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📚 Formation of Gospels
Gospel

Euangelion (Greek); “ev” = good, “angelion” = news

Gospel = “good news”

Four Gospels (Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John) - most credible source to know about Jesus

The gospels underwent a process of development that involves 3 distinct stages

 Three Stages of Gospel

💡 Life Stage - historical life of Jesus in the first century Palestine

Jesus - Armenian Jew

underwent circumcision

went to the temple and Synagogue

called his disciples to be part of his mission to proclaim the kingdom of God

disciples became witnesses to his ministries, miracles, and his teachings.

Core of the writing of the gospels

Gospels were not written out of the whims of the evangelists

💡 Preaching/Oral Stage - began after Jesus rose from the dead

Apostles (who were hiding in fear) - were transformed; filled with the Holy Spirit, they began preaching to
everyone the Crucified Christ

Kerygma (proclamation of faith in the risen Christ)- fundamental concern of the disciples

the words (teachings) and the works (actions) of Jesus were preached, contextualized, and applied to
various faith communities in the first century (Roawie L. Quimba)

Result of the proclamation - the emergence of the Small Christian Churches.

First Community of Christians (the Church) - all those who believed and accepted the teachings of the
Apostles

💡 Writing Stage - to preserve the teachings about their Lord for the future generations and to spread the teachings
of Christ

The disciples did not start writing down the teachings of Jesus because Jesus said he would come back

Then they realize that his second coming (Parousia) won’t happen in his lifetime

There also emerged some false prophets teaching falsely about Christ

John said, “There are also many other things that Jesus did…I do not think the whole world would contain
the books that would be written.” (Jn. 21:25)

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 Illustration of the Three Stages

The Four Gospels

The Four Place of

Time of Composition Audience Portrait of Jesus
Evangelists Composition

Christians of Gentiles (non Jewish)

Mark Before 70 AD Rome Suffering Jesus
Background
Between 70 AD - 90
Matthew Antioch, Syria Christians of Jewish Background Teaching Savior
AD

Between 70 AD - 90 Compassionate
Luke Greece Christians of Greek Background
AD Savior

John After 90 AD Ephesus Christians of all backgrounds Life-Giving Savior

The Portraits of Jesus

💡 Mark’s Suffering Savior

Stressed the suffering of Jesus

Was deeply influenced by the historical fact that the Christians in Rome were suffering persecution under the
hands of Nero, the Roman Emperor.

💡 Matthew’s Teaching Savior

Stressed how Jesus brought the teachings of Moses to fulfillment

Since the gospel was written mainly for the Jews, the Matthean community were interested in how Jesus’
teachings fit in with the teachings of the Jews

💡 Luke’s Compassionate Savior

Stressed Jesus’ concern for the “marginalized” sectors of society

was influenced by the fact that he wrote for the Gentiles (non-Jews), especially the outcasts of society.

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 💡 John’s Life-Giving Savior

Stressed how Jesus came to make the lives of all richer and fuller

was influenced by the fact that he wrote for the Christians of all backgrounds

John wrote at a later stage where there were many converts

Synoptic Gospel

refers to the Gospels of Mark, Luke, and Matthew

“syn” = same, “optic” = lens

Earliest gospel ever written - Mark’s gospel

Earliest Christian writing - Paul’s Letter to the Thessalonians (50AD)

Mark is considered to be one of the sources of Matthew and Luke

Quelle (source) or Q-Document - a hypothetical document, a source that is common only to Matthew and Luke

S-Lk: special only to Luke, you can’t find it in other Gospels. (ex. The Prodigal Son)

S-Mt: special only to Matthew, you can’t find it in other Gospels. (ex. The Parable of the Last Judgement)

Low vs. High Cristology

Synoptic Gospels (Mark, Luke, and Matthew) - considered as Low Cristology or Cristology from below

humanity of Jesus towards his divinity

John’s Gospel - considered as High Cristology or Cristology from above

started with divinity of Jesus towards his humanity because there were already many converts

John’s gospel start with abstract concept of Logos.

