Gracious

...if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. 

1 Peter 2:3*

Gracious - I'm not really sure I know what this word means in English, much less how to define it in Bible-speak. 

The dictionary says that it refers to the qualities of someone who is kind and courteous, such as a gracious host. OK, it might fit, but Jesus is a lot more than just a nice guy.

The word actually entered the language with Middle English around the 1300's and was borrowed from the French. It meant "filled with God's grace." Now, that seems to be more like it. Jesus was certainly "full of grace and truth" (John 1:14).

It occurs a lot referring to God in the Old Testament especially in the Psalms. Here there is a long string of other character traits that are linked to the gracious LORD. 

"But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth” (Psalm 86:15).

"The LORD is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy” (Psalm 103:8). 

"Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous” (Psalm 112:4).

"So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm” (Joel 2:13). 

I think I got it now. When I look at Christ with the eyes of faith, I can very clearly see the Grace of God. The Savior is filled with God's grace which obviously makes Him Gracious. 

*see also Psalm 111:4, 116:5; 145:8 and 17

Faithful

Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.”
Revelation 19:11*

It shouldn't surprise anyone that when the word “faithful” first came into the Middle English in the thirteenth century it meant “full of faith.” Over the centuries the word has somehow morphed into meaning “reliable, truthful, and true to one's promises.”

The Lord Jesus is faithful, so he is all of the above. As author of faith (Hebrews 12:2), He is the source and supplier of the believer's faith. Since Christ can be counted on and relied upon, He becomes a worthy object of faith that results in the production of faith among His people.

Before anyone can understand being faithful, he must first understand faith. Simply put, faith is agreeing with God in thoughts, actions, and attitudes. It's saying to the Almighty, “Yes Sir, that's right; let's do it.” True faith always demands a response.

Geometry is taught in Math class, but it is really an exercise in logic. Nobody really cares about how long a line is or how many degrees are in a certain angle, but everyone needs to know how to reach a logical conclusion. This is where if/then thinking is taught. If A=B and B=C then A=C. This makes sense in mathematics and in the spiritual realm.

If we died with Christ, then we believe that we shall also live with Him (Romans 6:8).
If anyone is in Christ, then he is a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).
If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, then he is not His (Romans 8:9).
If Christ is in you, then the body is dead (Romans 8:10).
If [we are] children [of God], then heirs --- then heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17).
If God is for us, then who can be against us? (Romans 8:31).

We can have total/obedient faith in the Savior, because above all else, He is Faithful.

*see also Hebrews 10:23

Refuge

The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble.

Psalm 9:9

          How do deer and ducks know where the wildlife refuge is? It’s probably trial and error, but also clearly experience. Once an animal has been shot at, it soon learns to avoid people in those orange vests. It can also sense when it is safe and not in a constant life or death situation.

          David, before He became King, would often go for days at a time without eating or sleeping, because like a hunted animal; he was running from his enemies. David felt the safest when he felt close to the LORD. At times, even though physical circumstances didn’t change (King Saul, the Philistines, or the Amorites were still trying to track him down), David would be at peace and could calm his troubled soul because he felt at rest in God’s Refuge. He had that sense of well-being, knowing that the Almighty was in control and nothing could harm him there.

          The Hebrew word “Misgab,” that is translated into English as “refuge,” actually conveys the idea of something lofty or inaccessible and projects the image of a hill fort. When there are bad guys out to get you, it means safety, hope, and asylum (i.e. refuge).

          The word occurs only once in the New Testament and refers to Christ: “we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us” (Hebrews 6:18). In this context, the enemy is sin and the prospect of eternal judgment. Instead of fleeing to some high tower made of stone, the believer approaches the Lord Jesus in His capacity as High Priest so he can make intercession for him/her. The end result is the same feeling of well-being that David had.  “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil” (Hebrews 6:19). It is the feeling of security which comes from being in a safe Refuge. 

Propitiation for Our Sins

And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
1 John 2:2*

Propitiation – now that's a mouthful. The term is used four times in scripture and yet probably not one in 100 Christians can give an understandable definition of the word. I've heard preachers try to explain what it means for over forty years and have never gotten a definition that I like; they're either too simplified or too complicated.

