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What is included with this book?
| Author's Preface | |
| Jesus | |
| Immanuel | |
| The Word | |
| Lamb of God | |
| Triumphal Passover Lamb | |
| Good Shepherd | |
| Lord | |
| The Way | |
| Great High Priest | |
| Nazarene | |
| Messiah / Christ | |
| Son of God | |
| Son of Man | |
| Judge of the Living and the Dead | |
| Notes | |
| Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved. |
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The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.
Chapter One
Jesus
Matthew 1:21
She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.
How did you come to have your name? Were you named for a family member? A dear friendof your parents? Some celebrity? If you have children, how did you choose their names?
The choice of a child’s name is quite important to most parents. Some names justwon’t do. Judas Jones, Jezebel Smith, Adolf Hitler Williams—surely nobody in hisright mind would attach those names to a child! It would be a cruel and irresponsiblething to do. On the other hand, people have been known to do some pretty weird things inselecting the names of their children.
For example, this short piece inUSA Today, 8 September 1994, caught my eye when it firstappeared and hasn’t left my mind since: “George and Tina Rollason say God hadnothing to do with the birth of their daughter on July 20, so they gave her a fittingmoniker: Atheist Evolution Rollason. The York, Pa., couple say her name is their answer toother parents’ use of biblical names. ‘There’s so many people namedChristian, or Christine,’ George says. ‘This is just one person named Atheist.What the heck’s the difference?’ The Rollasons have clashed with the schooldistrict over angel decorations in the classroom and Bibles in the library.”
In some situations, there really is “nothing in a name.” But at other times,people like the Rollasons intend a name to be a statement of conviction or perhaps acommitment and pledge about their child’s upbringing. In biblical literature, namesoften have special meaning for someone’s spiritual life and destiny. Adam, Abraham,Sarah, Israel—most Bible students know the significance of these God-chosen names tothe roles played by the people bearing them.
When the time came for God to put the wheels in motion to bring his grand scheme ofredemption to fulfillment, the naming of the child born at Bethlehem was not left forothers to decide. The infant born in an animal stall was given a name from on high thatwould pledge and foreshadow the work he would accomplish.
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to bemarried to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child throughthe Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to exposeher to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream andsaid, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, becausewhat is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and youare to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”(Matt. 1:18–21)
The Name Jesus
Jesusis the Greek form of the Old Testament Jewish nameYeshua. In English, most of usknow the name better in its biblical form asJoshua. This Hebrew name was translated intoGreek for the Septuagint asIesous, from which we get our transliteration“Jesus.”
Its CommonnessWe know the name in the Old Testament principally from Joshua son of Nun, the successor toMoses who led the Israelites into Canaan to possess and occupy it. As Moses was about toend his career, God himself chose his successor: “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Nowthe day of your death is near. Call Joshua and present yourselves at the Tent of Meeting,where I will commission him.’ So Moses and Joshua came and presented themselves atthe Tent of Meeting” (Deut. 31:14). Upon Moses’ death, the people accepted himas their new leader, and his name became established among the great personalities inIsrael’s history (see Deut. 34:9; Josh. 1:16–18). The name Joshua also appearsfollowing the Exile. A high priest named Joshua is the central figure in a dramaticparable of redemption by grace in Zechariah 3:1–9.
Joshua came to be a very popular and common name among Jews of the pre-Christian era.During the period that followed Alexander the Great, the dominance of the Greek languagethroughout the Mediterranean world caused the name to appear as Jesus. In the writings ofJosephus, for example, he names nineteen different men who bore the name Jesus. The nameis also found on numerous grave markers and tombs found in and aroundJerusalem—sometimes in its Hebrew formYeshuaand sometimes in its Greek formIesous.
In the New Testament literature, the name appears a few times to identify persons otherthan the Jesus who is central to Christian faith. Although translated as“Joshua” in most English versions, the Greek name of an ancestor of Jesus ofNazareth is, in the original text,Iesousat Luke 3:29. A certain “Jesus, who iscalled Justus” is associated with Paul in Colossians 4:11. There is even good textualevidence that the full name of the “notorious prisoner” released at the trial ofJesus of Nazareth was Jesus Barabbas (Matt. 27:16–17).
Its UniquenessIn its older Hebrew form, the name means “Yahweh is salvation” or “Yahwehrescues.” It testifies to the power and love of Yahweh. It points all who hear it tolook to the Lord for help and redemption. The oldest name known to us that contains thedivine name Yahweh, it affirms the uniqueness of Israel’s God as the one in whomhumankind may safely trust for salvation. It declares that there is no one worthy ofcomparison to Yahweh. No other name offers what his name promises.
