Jesus of Nazareth

So I answered, 'Who are You, Lord?' And He said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’

Acts 22:8*

Everybody has a small list of names they go by: first name, surname, middle name, nick name, pet name, maiden name, pen name as well as aliases (also known as “a.k.a”). It can and does get confusing so at some point, those in charge want to know your legal name.

Jesus of Nazareth was Christ’s legal name. It is the name that set Him apart from all the other Jesuses of His time. It was how friends and enemies knew Him; it was the name brought up at His trial and the name put on His death certificate. Legally, that’s who the Savior was.

Family names have been around for only around 600 years. They weren't necessary when people lived in small rural communities. If people needed to differentiate between two people with the same personal name, a by-name was added. This was a descriptive term or phrase that would set that person apart from others. The name would stick and people would be introduced with that moniker.

When Saul of Tarsus was struck down by a blinding light on the way to Damascus, he saw a vision of the celestial. Someone was up there talking to him, demanding answers for the persecution he was meeting out. Saul wanted to know who this messenger of God really was. “I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,” was the reply. Saul then had no doubt who He was.

Jesus of Nazareth – the name on the accusation sign at the cross.

Jesus of Nazareth – the name the Sanhedrin had made illegal to mention.

Jesus of Nazareth – the name Stephen was executed for preaching.

Jesus of Nazareth – the name on the letters of authority that Saul carried to arrest Jesus-followers in Damascus.

Jesus of Nazareth – the newly found Lord and Savior of Paul of Tarsus.

*used a total of 17 times in Matthew through Acts

Defender

But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; let those also who love Your name be joyful in You.

Psalms 5:11

I like titles that are clear and crisp, that are right there in scripture so that they jump out at you when you read them in boldface. I get a little bothered by other name-finders who invent titles from phrases or ideas, thus making them equal to the obvious appellations of the King of Kings.

I’ll go with implied titles when I must, when it would be blatantly obvious that it is missing and it would be irresponsible not to include it. In Psalm 68:5, God (Elohim) is described as the “Defender of the widows” but He is also the Defender of all who are poor and needy.

In Old Testament writings, the LORD defended Israel time and time again, delivering them from overwhelming odds. The empires of Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome (and more recently the Third Reich) tried to annihilate the Jewish people, but God was their Defender.

The New Testament clearly portrays Christ as our Defender. He defended the woman caught in adultery by writing her defense in the sand (John 8:1-12). Jesus defended his disciples when they were surrounded by Judas’ army in the Garden of Gethsemane. He spoke the words, “I am” and all the bad guys fell down. He then commanded His followers to be released and they were (John 18:1-8).
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Christ encouraged His followers in the sermon of the Mount of Olives not to worry about what to say when they were persecuted and arrested for His sake (Mark 13:9-13). He would be their Defender.

Paul had first-hand experience with the Defender of the saints, “We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed - always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body” (2 Corinthians 4:8-10).

Friend of Tax Collectors and Sinners

The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'

Luke 7:34*

We have a very small home church. On a very good Sunday it can push 25 in attendance but sometimes it isn't even half of that. We do, however, have a lot of outreach. We had printed up 10,000 gospel tracts with our name and address on them and went to places the un-churched go. One man got a tract handed to him in a fast food restaurant and ended up visiting us. It wasn't at all what he expected, so after the service he tried to tactfully say why he didn't expect to come back. “No offense,” he said, “but you people definitely give the impression that you’re a lot bigger than you really are.”

The comment was his way of saying that we were too small to meet his needs. Although not exactly an insult, it was meant to be a reality check for us, showing us that we missed the mark. No offense was taken because we considered it a great compliment. We were doing things that even big established churches weren't doing.

The enemies of Christ really thought they put Him down by showing to the world who His friends were – the low class and the deadbeats. Wow! How neat is that! The King of kings can even be my friend!

The night Judas had betrayed the Master, Christ said to His traitorous disciple, “Friend, why have you come?” (Matthew 26:50). Judas had de-friended his Lord but Jesus remained the friend of sinners.

                   His is love, ‘tis love unbounded,
                             Without measure, without end;
                             Human thought is here confounded,
                             'Tis too vast to comprehend!
                             Praise the Savior! Praise the Savior!
                             Magnify the sinner's Friend!