As a Bible teacher, I pride myself in making the difficult easy to understand. I have for years sought to explain this word, but haven't found an answer that is short and to-the-point. However, I can make it simple.

In the Old Testament, there were many different kinds of sacrifices that were used for different reasons and at different times. Once a year a ram was sanctified on the Day of Atonement for the sins of the nation of Israel. The High Priest sprinkled the blood of the sacrifice of the mercy seat which was on top of the ark of the covenant; this atoned for the peoples sin for one year.

Actually the term “mercy seat” is more a description of what the cover of the ark was, and not a true translation of the Hebrew word ("Kapporet"). A literal translation would be “propitiatory” or “place of propitiation.” Therefore, the blood of the ram was the propitiation and the mercy seat (propitiatory) was where it was placed.

When talking sacrifice, the propitiation is where the rubber meets the road; it's what makes a sacrifice work; it's what actually takes away the sin. In the case of Christ's sacrifice at Calvary for the sins of the Human race, the cross was the propitiatory and the Savior Himself the propitiation. It's not just the blood of Christ that saves us, but that He gave all of Himself without reserve to become the Propitiation for our sins. 

see also: Romans 3:25; Hebrews 2:17; 1 John 4:10.

Only Begotten Son

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
John 3:16

Only Begotten Son – one of the better known titles of Christ because it is used in the most memorized verse of scripture. Actually, it occurs only four times in the Bible and was penned only by the Apostle John. Although the phrase is very familiar, what does it really mean?

Early in church history, there were heretics who reasoned that if Christ was begotten, he had a beginning, so He is something less than then the eternal God. There are plenty of people who believe this today, and they’re still wrong.

To try to correct this, the Nicene creed, written in AD 325, tries to define “begotten.” This early doctrinal statement declares Christ to be “eternally begotten of the Father" and “true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father.” This refuted the heresy that Jesus was merely a “God Jr.” or “God, the Sequel” but rather, Christ was the eternal God joined in a human body.

The word in the Greek for only begotten is “monogenes” which can also be translated “sole” or “one and only.” The idea here is that Christ is unique. He wasn’t one of many sons of God, but the one and only Son. The Word becoming flesh, God manifested in flesh, and Only Begotten Son are three ways of saying what is this unique miracle of incarnation.

False teachers today do what they have been doing throughout the centuries. They redefine terms, plug a new phrase back into the verse, and try to make it say what it doesn’t. John 3:16 means exactly what we thought it did the first time we heard it and believed it. God loves us and gives us eternal life through His Only Begotten Son.

*see also John 1:18, 3:18; 1 John 4:9

Lord of Sabaoth

Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.
James 5:4*

The names of Christ can be a little confusing if one doesn’t expend some effort  to figure it out. For instance, a lot of people think that the title above is just another spelling for “Lord of the Sabbath” which is found three times in the gospels. That is certainly not the case.

Lord of Sabaoth has its root in the Hebrew name for God, "Yahweh Tsebaoth", which was transliterated into the Greek and then into English. An actual translation would be “Lord of Hosts” or “Lord Almighty.” This name emphasizes God’s absolute power over everything in both the physical and spiritual universe.

The verse above comes from a section where the Apostle James addresses rich believers in the church in very unflattering terms. When he reaches the point where he brings up the fact that they are defrauding their workers of their wages, he presents the Lord Jesus as the Lord of Sabaoth. Instead of using a title of Christ that might invoke thoughts of love and mercy, the apostle tries to show how serious the offence is. The Lord of hosts, the Lord Almighty is hearing the cries of the workers; they should consider this and tremble.

The only other reference to Lord of Sabaoth is found in Romans 9:29 where it is quoting Isaiah 1:9. That Old Testament verse reads “Unless the LORD of hosts had left to us a very small remnant, We would have become like Sodom, we would have been made like Gomorrah.”

Again the writer is trying to invoke the fear of God into the reader. Sometimes, even blood-bought Christians forget who the Lord Jesus is. He is not only our Savior, Redeemer, and friend; He is the Lord of Sabaoth, the Lord Almighty.