Once a very common name, the name Jesus had become rare as a personal name by the end ofthe first century. By that time, it had come to be associated with one man to the degreethat it was deemed uniquely his. That man, of course, was Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus Christ,or the Lord Jesus. The name came to be held in such deep reverence by Christians that theyreserved it for him alone. And unbelievers, whether Jew or Gentile, avoided the namebecause of its unique association with the one Christians confessed as their Christ andLord. Following is a discussion on why that happened—and why the name Jesus came tomean something more than its respected etymology and history.
The Name As Theological StatementWhen Matthew used the name Jesus while writing of Jesus’ birth, he was aware of allthe Old Testament background we have just traced. A Jew writing the most Jewish of thefour gospels, Matthew knew the significance of names given to important figures inGod’s sovereign agenda in history. So he certainly did not miss the significance ofthe angel’s words to Joseph, when Mary’s husband-to-be was told, “She willgive birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save hispeople from their sins” (1:21).
Jesus SavesWhat significance would Matthew have seen in the angel’s words? What did he mean forhis readers to see in them? Most simply stated, the theological significance of Matthew1:21 is that the angel’s words “attribute to Jesus what was formerly reservedfor God.”
Whereas the name Jesus had till that time meant “Yahweh saves,” the birth of thechild Jesus would hereafter affirm that “Jesus saves.” It was as if the angelhad said to Joseph: “Joseph, you have always believed that salvation comes fromYahweh. Certain of your forebears have even testified to that fact by wearing a name thatsays as much. But in the unique child that Mary will bear, God will be personally presentand personally active in saving people. For you and Mary, then, know the heavenly mysterythat Jesus is heaven’s instrument for salvation to all who will believe in him. Godwill save all who come to Jesus and receive his favor. This child Jesus will be, in hisown person and deeds, the savior to whom others have testified and for whom they havelonged!”
Yahweh Come among UsJesus is Israel’s covenant God, Yahweh, come among us. Jesus is—as we willdiscuss in the next chapter—Immanuel, God with us (see Matt. 1:23). For Christians,the name Jesus does not point to an invisible, enthroned deity who can save—as thename Yahweh did. To the contrary, it names the one in whom God became visible, incarnate,and accessible. It names the one in whom we can be rescued from sin. As Peter would laterdeclare to the Sanhedrin: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no othername under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
This same understanding and affirmation concerning Jesus is found not only in Matthew butin Luke. Without couching the birth narrative in the unfamiliar terms of Hebrew names andtheir meanings, Luke—a non-Jew writing to non-Jews—relates the announcement ofan angel to shepherds in the field this way: “The angel said to them, ‘Do not beafraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in thetown of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign toyou: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger’” (Luke2:10–12).
Unlike Islam’s claim for Mohammed that he is God’s prophet, Christianity makesthe claim for Jesus that he is himself God. He is not merely a spokesman for God or aprophet telling about God. He is God! He is God among us. He is God demonstrating hisholiness and power in our midst. He is God saving us. So his name is understood as apromise of everything that was fulfilled in his life and ministry and that is even nowbeing preached to the ends of the earth.
A Gospel EventAlthough Jesus made the direct and unambiguous claim to be divine in a number ofsettings, one of the most intriguing texts on this point is couched in a miracle story inthe Gospel of Mark. It is the story of a lame man who was healed dramatically. Moreimportant for our purposes, however, it contains a bold claim from Jesus that is eitherblasphemy or self-disclosure.
Jesus was in Capernaum, and quite a crowd gathered to hear him. The house in which he wasteaching a few people quickly became a house that was packed full. And that created aproblem for four men who had a friend who was paralyzed. The friends—if not the manhimself—had heard of Jesus’ miracle-working power and wanted them to meet. Theirobvious hope was that the paralyzed man would be made whole.
Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could notget him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and,after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. When Jesus sawtheir faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why doesthis fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but Godalone?”
Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in theirhearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: tosay to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, takeyour mat and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earthto forgive sins . . . .” He said to the paralytic, “I tell you, get up, takeyour mat and go home.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of themall. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anythinglike this!” (Mark 2:3–12)
When Jesus and the others in that hot, crowded room witnessed the curiosity of a man beinglowered through a hole in the roof, everyone’s attention turned toward the paralyzedman. Jesus also saw him, marveled at the faith of those who had gone to such trouble tobring their friend, and said, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
This statement from Jesus has been the source of a great deal of speculation. Some havethought that it shows Jesus attributed all sickness and disability to sin. The largerrecord of his ministry clearly shows that is not so (see John 9; Luke 13:1–5). Othershave speculated that he started as he did in this case because he knew the paralysis ofthis particular man was due to some sinful behavior. Perhaps, but even that does notnecessarily follow.