📚 Pre-Ministry of Jesus
💡 Pre-Ministry - before Jesus went out to proclaim the Kingdom of God and perform miracles

Three Sacred Actions Surrounding the Birth of a Jewish Boy

1. Circumcision - initiates the child into the community;

happens eight days after birth regardless of Sabbath day

also a time the child is being named

2. Presentation - to the temple; to consecrate as the child of God

giving thanks to God

3. Purification - welcomes the mother back into full participation in the worshipping community

Jesus’ Presentation

Witnesses - 2 old Jews, Simeon and Anna (had been praying for the promised Messiah

Simeon said, “Now, Lord, you have kept your promise… With my own eyes I have seen your salvation… a light to
reveal your will to the Gentiles and bring glory to your people Israel” (Lk 2:27-30,32)

Mary and Joseph were amazed at the things Simeon said

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 “This child is chosen by God for the destruction and the salvation of many in Israel. He will be a sign from God which
may people speak against… and sorrow, like a sharp sword, will break your own heart.” (Lk 2:34-35)

Three important points in Jesus’ future ministry:

1. It will extend beyond Israel to the Gentiles

2. 2 groups in Israel - saved and lost

3. It will bring pain to his mother

The Magi Story

The Feast of the Three Kings

The Bible did not say that they were kings or that there were 3 of them.

Magi - not kings but masters of kings; known to be wise

The Three Gifts

Gold (“king of metals”) - symbol of Jesus’ Kingship

Frankincense (used in religious worship) - symbol of Jesus’ Divinity

Myrrh (used to prepare the dead for burial) - human weakness; symbol of Jesus’ Humanity

📚 Test of Jesus: Temptation of Jesus

Tells us three important questions about Jesus:

1. His Identity - Who is he?

2. His Mission - What did Jesus come to do?

3. His Style - How will Jesus go about doing it?

💡 Jesus‘ Identity

Jesus as Human - experienced inner conflict between right and wrong; tension between flesh and spirit

He did not hesitate or waver; he stayed firm in the face of temptation

Jesus as Divine - the devil says “if you’re God’s son…”

Jesus is both human and at the same time God

💡 Jesus’ Mission

Jesus’ victory over the devil restores the life to the human race; showed us how to be more fully human

To be the “new Adam” of the “new creation”; the face of the new human being and came to right the first
Adam’s wrong

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 💡 Jesus’ Style

Refusal to turn stones to bread = he will not use his power ro his own comfort/benefit

He would rather sweat, hunger, and suffer to accomplish his work on Earth.

Refusal to throw himself down from the temple and let angels protect him = he has not come to be served
but to serve

Refusal to kneel before the devil in exchange for the world = he will not compromise/negotiate evil with evil

Summary
Test of Jesus previews three principles that will characterize the style of how Jesus carry out his mission:

1. He will suffer, rather than avoid pain

2. He will serve, rather than be served

3. He will die, rather than negotiate with evil

📚The Teaching Ministry of Jesus

💡 The Kingdom of God - all his actions and words can only be understood in the context of his proclamation of
the Kingdom

💡 The Parables - Jesus’ unique way of teaching is through parables

The Kingdom of God

🔘 Jews - the “Kingdom of God” is not a place or people
its main emphasis is the actions of God

refers to the dynamic rule of God in the world

a gift which God alone can provide, one that the disciples can only pray for

the kingdom’s coming depends on God’s rule of power

It’s a process because there is still the kingdom of Satan

🔘 “The Kingdom of God is here but not yet” = the Kingdom of God is already here, it is already within us. But it is not yet
fully realized. Thus, it’s a process.
🔘 The Church & The Kingdom of God are not the same
Church - a vehicle towards the complete fulfillment of the Kingdom; should serve and promote the Kingdom

Kingdom - end goal

🔘 Uses parables to describe, not define, the kingdom

defining it may limit the vast meaning of this concept

Ex. Kingdom is like a Mustard Seed, Parable of the Sower, Parable of the Weeds, The Kingdom is Like a Net
Catching All Kinds of Fish (good and bad)