*see also Romans 9:29

  

Kinsman Redeemer/Deliverer – Gâʼal

'Now if a sojourner or stranger close to you becomes rich, and one of your brethren who dwells by him becomes poor, and sells himself to the stranger or sojourner close to you, or to a member of the stranger's family, after he is sold he may be redeemed again. One of his brothers may redeem him.

Leviticus 25:47-48

...knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
1 Peter 1:18-19

This important name of Christ is very clear and observable in the original Hebrew, but is a little hard to grasp using only English translations of the Bible. Although it takes some effort to fully understand this title, it is well worth it.

In the oriental law of kinship, the gâʼal (literally “next of kin”) was required to buy back a relative's lost property, marry his widow, rescue him from harm, or avenge his death. Abraham acted as Gâʼal when he rescued Lot and his family from the four mighty kings of the East with only 318 trained servants; and Boaz was Ruth's gâʼal, marrying her and restoring her land.

The role of the kinsman redeemer is well-established in the Hebrew scripture with the word gâʼal appearing 71 times. We miss this in English because there is no direct translation. Gâʼal sometimes is translated as redeem, redeemer, Kinsman, relative, close relative, deliverer and even six times as “avenger of blood.”

As a “friend that sticks closer than a brother,” the Lord Jesus has become our gâʼal. He is our Deliverer from the powers of the devil, sin, and death and  restores us to the close relationship with the God that Adam lost in the Garden of Eden. He redeemed us from the slavery and self-destruction of sin and adopted us into the family of God. As Kinsman-Redeemer, Christ sought us, bought us, and fought for us. He is our Gâʼal. 

Burnt Offering

And you shall burn the whole ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the LORD; it is a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD.

Exodus 29:18*

“Holocaust” is a powerful word that evokes emotions and means “great destruction.” The most common use of the word today is to refer to the Nazi genocide of European Jewry in WWII. It is interesting to note that the word wasn't used in this manner until 1965 (20 years after WWII ended).

The word comes to English from the Greek word “holokauston” which means “a thing wholly burnt.” It was the word of choice for “burnt offering” when the Septuagint was translated from Hebrew in the 3^rd century BC.

The burnt offering was one of the three “sweet-smelling” sacrifices that were well-pleasing to the LORD. It was set apart from other oblations in three important ways:
         1. Voluntary – the offerer wanted to give this to God.
         2. Act of Worship – It was a gift to the Almighty to show appreciation.
         3. Totally Consumed – The entire animal was burnt to ash; nothing remained. 

The Jewish Holocaust fulfilled none of these criterion, but Christ's sacrifice on the cross fulfilled them all:

1. The Lamb of God volunteered to give His life to save the human race; no one made Him do it.
2. The Savior's sacrifice of love was clearly done to glorify God.
3. Jesus gave everything He had and held nothing back. He suffered the shame and the torment without saying a word. He was tortured and killed, but didn't resist.


God had no real pleasure when animals were burnt on altars in the Old Testament (Hebrews 10:6). However, He was thoroughly pleased when the Son of God gave Himself as a Burnt Offering.


*There are a total of 261 references to the burnt offering found throughout the Bible.

Chief Shepherd

And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.
1 Peter 5:4

 The verse above is the conclusion of an admonition by the Apostle John to church elders that they “shepherd the flock of God” (1 John 5:1-4). Just like a shepherd taking care of sheep, the oversight of the local church needs to feed and care for God’s flock (i.e. believers in Christ).

The Latin word for shepherd is “pastor” which is the origin of the English word for a minister or preacher. Just as the church’s pastor is responsible for for his spiritual sheep, he also must be accountable to the head Pastor, or as it is in this verse, the Chief Shepherd.

This title of Christ is unique, because it is only used in reference to the leadership of the local church. There could not be a Chief Shepherd unless there were also under-shepherds who are spread out in different fields looking over literally hundreds of critters who are unable to take care of themselves.