Jesus always pointed people from their immediate perceived need to their larger need forsalvation. Do you remember his conversation with a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well?(John 4). She had come to draw water from the well, and Jesus engaged her in aconversation about “living water” that led to her salvation—and theconversion of many more people from her village. As great as this man’s need forbodily healing was, Jesus knew that his—and everyone’s—greater need was forspiritual healing. So Jesus’ first response to the great faith he had just witnessedwas to invite the paralyzed man into the peace of forgiveness.
Before Jesus could go further with the man, his comment about forgiveness stirred many ofhis hearers to negative thoughts. “Why does this fellow talk like that?” theywere saying to themselves. “Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
Jesus Claims DeityHere is a case where Jesus’ critics had their premises right but their conclusionwrong. They were absolutely correct in their belief that God alone has the right toforgive sins. They had also heard and understood Jesus to have claimed the right toforgive sins himself when he addressed the paralyzed man. Only one of two conclusions waspossible for them to draw: Jesus was either God on earth or guilty of blasphemy. They drewthe second conclusion rather than the first.
If Jesus wasn’t claiming to be deity here, he could have corrected the“misunderstanding” of his hearers. He could have said, “Oh, please!Don’t hear me saying that I have the power to forgive sins personally. I was simplyreassuring this poor man that God loves him and wants him to be forgiven.” But thatisn’t what he said! Or he could have said, “Excuse me for leaving the wrongimpression, for I certainly don’t want to blaspheme. Only God can forgive sins, and Iam merely a man among men.” But he didn’t say that either! He let itstand—as spoken and as understood.
Jesus Claims the Ability to Forgive Sins
What is more, Jesus proceeded to give his bold claim credibility by asking, “Which iseasier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Getup, take your mat and walk’?” In order to understand his question, emphasize theword say as you read it. Of course, forgiving sins is a greater, harder, and far costlierthing to God than healing legs. It was going to cost Jesus his life on a Roman cross! Butin terms of merely saying those two things in that house on that day, which was easier? Asa matter of fact, saying “Your sins are forgiven” was easier than “Get up,take your mat and walk” because the latter was testable in a way the former was not.The matter of forgiveness might never get beyond Jesus saying “They areforgiven!” and his critics replying “No they aren’t!” And that couldhave gone on endlessly. If he told a paralyzed man to get up and walk, though, he would berevealed—either as a heaven-verified man in all he said (including forgiveness andidentity) or as a fraud.
So Jesus turned to the man, told him he was healed, and sent him home. The once-paralyzedman stood up, picked up the mat on which he had been carried, and walked out through thecrowd. Jesus wasn’t a fraud. He was a healer. He was a truth-teller. He was anythingbut a blasphemer in saying he could forgive sins. He was deity among humankind who couldsave people from their sins!
Another way of saying all this about him is simply to quote the angel’s words toJoseph: “You are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people fromtheir sins.” Yes, Yahweh saved. And he does so in Jesus. That is why the church inActs and believers today preach salvation “in the name of Jesus.”
The very name of Jesus proclaims his deity. It declares that God loves us—not from agreat, safe distance but—up close and personal. It means that we understand much morenow about God’s nature and saving work. And it means that we can know God.
John Grisham’s novelThe Street Lawyertells a powerful story. Michael Brock is ayoung lawyer on the fast track to partnership in an eight-hundred-member firm. But hislife gets yanked around by a dramatic hostage event in which he and some of his colleaguesare held and threatened by a homeless man. At one point, Brock thinks to himself: “Agun in your face, the clock stops, priorities emerge at once—God, family, friends.Income falls to the bottom. The firm and the career vanish as each awful second ticks byand you realize this could be the last day of your life.” Michael Brock abandons hiscushy job to be a “street lawyer,” an advocate for the homeless.
Like Michael Brock, God left heaven’s splendor to become the “StreetSavior” of all who will come to him.
We can’t climb the stairs that lead to heaven. In spite of the fact that religion haspreached self-justification (and self-righteousness!) through law and good works forcenturies, the name Jesus reminds us that God came down heaven’s stairway and savedus at the end of the street that led from Pilate’s judgment hall to Golgotha.
Go to Jesus’ cross. Stand with him there. And he will be your defense attorney bywhose advocacy—and in whose name—you will be declared righteous.
Excerpted from The Names of Jesus by Rubel Shelly
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
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