in his sovereignty.

Names of God the Son: Advocate

"My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:1-2, NIV).

In this passage, John tells his "children" to put off sin. He states he is writing them so that they "will not sin." This expression sets the tone for all that follows. He wants them to understand that the norm is to actively avoid sin. But what about the anxiety that arises in the heart of a believer once they stumble into sin again (and again). John offers the cure.

He tells believers they have someone in their corner. Several translations use the term advocate in this verse. The NIV helps us to understand this particular term by saying "we have one who speaks to the Father on our behalf." Our Advocate speaks on our behalf.

Jesus speaks to the Father on our behalf. He brings us to the Father through his blood. His blood has put aside God's anger with our sins, and leaves us cleansed in the sight of God. Jesus stands before the Father, forever interceding for us.

We must keep in mind that Jesus is not the gentle Son speaking to a belligerent Father. No, it was the Father's will to save the world through the Son. The Son is the willing sacrifice, to a Father willing to honor his Son's gift. He loves us with an everlasting love.

When we fail in our struggle with sin, we have One who pleads on our behalf. He picks us up, cleans us off, and puts us back to work-all with the Father's blessing. So the next time you lose the battle against sin, remember that you have an advocate.

Names of the Son of God: Immanuel

"All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 'The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel'--which means, 'God with us'" (Matt. 1:22-23, NIV).

What does it mean to be "with" someone? Even today we use the term with to express different things. There is a sense in which it express to be in the presence of it. It also means that to show support. Matthew wanted his readers to know that Jesus was "God with us."

To get a better picture of what God meant by saying the virgin's child would be called Immanuel, we have to understand the context from which the promise originated. Isaiah's prophecy comes out of the greater redemption story that is woven into the fabric of the Bible.

The hope of God with us started with broken fellowship. Adam and Eve were created to be image bearers for the glory of God. Adam's disobedience brought judgment and separation, and now all have sinned and fall short of God's glory. We don't bear the glory of God in the manner in which we were intended. In the fall, God is against us. We are by nature objects of wrath. Were it not for the grace of God, we wouldn't be able to approach him. In Christ, God is with us, for us.

What does it mean for us today? Paul says, "To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col. 1:27). How is it that Christ is in us? John sheds some light on it. He states, "Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us" (1 John 3:24). Again he said, "We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit" (1 John 4:13). Christ is with us by the presence of the Spirit.

Jesus as Immanuel also means we have a future hope. The broken fellowship between man and God has been restored in Christ. John paints a beautiful picture:

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every teat from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for old order of things has passed away" (Rev. 21:3-4).

 There is coming a day when Immanuel, God with us, will be with us face to face. We will know as we are known. That is a glorious truth.

Names of God the Son: Messiah

"The woman said to Him, "I know the Messiah is coming" (who is called the Christ). "When He comes, He will explain everything to us." "I am He," Jesus told her, "the One speaking to you" (John 4:25-26, HCSB).

When we refer to Jesus as Jesus Christ, we are not saying that Jesus' last name is "Christ." Christ, or Messiah, is a title. It means that Jesus is God's Anointed One. Jesus didn't often speak of being the Messiah. It probably had to do with the Jewish expectations of a conquering king. Jesus' kingdom was bigger and more complicated than that.

Jesus is God's Anointed. But what does that mean? There were three types of people anointed in the Old Testament. The priest was to be anointed with oil (see Ex. 29:21 and Lev. 8:10-12). Sometimes, prophets were anointed (1 Kings 19:6). Kings were also anointed (1 Sam. 16:13). Jesus was, and is, God's Anointed Prophet (Acts 3:22-26), Priest (Heb. 4:15), and King(Matt. 27:11). Not surprisingly, Jesus is unique in this threefold anointing.

When we address Jesus as the Messiah or Christ, we are professing his roles as Prophet, Priest, and King. As Prophet, He makes the things of God the Father know to us. As Priest, He acts as mediator between us and God, reconciling us to God. As King, he rules the nations. When we call Jesus the Christ, we are expressing his unique relationship to God the Father.