Pastors, Elders and people in full-time ministry sometimes feel that the congregation is their flock, but the truth of the matter is that the spiritual lambs belong to the Good Shepherd who gave His life for the sheep (John 10:11). With some degree of regularity these under-shepherds must answer to the Chief Shepherd “How are my sheep doing? Are they healthy? Is the flock growing? How many were lost to the wolves?”

1 Peter 5:2 explains other areas in which the Head Pastor will examine the assistant pastors: attitude and motivation. “Why did you even take this job? Do you feel you have to do it or do you want to do it? Are you in it for the money or status? Or do you want to please me?”

I understand that not everyone will have to answer to the Chief Shepherd, so they might not be interested in the title. Even so, I’m scheduled to meet with Him at the judgment seat of Christ and I want to get all my sheep in a row. He has a crown of glory to give me that doesn’t fade away, but that’s not why I do any of this. All I really want to do is be pleasing to my Chief Shepherd.

Rabboni

Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him, "Rabboni!" (which is to say, Teacher).
John 20:16

 The difference between a Rabbi and a Rabboni is just a matter of degrees. In American universities there are three levels of academic achievement: Bachelors, Masters, and Doctorate. In the same way, teachers of the Torah advanced in their scholarship.

The first level for a Jewish sage was that of a Rab (literally Master). The origin traces back to the development of synagogues during the Babylonian captivity. The Rab was the ruler of the synagogue and was designated by the congregation by the laying on of hands.

The middle level was that of a Rabbi and developed after the return of the exiles to Jerusalem. The title means “my master” and referred to a master teacher who would attract disciples to him. They would serve their Rabbi and he would both teach and provide for them.

The highest level was Rabboni, meaning “my great Master.”  Only the most respected sages that would see their disciples for a number of spiritual generations were honored this way.

Mary Magdalene called her Lord "Rabboni". As a woman of questionable reputation, she was not known for her scholarship. What she was known for was that she was a sinner who was forgiven much. She bestowed the high honor on the Risen Lord.

The only other mention of the title Rabboni was by the blind beggar, Bartimaeus. Again, he was not a direct disciple of Jesus and being blind, he couldn't read, much less study the Hebrew scriptures. However, he had great spiritual insight.

When Jesus was passing through Jericho, the blind man called out the Messianic Title, “Son of David”, to Him. When the crowd would hush him up, he called out even louder. When Christ asked him what he wanted, Bartimaeus replied, “Rabboni,” (My Great Master), “That I may receive my sight” (Mark 10:51).

  

Rabbi

“But you, do not be called 'Rabbi'; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren.”
Matthew 23:8*

 The Hebrew word “Rahbee” and its Greek counterpart “Hrabbi” both mean “my teacher” or “my master.” It was a term of respect and authority given to men of renown who were teachers of the law.

Gamaliel is generally considered the first to officially receive the title “Rabbi” around 30AD. To earn the title one needed to be the president of the Sanhedrin as Gamaliel was or to receive ordination from that group. It is thought that since the Jewish counsel disapproved of Jesus of Nazareth, they wanted to diminish what people called Him by adding bureaucratic requirements for official recognition.

Christ may not have had a framed diploma or been given an ordination ceremony, but that’s what people called Him (John 6:25). The apostles all addressed Him as Rabbi because they were chosen by Him to be His disciples. It was also the title of honor and respect that Nicodemus chose to give Him when he visited the master by night. Although Nicodemus was a member of the Sanhedrin, he was also a seeker of wisdom and truth and didn’t rush to judgment about the Galilean as did the other council members.

Judas Iscariot also addressed Jesus with this title. It’s never recorded that the betrayer ever called Him Lord,  Messiah, or Christ, but “Rabbi, Rabbi” were the last words he spoke before betraying the Savior with a kiss (Mark 14:45). It was like saying, “Nothing personal, but you’re just my teacher and I’m dropping this class.” Judas followed Jesus as a means to a scholarly career. When that didn’t seem to work, he cashed in his chips and bailed.

Charles Darwin, Joseph Stalin, and other atheists have gone to seminary. People can study the teachings of Christ without being transformed by them. It’s quite easy to call Jesus “Rabbi”; it’s something totally different to call Him Lord and Savior.

  *plus 14 other times in Matthew, Mark, and John.