                                                Thomas Kelly 1769-1854

*See also Matthew 11:19

Bright and Morning Star

I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.

Revelation 22:16

The Bright and Morning Star occurs only once in scripture and is the last title that Christ ascribes to Himself. The Book of Revelation ends with accounts of the New Jerusalem surrounded by new heavens and a new earth. Truly a new day will dawn, but we’re not there yet.

Still to come is the Great Tribulation and terrible judgments of God to be poured out on planet earth. The darkest part of night isn't over just yet, but as the morning star is the brightest light in the darkness, so Christ’s presence will still be with mankind for those who look up.

                   He is coming, coming for us;
                             Soon we’ll see his light afar,
                             On the dark horizon rising,
                             As the Bright and Morning Star,
                             Cheering many a waking watcher,
                             As the star whose kindly ray
                             Heralds the approaching morning
                             Just before the break of day.

                                                Author Unknown

“If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall fall on me,’ Even the night shall be light about me; Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You.” (Psalms 139:11,12). 

Lamb (Part II)

And [they] said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!”

Revelation 6:16*

Who’da thunk it! The whole world is going to be afraid of the Lamb! He gave Himself as a willing sacrifice so that the wrath of God would pass over those who trusted in Him. He died without protest or struggle and had peace and joy which sharply contrasted to the hatred of His tormenters. Jesus Christ was God’s Lamb that would atone for the sins of His people but He will also be God’s instrument to bring judgment on the God haters and Christ rejecters of this world.

A squadron of Roman soldiers scourged Christ and then crucified Him. Some in that group repented. The rest will stand before the Great White Throne before being cast into the lake of fire.

Throughout the subsequent centuries, followers of the Lamb have been beaten, tortured, had property confiscated and were put to death because they were guilty of having lamb-like qualities.

During Roman persecutions, they were crucified, fed to lions, or burned alive while they prayed or sang hymns. During the Inquisition, they were tortured with machines of death for possessing the Word of God in their own languages. And in Jihads both past and present they were either sold into slavery or beheaded.

“And they cried with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You  judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’” (Revelation 6:10).

“These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful” (Revelation 17:14).

*also mentioned 27 other times in Revelation

The Lamb

He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.

Isaiah 53:7

I saw a lamb die. In fact, I killed it. I think I’ll never be the same again. The lamb I slaughtered didn't struggle or cry out. It didn't try to bite or kick me. It quietly and without a fight just bled to death at my feet. It was then I realized that God created a special species of animal just for sacrifice.

Sheep are in a category by themselves when it comes to dying. Their passive acceptance of death is contrasted by the survival instinct of every other creature in the animal kingdom. Even evolutionists will have to admit that natural selection should have weeded out sheep a long time ago.  

Pigs never die gracefully. In the open country, squeals can be heard for a good half mile away on butchering day. They will thrash, kick, and bite, making killing a hog a pretty risky business. Pigs were never designed to give their lives willingly.

The universe was confounded at the thought of the Lord meekly shedding His blood to redeem the human race.  The angels must have been confused and amazed to see the grace of God in action.  This love, too difficult to explain, needed an illustration, so the Creator formed a little animal and sent it to earth. This creature is born for the purpose of dying – the Lamb.

                        Wonderful,merciful Savior,
                        Precious Redeemer and Friend,
                        Who would have thought that a lamb
                        Could rescue the souls of men.
                        Oh, You rescue the souls of men.
                                                                    Song by Selah

*see also John 1:29; 1 Peter 1:19; Revelation 21:22, plus 21 other verses.

Chi-Rho ☧

Now a great sign appeared in heaven…

Revelations 12:1

Abbreviations come in handy when there’s a lot to write down.  They’re also helpful to keep from revealing a secret or a forbidden word.  Such is the case with this title of Christ.

The Greek letter for “ch” is Chi and looks like an English X.  Rho sounds like “r” but is written like an English P. They form the first two letters of Christ.

During times of Roman persecution, Christians used symbols that could be recognized by other believers and overlooked by the authorities. The Chi-Rho, ☧, identified a person with Christ.

In the dawn of the fourth century, the Emperor Maxentius began the last purge of Christians.  Every believer in the empire was to be put to death without mercy or exception. All provincial rulers had to enforce this edict yet there was one who refused.