Parables of Jesus

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 “An educational device for illuminating mysteries that cannot be directly described.” - J.
Macquarrie

🔘 Jesus’ Reasons of Using Parables

to stir up the imagine of the listener; “to arrest the hearer by its vividness and strangeness and leaving the mind in
sufficient doubt about the precise application to tease it into active through”

use of surprise and shock to help us see in anew way the outrageous thruth

to persuade, convince, and to covert his hearers to a new vision of the kingdom by his powerful use of images from
everyday life

🔘 Two reasons why Love forms the heart of Jesus’ teaching

1. Love is a sign of God’s Kingdom on Earth

2. Love is the power by which we reverse the chain reaction of evil and replace it with the chain reaction of good; God’s
Kingdom on Earth grows

🔘 Two Familiar Parables:

💡 The Good Samaritan

Jesus paints portraits of 3 different people: a priest, a Levite, and a Samaritan

Jesus made the enemy of the Jews, the Samaritan, a hero, the good guy

Jesus wanted to teach his Jewish hearers that Love knows no boundaries. It reaches out to everyone.

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 💡 The Parable of the Prodigal Son

Shockfactors:

the son’s demand for his inheritance; the father granted it

the son came to his senses

Face Saving Plan of the son:

“Father, I have sinned against God and before you”

“I no longer deserve to be called your son”

“Treat me as one of your hired servants”

The father is the real prodigal

He was not after the explanation of his son or the motives of his son’s return

He was looking for his son, not his explanation

Father’s reaction

Embraced his son = sign of welcome

Putting shoes on his son’s feet = forgiveness

Putting a ring = restore the son’s status

Older son

He got angry

Father reminded his son, “my son.. this brother of yours was dead and has come back.”

the parable ends without telling us whether the older son joined the celebration or not

Conclusion

The older son stands for the religious leaders of Jesus’ time

The younger son stands for the sinners and outcasts

Jesus is telling the scribe and pharisee to write their own ending to the story and they don’t like that.

📚The Miracles of Jesus

The Greek Words for Miracle
Three different Greek words the 4 Evangelists used to describe the miracles of Jesus:

1. Terras = something marvelous

2. Dynamis = something powerful

3. Semeion = sign

📌 Thus, miracles were signs of announcing the arrival of the:

Messiah of God

Kingdom of God

The Purpose of the Miracles

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 💡 Announcement on the Arrival of the Messiah of God

Biblical Background: Prophet Isaiah had foretold that certain events would signal the coming of the Messiah

The blind shall see, the deaf will hear, the lame will leap and dance (Isa. 35:5-6)

💡 Announcement of the Coming of the Kingdom of God

Biblical Background: Before Adam and Eve sinned, there was no sin, sickness, or death. This all changed
with their sin which ushered in the Kingdom of Satan. Those three sins held the human race in slavery.

Thus, we must read the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ power over each of these three evils:

Jesus forgives sins (Lk. 5:17-26)

Jesus heals the sick (Mk. 1:29-31)

Jesus raises the dead (Lk. 7:12-16)

These are signs that the Kingdom of God is already here

Challenges:

1. We are invited to be aware of the miracles in our lives now

2. We are challenged to believe in Jesus and to become active collaborators in realizing the Kingdom of God

3. We have our roles in promoting this Kingdom of God. We are not only called to believe in Jesus but to become active
believers by living out the Gospel values in our lives everyday

📚The Death of Jesus

Paschal Mystery

💡 Paschal Mystery - the accounts of Jesus’ passion, death, resurrection, and ascension

important event in the life of Jesus as it became the climax of his journey towards his unconditional love for
his father and humanity

summit of the human expression of his love

Jesus clashes with the religious authorities: Scribes, the Pharisees, and the Sudducees

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 Did Jesus Know How He Was Going to Die?

Jesus was not naive

He was not accepted even in his early first ministry.