  

He Who has Begun a Good Work in You

Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
Philippians 1:6

It’s probably just me, but when I read the title and verse above, the word “circumlocution” comes to mind. That means using a whole lot of words to say something that could be said in just a few. Now, it’s not the same as rambling because that usually gets off topic. Circumlocution is on topic, but verbose.

That having been said, I put a lot of thought into trying to condense the title He who has begun a good work in you, and I couldn’t come up with anything that was an exact fit. The closest I got was “I.T. guy.”

An I.T. guy is a person who works with Information Technology (i.e. computers) and sets you up with all the software you need to get everything started. Once that’s done, he’s just a phone call away whenever the computer crashes or gets sick with a virus. You have confidence that he’ll be there to complete the job until the day the warranty runs out.

Christ began the good work of salvation in the lives of every believer, but His work and relationship with each continues on a daily basis. He cleans, sanctifies, and glorifies each saint as they go on in their daily walk of faith. This relationship is not only continuous, but progressively gets better until the Christian either dies and enters glory or the church is raptured.

Well, my explanation of the title He who has begun a good work in you, has become somewhat circumlocutious not to mention a little garrulous and pedantic. I should have just given my paraphrase of the verse instead: “Being confident of this very thing, that Christ’s got’ya covered” (Philippians 1:6 RKV).

  

Overseer of Souls

For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
1 Peter 2:25

 Hearing the word “overseer” brings to mind images of a white guy with a whip sitting on a horse scrutinizing black slaves as they pick cotton or perhaps it’s a line boss supervising hundreds of factory workers to make sure they stay on task. In any case, it doesn’t seem like a fitting name of Christ.

This title in the Old King James Version is rendered, “Bishop of your souls,” which also has its own drawbacks. Here, the stereotype is of a cleric in fancy robes that has the control of church leaders. Again, the image is off the mark.

The original Greek word sounds a bit like “bishop” so the translators of the KJV transliterated it to be that. The actual translation is “one who watches over” and is associated with the job of a shepherd. Now, the title makes sense. Jesus is the One who is looking out for the believers; He is the Overseer of Souls.

The Greek word is sometimes translated overseer and sometimes bishop a total of eight times in the NKJV, but only once referring to Christ. The other seven instances are regarding elders in the church. If church leaders care for and shepherd the flock of God, then in the same way the Chief Shepherd watches over the progress and welfare of the church.

Before David became King of Israel, he felt abandoned and alone while hiding in a cave. He cried out to God in Psalm 142:4 saying, “Look on my right hand and see, For there is no one who acknowledges me; Refuge has failed me; No one cares for my soul.” But David never knew Jesus, the Overseer of Souls.

The Name (Ha-shem)

Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name.
Philippians 2:9

The Hebrew name for God appears over 6,000 times in the Old Testament. It is four consonants without vowels (roughly equivalent to the English letters YHWH or possibly JHVH), so it is unpronounceable.

Christian Bible scholars who wish to give utterance to the name of God pronounce it Yahweh or Jehovah. Devout Jews, however, consider the tetragrammaton (those four Hebrew letters) as too holy to even say. When they come to it during the Sabbath Torah reading in the Synagogue, the word Adonai (the Lord) or Ha-shem (the Name) is substituted in its place.

This is even seen in scripture. In Leviticus twenty-four there is the story of the son of an Egyptian man who cursed the LORD. Verse eleven reads “And the Israelite woman’s son blasphemed the name of the LORD and cursed; and so they brought Him to Moses….” Then in verse sixteen it goes on to say, “And whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall certainly stone him, the stranger as well as him who is born in the land. When he blasphemes the name of the LORD, He shall be put to death.”

The reason for examining these verses is to note that the phrase "of the LORD" is in italics, which means that it is not there in the original. In Hebrew, this section reads that he “blasphemed the name and cursed.” To blaspheme Ha-shem is to take the sacred name of God in vain.

To the unsaved world the name of Jesus Christ isn’t sacred, holy, or blessed. They use it as a curse. Our society doesn’t stone people for blasphemy anymore and most Christians just tune it out or accept the disrespect as normal. The problem is that when believers aren’t offended, God is. The least that a Christian could do is say to the offender, “Please don’t say that; it bothers me” or “Please stop that; you’re cursing the name I love.” The church should never forget that God has given Jesus the name that is above every name. 