Constantine was a pagan, but his mother, Helena, was a Christian. Since there was no persecution in Gaul, many believers fled there. Constantine was summoned to Rome to answer for his disobedience and he went, taking his troops. The little army left knowing that they were outnumbered ten to one. On the way, Christian soldiers began swelling Constantine’s rank and by the time they got to Rome they were only outnumbered three to one. The day before the battle, Constantine looked at the sun and saw a ☧in the rays of light and tradition says he heard a voice saying, "In this sign you will conquer". A ☧was painted on every shield.

When the battle was joined, Maxentius’ huge army melted before Constantine. Panic ensued as thousands of men retreated across a pontoon bridge. The little boats that were tied together soon fell apart. Everyone wore heavy armor, so when Maxentius and most of his troops fell into the Tiber river, they soon drowned. The river killed more than the sword.

Constantine became the undisputed emperor of Rome that day and persecution of the saints came to an abrupt end.  Seeing the ☧, even the most devout pagan had to admit that there was something special about the name of Christ.    

God with Us

Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, "God with us.”

Matthew 1:23

The given name on my birth certificate is “Richard”; it means “strong leader.” My wife’s name is “Carol” which means “manly” or “strong.” If you told me what your personal name means, I probably wouldn’t care. There’s usually not a lot of correlation between names and what they are supposed to mean.

Immanuel is Hebrew for “God with us.” That’s not what it means; it is the phrase all sounded out. But you wouldn’t know that if you do not know Hebrew. It is a description, not a name.

People who want others to know the meaning of their child’s name often use an English word for their moniker such as “Faith,” “Hope,” or “Huckleberry.”

Even so, putting a label on someone is no guarantee that they’ll live up to expectations.

Starting in the 1990’s, hundreds of baby girls in this country have been named “Unique.” Since that name caught on, now none of them are. Even with over 30 variations of spelling (which includes Uneek, Euneke, and U’niq) a person’s name usually is a classifier and not a describer.

The New Testament has been translated into more than 2,000 languages. In each case, Matthew 1:23 contains a transliteration of the word “Immanuel”; the name is converted to the script of the native tongue so that it can be sounded out to something that resembles Immanuel in English. That text might be Spanish, Arabic, or Mandarin but the result is mostly the same; the reader comes across a hard to pronounce Bible name that means nothing to him.

But then comes the translation “God with us” and its understood. It doesn’t matter if the person is an Eskimo from north of the Arctic Circle or an Aborigine from the Amazon rainforest; it’s explained to them in their own language. Jesus Christ is “God with us.”

Immortal

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

1 Timothy 1:17

Unger defines immortality as exemption from death and annihilation, and with reference to humankind it is unending existence beyond the grave. Sounds good! Where do I sign up?

The unfairness of death is a reality that most people have to deal with before they themselves stop breathing. Why do some young people get cancer and die while bitter old grouches make it to a second century? Why does death have to be so final? Why can’t we earn extra lives like in computer games? Why?

Most religions propose one form or another of eternal life but proof of life beyond the grave is woefully lacking. Sigmund Freud blew off religion as a classic example of wish fulfillment but he never offered an explanation of why people would even want to live forever.

Being made in the image of God, we long for things that the animal kingdom is oblivious to. Humans are not just higher forms of animal life. We can distinguish between right and wrong and even right and left. We know beauty when we see it and attribute value to pieces of paper or round pieces of metal. The most intelligent dog or dolphin can't do these things and they don't aspire to live forever. Eternity isn't hard wired into their brains as it is with people. Humans want to go back to their roots, go back home to their Creator.

Jesus said, “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth --- those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation” (John 5:28, 29). Christ makes it clear that there is consciousness forever after the body dies, even for those who don’t believe in Him. If someone wants to be with the Savior forever in heaven, he needs to believe the one who has been there and done that. After all, He is the Immortal.

Destroyer of the Devil

Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil.

 Hebrews 2:14

Emperors and kings are often given titles to celebrate conquests or remember great exploits. When the Lord Jesus died on the cross of Calvary, He conquered sin, death, and hell and broke Satan’s power and right to them. The prophet Isaiah had a vision of the devil's demise and wrote about it in chapter 14:

         "How you are fallen from heaven,

         O Lucifer, son of the morning!

         How you are cut down to the ground,

         You who weakened the nations!