He knew he was going to die if he was to continue to proclaim the Kingdom of God

Reasons of Jesus’ Arrest

“Jesus was a Jew who kept the Torah of Moses faithfully. He was not executed because he
sought to “abolish” the law and the prophets but because he came in conflict with Jewish
leaders over at least 3 key issues of authority” -Scott Hann

He claimed authority over the law by healing on the Sabbath day

He claimed authority over the temple

He was accused of sedition by those who saw his Messianic claim as a threat to the political power of Caesar and the
Roman Empire.

🔘 Allegations Against Jesus

1. Violation of the law of Sabbath

2. Plan to destroy the temple

3. Jesus’ association with sinners and other social, religious, and political outcasts

4. Question on the interpretation of the Jewish Law

5. Question on Jesus’ source of authority, God as his Abba (father)

6. Blasphemy: Jesus’ claim as Messiah

Is Jesus’ Cross the Will of the Father?

🔘 How Jesus understood his own death
1st Q: Could Jesus have foreseen how he was going to die?

2nd Q: Could he have attributed to his death some sort of saving efficacy?

Bultman - Jesus could not have foreseen his death let alone explain it

Some theologians rejected the notion of “suffering son of man”

the prediction is too detailed, could be formulated by the early church after the event.

otherwise, the disappointment, etc. would have been completely incomprehensible.

🔘 New Testament Interpretation of Jesus’ Death on the Cross (C. Mckeating, SSC)
Three Distinct Models:

💡 The Pattern of Human Rejection Coupled with Divine Vindication

Just like prophets were rejected by people but were ultimately vindicated by God.

But no Salvific value

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 💡 Divine Preordination

Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter his glory? (Lk. 24:26)

Suffering seems to have been the destiny of all those who remained faithful to God.

Still no Salvific value.

💡 Directly Soteriological One

Jesus died for our sins. By his death the world has been reconciled to God.

The existential offering of his life has brought about our redemption and made atonement with God.

🔘 Theory of Satisfaction by St. Anselm of Canturbury

Feudal Juridical Understanding- judged the gravity of an offense as depending upon the dignity of the person
offended

Since mortal sin was against God, whose dignity is infinite, it could only be recompensed by an infinite being, who
is Jesus, acting on our behalf.

Christ’s sacrifice was seen as making full compensation or satisfaction for sin.

Today, theologians are most unhappy with this explanation

They feel that a juridical explanation based on feudal law is totally inept and inadequate

Anselm’s theory is grounded on an unworthy view and image of God

It turns God into an Ogre who needs to be appeased, demands human sacrifice, and who rejoices in vengeful
satisfaction

The Meaning of Jesus’s Death on the Cross

🔘 It was out of love that he died for us

This love was shown by God’s unconditional solidarity with us in our human situation

The love entailed full respect for human freedom, including the possibility of rejecting that very love offered to us

In the face of evil and refusal of love, Jesus upheld human freedom, allowing evil people to do as they pleased with him

The love for us and for the world is at the heart of the message of the Kingdom of God. It was in being faithful to that
message that Jesus was prepared to die

🔘 What seemed abandonment by God was in fact the Father’s love ratifying the expression of Jesus’s unconditional
commitment.

The father did not interfere in this historical event but was present in the suffering of the son and shared in the solidarity
of compassion

Instead of a God of power we see a God who is vulnerable and weak by love of sinful humankind

It is a hidden God, a God who will only transform evil by doing good

This is self-emptying of God, a surrender to human weakness out of love and an infinite respect for human freedom as
the surest sign of compassion for his creation. And all of this despite the evil done.

📚 Resurrection of Jesus
Terms and Definitions

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 💡Resurrection - a transition from mortal life on earth, through physical death, to a new, completely different, form of
immortal life:

from past participle of the Latin verb “resurgere” = "to rise again."

Jesus is the subject 
of his own action:  "he will rise from the dead" (Mark 8:31; 12:25; John 11:23-24; etc.)

Jesus is the object 
of God's action:  "he will be raised from the dead" (Mark 12:26; 16:6; Luke 9:22; etc.).

not the same as the "resuscitation" or "reanimation" of a body, nor the "reincarnation" or "immortality" of a soul.

Resuscitation - the restoration or revival of a person from a coma, unconsciousness, or apparent death back to
the same earthly life.