Yeshua

She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Yeshua, [which means ‘Adonai saves,’] because he will save his people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:21 CJB

Although I have no clear memory of it, shortly after I was born, my legal name became Richard Khol.  I know that because my birth certificate says so, although through the years I’ve been given other names.  As a kid, everyone called me Rickey and my baby brother called me “Racoo”. When I got to High School, I chose to call myself “Rick” and that’s who I consider I am.

My name in South America was “don Ricardo”.  That’s not who I was, but it worked for Spanish speakers and I was alright with it. While there, I became close with an Ecuadorian pastor who expressed his friendship by always addressing me as “Rrrreek”. He didn’t pronounce it right, but at least he tried and I appreciated it.

When Christ was born in Bethlehem His legal name was probably "Yehoshua", which we pronounce today as “Joshua”.  In Hebrew it means “God-saves” and was a common name in the first century. This four syllable word was shortened to three in the name “Yeshua” which translates "Salvation".

English speakers are usually clueless to both the meaning and pronunciation of the Lord’s name. When the New Testament was written in Greek, the Savior’s name, Yeshua, was transliterated to "ee-ay-soos", since there weren’t equivalent letters in both languages. Then, in the 5^th century the New Testament was translated into Latin and for a thousand years His personal name was “IESVS”.  

The Tyndale, Geneva, and early King James versions all used the Latin spelling of the name. It wasn’t until 1630 that the “J” was added and pronounced "Yeh". Later, the “Yeh” sound was finally dropped and the "Jeh" sound substituted.

“Jesus”, then, is a transliteration of the Latin, which is a transliteration of the Greek, which is a transliteration of the Hebrew.

O Lord Yeshua, please have patience with us!  We’ll get your name right in heaven!

The Almighty

"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."

 Revelation 1:8*

All strength + All power + All energy = Almighty. This title focuses on the omnipotence of Christ making every other mighty thing in our experience appear to be feeble by comparison.

Strength – Man has magnified his own muscular strength many millions of times through the machinery he is capable of constructing. Big earth moving equipment can literally move mountains. The huge dragline cranes found in open pit mines can scoop up and lift twenty tons of ore in a single bucket load. Very impressive. However, the blue whale, a creature of the Lord’s design, hurls five times that weight into the air every time it leaps from the ocean.

Power – The most powerful instrument at man’s disposal is the nuclear bomb capable of reducing an entire city to rubble. The thousands of such weapons found in arsenals around the world can destroy human civilization many times over. However, even if every one of these big firecrackers were to go off, they could only scorch the surface of the planet. Christ has the power to melt down all the elements of earth with just the words of His mouth (2 Peter 3:10).

Energy – Every form of energy found on earth can be directly or ultimately traced back to the sun. It warms the world and energizes living things. However, there are stars that are so gigantic that they could hold one hundred million of our suns within each of them. When these finally burn out, Christ can make more. After all, He is Almighty.

*also 48 Old Testament references including 31 in the book of Job

Lord Jesus Christ*

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Romans 16:24

The Lord Jesus Christ is the most complete of all the titles given to the Savior because it speaks of both who He is and what He has done.

“Lord” conveys His majesty and deity. It is a commanding title of authority, position, and power. Every knee will bow before the Lord and obedience is to be given without question. It places Him above all things and gives Him the preeminence.

“Jesus” was His personal name. From the birth of baby Jesus in Bethlehem to the death of Jesus of Nazareth on the cross of Calvary, the human experience of Christ is portrayed. His disciples called Him by His name in the confidence of friendship yet He is no less approachable now than He was 2000 years ago.

“Christ” was anointed to fulfill a purpose. He came to earth to destroy the power of sin and death and to restore mankind to fellowship with God. It was only by being fully God and fully man that full redemption could be attained.

   Lord Jesus Christ, we seek Thy face;
          Within the veil we bow the knee;
          Oh, let Thy glory fill the place,
          And bless us while we wait on Thee.