         For you have said in your heart:

         'I will ascend into heaven,

         I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;

         I will also sit on the mount of the congregation

         On the farthest sides of the north;

         I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,

         I will be like the Most High.'

         Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol,

         To the lowest depths of the Pit.

       Those who see you will gaze at you,

       And consider you, saying:

       'Is this the man who made the earth tremble,

       Who shook kingdoms,

  Who made the world as a wilderness and destroyed its cities,
  Who did not open the house of his prisoners?'” 

Christ undid everything Satan accomplished on planet Earth and made man's relationship with God even better than it had been before the fall.

Hail King Jesus. He is the Destroyer of the devil. 

Our Great God and Savior

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good  works.

Titus 2:11-14

Some preachers struggle with presenting the gospel in just one hour. Others can adequately cover the main points in about a half hour and maybe a few can get the job done in ten or fifteen minutes. In Titus 2, Paul nails every important question in only four verses.

1.     What is the underlying power of salvation?  The grace of God.

2.     Who can be saved?  Everybody.

3.     What are we saved from?  The power and self-destruction of our ungodly and worldly lusts.

4.     What life changes should we expect as a result of our salvation?  We should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present evil age.

5.     How did Christ save us?   He gave Himself to redeem us from our desire to sin.

6.     Why did Christ give His life to save us from our sin?  It was the only way to purify us for Himself is own special people

7.     (The last question is one that should be answered in every meaningful presentation of the gospel) Who is Jesus Christ? He is our great God and Savior.

Liberator

Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

Galatians 5:1

You can’t look up Liberator in a concordance and find this title listed there. Yet, that is what He was. Christ set free more slaves than Abraham Lincoln and liberated more oppressed people than anyone else in history.

When Jesus preached his first sermon in the synagogue in Nazareth, He opened the Isaiah scroll and said that He came “.....to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed” (Luke 4:18). What actually did He mean by this?

Those who were wanting a political liberator were openly disappointed by Jesus. Obviously, the iron-fisted Roman government still enslaved people, heavily taxed the occupied territory, and crucified dissenters. Although that is true, all the Caesars are long dead.  Other despots that have come and gone through the centuries were also temporary.

Political dictators, by their nature, don’t last long on history’s stage. Christ’s liberation transcends the centuries, cultures, and world governments because He frees individuals from the internal tyrants of the soul.

Sin, certainly, is a huge self-destructive force that enslaves people to life styles and conditions they hate. The drunk really doesn't look forward to waking up again another day with a splitting headache and covered in his own vomit. Few prostitutes, if any, feel they made the best career choice and jails are full of people who don’t want to be there. The Lord Jesus sets them free by taking away the power and compulsion of sin.

What most people don’t understand is that Christ, the Liberator, frees us from everything that enslaves us: the guilty conscious, anger, grief, addictions, doubt, anxiety, and the fear of darkness. Talk to the Lord and turn these over to Him one by one and one by one the Liberator will take them away. “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

Note:  If you are weighted down with grief, anger, depression, or addition issues, go to www.tradingpain.com for Set Free Prayer Ministry.  It can help.

Commander of the LORD’s Army

Then the Commander of the LORD's army said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so.

Joshua 5:15

Joshua had been Moses’ general. Now he was supreme leader of all Israel. With more battle experience than anyone else, no one dared to challenge him, at least, not until that day. He was alone on a battlefield when a man approached him with a drawn sword.

“Friend or foe?” Joshua cried out.

“No,” the man answered, “But Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.” Joshua fell on his face to the ground and worshipped Him.

Theologians explain that this story in Joshua 5 is actually a theophany, a visible manifestation of God to mankind. The Commander of the LORD’s Army had a human body but received worship from Joshua and declared the ground on which He stood to be holy. His appearance must have been remarkable because General Joshua immediately humbled himself and surrendered as soon as he knew who He was.

Revelation 19 explains that Christ will come on a white horse with the host of heaven to defeat the armies of the antichrist at the battle of Armageddon. His appearance will be terrifying. His eyes will be like flames of fire and his robe dipped in blood. A sharp sword will come out of his mouth to strike the nations. Behind Him will be every warrior angel and weapon in God’s arsenal.

