Mark 8:27-34

Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the
way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of
the prophets.”
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”
Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.
He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and
be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that
he must be killed and after three days rise again.32 He spoke plainly about this,
and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get
behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but
merely human concerns.”
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever
wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow
me.

Matthew 23:8-10
“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all
brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and
he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor,
the Messiah.
 • Christ
- Masehiah (Hebrew word) which refers to Gods anointed one.
- Messiah (English) transliterated so that the words Christ and Messiah
are synonyms.
 Messiah
- is a concept product of post-exilic Jewish hopes and expectation arising
from the mystique of kingship and the promise of universal dominion.
› Zealots
- a Messiah was a glorious political liberator who will rid Palestine of
the Romans and establish a messianic kingdom on earth.
› Rabbi
- a Messiah is a Teacher of the Law.
* Thus the Messiah was someone especially chosen by God to bring the fulfilment of God’s
promise to his people Israel who had a special role to lead and represent the community before God.

The Popular Filipino Images of Jesus

 Santo Nino (the Holy Child)

- Imaging the innocence, simplicity, child-like wonder of Christ.

- While responding to the Filipino’s natural love for children, the child
image of Christ can sometimes foster a one-side focus which neglects the mature,
adult Christ and the demands of responsible discipleship.

 Jesus Nazareno (common image)

- picturing the suffering of Jesus and inspiring many folk devotional panata.
 - this image of Jesus’ suffering love is very consoling to numberless Filipinos
in dire poverty and hardship.
- yet, unless it is balanced by the image of the Risen Christ, the victor over
sin and death itself, it can foster a certain self-centered, passive, fatalistic attitude
that impedes free, creative response to everyday challenges.

• Sacred Heart (popular image)

- common seen in jeepneys and tricycles, whose meek and mild and
countenance invites the same attitude in his followers.
- Traditional Filipino courtesy and patience in the face of suffering are thus
religiously grounded.
- but this serene image needs to be related to Christ the Liberator, inspired
by his mission to “light a fire on the earth”(Lk. 12:49).
- it is the image of Christ, liberating us both within our personal lives and
social structures, that has captured the special attention of many Filipinos
today.

Other Christological Titles of Jesus

• Lord
- was a confessional title of Palestine Jewish origin.
- it is used in absolute form after the Resurrection event.
- it implied that Jesus is the Lord of all, to whom we owe our
commitment and loyalty.
- His power is felt all over the world … he has the final say about
human life and the future.
- the title , which was used of God ,was subsequently applied to Jesus:
“Jesus is Lord!” (1 Cor. 12:13).
- the title itself implied identification with Yahweh and ascribed to Jesus
worship that belongs only to God.
 * The early Christian worshipped Jesus as Lord and celebrated his presence in
the community of faith as the Resurrected One in whom the world and all
human beings are saved from sin and despair.

• Son of God
- the title comes from Christian tradition and originated from the
Palestinian community.
- this refers to Christ’s works as Messiah.
- it was later used with reference to the resurrection and applied by the
Hellenistic Jewish Cristian to Jesus exaltation after he rose from the dead.
- the title “Son of God” implies Jesus obedience to the Father.
- it is also points out to the “divine majesty of Jesus and his ultimate
oneness with God.”

* As the Son of God , Jesus is God’s self-giving. He speaks of and for God. He
is God’s final offer of grace and mercy.

• Son of Man
- the title was honoured and esteemed by the primitive Cristian
community because this is the title that often comes from the mouth of
Jesus when he referred to himself in the four gospels.
- it suggests the mystery of his person and mission.
* Other perspective on this, thought posit that this is not titular but a
Galilean Aramaic way referring to oneself. Hence, it could be translated as “I”
when the speaker would to speak out of awe, respect or modesty. A synonym
for this phrase could be “human being.”(Nolan, Jesus before Christianity, 145
quoting Geza Vermes, Jesus the Jew a Historian Reading of the Gospel, 1973:
160-168, 186

• Jesus as Savior
- Hebrew 13:8 succinctly state: “Jesus Christ, the only Savior of the world,
yesterday, today and forever”.
- this is the most important statement of our faith in Jesus Christ.
 - it means that God’s will to save all humankind has been manifested and
accomplished in a unique and definitive way in the mystery of Jesus’ birth,
ministry, passion, death and resurrection and of his ecclesial community, which is
the sacrament of salvation in history.

* In summary, the titles attributed to Jesus are indicators of a growing

and dynamic faith among the early Christian in Him as the Christ. These titles
are titles used from early Jewish traditions and applied hem to Jesus but given
new meanings by Christian themselves (catholic Encyclopaedia, 602)

The Seven “I AM” sayings in John’s Gospel

 Jn. 6:35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life.”
 Jn. 8:12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world.”
 Jn. 10:7 so again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you. I am the gate for
the sheep.”
 Jn. 10:11.14 “I am the good shepherd.”
 Jn. 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.”
 Jn. 15:1.5 “I am the true vine.”
Christological Titles of Jesus
 Messiah / Christ
 Son of God
 Son of Man
 Rabbi / Teacher
 Lord / LORD
 Prophet
 King of Jews / King of Israel
 Lamb of God / Good Shepherd / etc…