                                      Alexander Stewart (1843- 1923)

*The last title of Christ used in the New Testament

**1 Corinthians 1:7; Titus 1:4; 2 Peter 1:8; Revelation 22:21; plus 90 other references

The Word*

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:1**

“The Word” – What kind of title is that to give somebody? It’s not so much a description as it is a means to describe. A lot of people might find that a little hard to understand.

Actually, the title denotes more the mission rather than the person of the Lord. Translated from the Greek word “Logos” the idea that comes across is that of expression and communication. The Word makes known the thoughts in the mind of a speaker. As such, Jesus is the full Revelation of God as well as the Revealer of God.

Before time began Christ was already the articulation of all that God is, being God Himself. By coming to earth He became the embodiment of the divine message to Adam’s race. Just the fact that the Lord was there meant that God was making a statement. The symbols and ceremonies that had served for centuries were no longer needed. The Word became flesh and people could finally experience God with all distance gone. Holiness, grace, and mercy passed from the realm of the theoretical and was played out for all to see at the little hill of Calvary.

                            Thou art the Everlasting Word,
                                      The father’s only Son,
                                      God manifestly seen and heard,
                                      And heav’n’s beloved One.

                                                          Josiah Conder (1789-1855)

*This title was exclusively used by the apostle John
**See also John 1:14; 1 John 1:1, 5:7; Revelations 19:13

ELOHIM

Then God [Elohim] said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness” … So God [Elohim] created man in His own image; in the image of God [Elohim] He created him; male and female He created them.

Genesis 1:26-27*

           The deity of Christ, far from being an obscure doctrine, permeates the Bible, beginning in chapter one. Elohim, the Hebrew word most commonly translated as “God” in the Old Testament, clearly communicates the concept of the Holy Trinity.

The word denotes “Mighty One” but due to its grammar it also envelopes the idea of plurality within unity. Some English words also have similar structure. If someone requested a pair of pants and some scissors it would be clear that he wanted one each even though the grammar is plural.

The universe is not run by a committee or a board of directors. It is controlled by the one true God, Elohim (Deuteronomy 6:4).

This one Almighty God is expressed to us in three persons. God the Father fills every cubit inch of the universe (Psalm 139:1-16). God the Son is the Most High revealed in physical human form (1 John 5:20). God the Spirit is the special presence of the Holy One in the lives of believers (Romans 8;9).

Just as I can be a brother, father, and husband all at the same time, Elohim  relates to His creation in distinct ways without being divided Himself. One person of God is not the same as the others, yet one manifestation certainly cannot deny the existence of the rest. There is more to Elohim than a narrow view of God.

*Elohim is used over 2,500 times in the Old Testament

Anointed

The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD and against His Anointed.

Psalms 2:2

…The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor;

Luke 4:18

                                               

This title is a “threefer.” It’s one original word translated three different ways into English. The base word is “anointed” but it is also translated as “Messiah” or “Christ” depending on the context.

To be anointed means have oil poured on one’s head in a public ceremony. This was done to ordain priests, coronate kings, and designate prophets. Christ was anointed by God for all of these positions; “Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions" (Hebrews 1:9).

The Hebrew word for “anointed” or “anointed one” is “Mashiach” which is written as “Messiah” in English. This was God’s special chosen one that wasn’t anointed with oil but with the Holy Spirit. Every prophet, priest, and king in the Old Testament was a mashiach. However, God’s special One was the Mashiach, the Messiah.  

         When 70 Hebrew scholars translated the Old Testament into Greek, the word “mashiach” became “christos” and then “Christ” in English. The dispersed Jewish people built their synagogues all around the Greek speaking world and taught interested Gentiles about the God of the universe and His promised Christ that was to come. 

         In our day and age we really don’t get the concept of anointing. We think, “Yuck! Who would want to get all greasy like that?” But in the Middle East, oil was also used as a part of a healing process. In a land that is hot and dry, skin and hair become dull and scaly; oil poured out is refreshing and gives the body softness and shine.

Jesus is the Messiah of the Old Testament and Christ of the New because for us He became God’s Anointed.