I’m glad that He is my friend. How terrible it would be to be His foe. So, at the last battle in human history, Christ, the Commander of the LORD’s Army, returns. Even so come Lord Jesus!

The First and the Last

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.

Revelation 22:13*

It’s not a coincidence that Jesus Christ calls Himself the First and the Last in both the first and last chapters of Revelation. He is there when things begin to exist and when things are all played out. As Creator He made the physical worlds and started the clock ticking for the universe. As Consuming Fire, He will melt the elements and be present when time is no more.

These are bold statements which no one but God can claim for Himself. This title claimed by the Savior is just one more proof of the deity of Christ. It is  surprisingly easy to present this argument  to any false religious witness that is in denial that Jesus is actually God manifest in the flesh.

Isaiah 44:6 states, “Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God.” When the name LORD appears written in all caps, the reference is to Jehovah God. He claims to be the First and the Last and besides Him there is no God. This claim is repeated twice more in Isaiah (Isaiah 41:4; 48:12).

Logic makes clear that there can’t be two firsts and two lasts. One would have to yield to the other which leads to only one of three possible explanations for interpreting these scriptures:

          1.The Bible contradicts itself.

          2. Either Jehovah or Jesus is lying.

          3. Jehovah and Jesus are different names for the same person.

Since explanations 1 and 2 are obviously wrong, we are left with a pretty clear proof of the deity of Christ. There can only be One who is both the First and the Last.

*See also Revelation 1:11

Sir

The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.”

John 4:19*

Titles come in all styles and sizes, so it sometimes helps to sort them out into categories to better understand how it applies to Christ. For example, the derogatory titles were given to the Lord by His enemies in order to put Him down (e.g. glutton and wine bibber) A similar grouping is what I call the “lightly esteemed” because these terms fall far short of understanding. Labeling Jesus as a carpenter, a Nazarene, or even calling Him “Sir” understates who He really is.

The woman at the well came to draw water and she assumed that the stranger she saw sitting there was no one out of the ordinary. Even when she saw some of His exceptionalities, the most she could imagine was that maybe He was a prophet. There was nothing wrong or disrespectful in addressing Christ as “Sir.” If anything, it’s the highest courtesy and honor that you can give someone that you don’t know.

In time and with interaction, faith grows and knowledge of who the Savior is increases. At the end of the conversation, this Samaritan lady acknowledged Him as the Messiah and no longer did she approach Him as “Sir.”

The significant point to be made is that this is an important pre-faith title that can transition into a deeper relationship. “Sir” communicates both respect and openness. Living in this world of God haters and Christ rejecters, derogatory titles are often used and that often shuts the door of our faith.

Mislabeling also misses the mark. Attitudes that frame the incarnate God in images of “Jesus, my ol’ buddy” or the “all-accepting god” makes it hard to understand that His name is Holy. However, a sinner who is searching for God, can probably find him if he has enough faith to approach him as “Sir.”

*see also John 4:11, 15, 49; 5:7; 20:15

Firstborn Among Many Brethren

For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

 Romans 8:29

My firstborn is a Navy SEAL. He was born for adventure and grew up in the Amazon rainforest. Jungle Indians taught him how to hunt, trail blaze, and spear fish. He, in turn, taught his seven brothers how to be men, and more importantly, how to be a Khol.

The “Khol boys” had quite the reputation at Bible camp for daring. They climbed the tallest trees, ate caterpillars, and thought outside the box (truth is, they never even saw the box). My oldest taught his brothers things I never could and he taught them well.

Only recently, I found out that when the boys were all young they were taken to the top of a 30 foot cliff by their big brother. Each had a choice. They could either jump into the swimming hole below just like he had done many times before, or get thrown in. The older boys voluntarily followed their elder’s example. But the four year old twins needed special hands-on encouragement. He immediately jumped in behind them to make sure everyone was safe.

Jesus is our big brother. He’s the firstborn among many brethren. Being God in human form, He made the transition from being Spirit to having a physical body. Then, when Christ died and rose again, He went from the mortal realm to return to the immortal. We don’t know how to do that now, but we will be able to do the same because our Savior will show us how.

Before the world was even formed, God had a plan for his future creation. After the inevitable fall, God would send Christ to earth to be our example and enabler of righteousness. Without God’s help, no one knows how to be a child of God, after all, we are born as sons and daughters of disobedience (Ephesians 2:2). Jesus is able to conform us into the image of God’s Son because He’s been there and done that. Only Christ has the right to do that; He’s the firstborn among many brethren. 

Gazelle

My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Behold, he stands behind our wall; He is looking through the windows, Gazing through the lattice.

Song of Solomon 2:9

The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s, presents a vivid description of marital love. Yet, through the centuries it has been understood that the comments of the Shulamite about her “beloved” expresses the sentiments of the believer about Him who is “altogether lovely.”

Even Jewish sages for centuries have interpreted this passage as referring to the Moshiach – the Messiah. Rabbi Yitzhaq Kaduri of Jerusalem explained the above scripture as follows: “Just as this gazelle can be seen and then hides itself, so the first Messiah (Moses) revealed himself to the Children of Israel and then again hid himself from them.” The idea here is that “the second Messiah,” who is like Moses, will be seen in fleeting glimpses.

The attributes of a gazelle are its speed, agility, and unpredictability. You might see one out of the corner of your eye and then when you turn for a better view, it’s gone. The Lord Jesus can’t be analyzed in a test tube. He doesn’t stay in one place to be calculated or figured out by people. He’s bigger than that.

In C. S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia, it was often commented that the main character, Aslan, was not a tame lion. In viewing Christ with this title of Gazelle, it’s clear that he is unlike any farm animal. He would jump the fence or pen anyone could try and use to contain Him. We can’t conform the Lord to our own will; we must conform our will to His.

Every encounter with Christ should be exciting, exhilarating. To find Him boring or see Him as ordinary only proves that the observer was looking in the wrong place and never got a real good view of this high-energy Savior. He’s worth chasing after, because in really finding Him, there is adventure. After all, He is the everlasting Gazelle.

Son

For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

Son – Now that’s a title that Jesus shares with half the human race. At first glance, it doesn’t seem very important or noteworthy yet the title is among many prestigious designations that Isaiah gives to God’s beloved Son (Matthew 3:17).

It used to be that when a baby was going to be born, no one knew if it would be a boy or a girl until the day it arrived. Predictions were usually made but they were right only about 50% of the time. But this prophesy of the Son being given was not a prediction at all because Christ was “given” before the foundation of the world – long before the prophet even penned this verse.

God chose to manifest Himself as “the Son” to His human creation. “For to which of the angels did He ever say: ‘You are My Son. Today I have begotten You?’ And again: ‘I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son?’” (Hebrews 1:5). God didn’t reveal Himself as some sort of all-powerful, fear-inducing giant. He came as a little baby – "a Son was given.”

In a normal pregnancy, people wait nine months for the child to be born. But the world had to wait a really long time for a special Son – God’s Son. The gestation period for Isaiah’s prophesy was seven centuries. Finally, the Heir of God came in the fullness of time to accomplish redemption for humankind and to bring from Adam’s race, sons and daughters that would be joint heirs with Himself.

“Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you perish in the way when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him” (Psalms 2:12).

Son of Abraham

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham.

Matthew 1:1*

Abraham was special. He had special promises, a special relationship with God, and a special place in human history. It is not surprising that he was a significant ancestor of the Messiah. Both genealogies of Christ call Him the Son of Abraham.

The patriarch was promised “descendants as the dust of the earth” (Genesis 13:16). That means lots – too many to number. And so it is today the true number could never be reached. Both the Jewish people and Arabs proudly consider Abraham as their father (the Jews through Isaac and Arabs through Ishmael). Both ethnic groups are sons of Abraham although they don’t necessarily have the patriarch’s features.

God’s promises to Abraham weren’t really about billions of people claiming relationship through some distant DNA but being conformed to the faith and actions of Abraham. Zacchaeus was Jewish by birth but ostracized from Jewish society because of his political affiliation. When the little man came to Christ, the Savior declared “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham” (Luke 19:9).

In a very real sense this is what happens to believers when their faith is life changing and they believe God’s promises to be true just like Abraham did. “Just as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness” (Galatians 3:6), therefore know that only those who are of faith are true sons of Abraham.

Because I have faith in Christ, I’m adopted into the family of God and I become a son of Abraham. Sisters in Christ are Abraham’s daughters. This is one of the few titles that Christians can actually share with their master. Praise God!

*See also Luke 3:34