Reanimation - the rejoining of an earthly body with the same soul (or a new soul?) after a temporary separation.

Reincarnation - the rebirth of a soul into a new & different but still physical & mortal body (common idea in
some Eastern religions).

Immortality 
- the inability to die; life continuing forever (esp. a soul after its separation from a dead body).

💡Eternal Life - life with God forever, not interrupted by death; it either continues or starts anew after death.
Mortal Life - normal human life on earth, ending in death (Latin mors); any life subject to suffering, death, and
decay.

💡Ascension - the return of a person, after life on earth, to live with God in heaven:
The Ascension of Jesus, only in Luke 24 and Acts 1, is a preparation for the sending of the Holy Spirit.

It is traditionally thought to have occurred near the town of Bethany, on the Mount of Olives, just East of
Jerusalem

💡Christians believe in the "Resurrection of the Body," not merely the "Immortality of the  (disembodied) Soul"!

Thus, "resurrection" might be thought of as the reunification of the spirit or soul with a new and immortal body.

Yet this new "body" should not be thought of in overly physicalistic or materialistic terms.

Even if our mortal body is buried or cremated, we will receive some type of "resurrected body.

What this new (resurrected/immortal) body will be like is unknown, since it will be radically different from our
present (physical/mortal) bodies.

The main point is that we will still be "some-body," able to interact in personal relationship with God and with
"every-body" else.

Biblical Background of Belief in the Resurrection

🔘 Earliest Stages in OT: No belief in life after death whatsoever;  life simply ceases to exist
🔘 Middle Stages in OT: Belief in a general resuscitation or reanimation of many of the dead, or the whole nation, to a
renewed life on earth
🔘 Latest Stages in OT: Beginning beliefs in continued life after death and/or resurrection from the dead for individuals
🔘 NT Developments: Belief in resurrection from death to a new and different form of life
Four Types of Literary Materials Related to the Resurrection in the New Testament

🔘 Brief Statements of Resurrection Faith  - Jesus says that he will be raised, or Christians proclaim that 
Jesus was raised, with no narrative details

The earliest NT texts related to Jesus' resurrection are brief proclamations, not narratives; see esp. 1 Cor 15:3-4.

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 Some NT texts (esp. in Mark’s Gospel) suggest that Jesus’ resurrection will occur "after three days"

Many other passages (esp. in Matthew & Luke) instead quote Jesus as saying "on the third day"

🔘 Empty Tomb Narratives - a few days after Jesus' death, some women find his tomb empty, his body missing
Details differ in these accounts as to the number and names of the women, the number and description of the heavenly
messenger(s), their message, and the reaction of the women

🔘 Resurrection Appearance Stories - the risen Jesus appears to various individuals or groups of his disciples
Details differ in these accounts as to where, when, and to whom Jesus appears; how he is described, and how the
disciples react.

🔘 Ascension Narratives - Jesus "ascends" or is taken up to heaven

Only in Luke 24:50-53 and Acts 1:2, 6-11, but not in Matthew, John, or the first editions of Mark.

The brief mention of Ascension in Mark 16:19-20 is part of the later ending of Mark, added some time in the 2nd
Century.

In contrast, Matt 28:16-20 could be called an "anti-Ascension"! Jesus does not ascend to heaven, but instead says that
he will remain with the disciples forever.

Overview of the Resurrection Accounts in the Four Gospels

Comparison of the “Empty Tomb” Narratives in the Gospels

Comparison of the Ascension Narratives of Luke 24 and Acts 1 (From the “Anti-Ascension” of Matt 28)

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 Resurrection a Hoax?

No one really saw Jesus rising from the dead or how it really happened. That is why there are some doubts as to the
truth of the event.

We cannot deny the different testimonies from those people who experienced the apparitions/appearances of Jesus

Resurrection is a real event. They experienced that the crucified Christ was risen.

Objections to the Resurrection

🔘 Theft Theory
The body of Jesus was stolen

We cannot affirm of the resurrection because there was no body

🔘 Conspiracy Theory
The disciples and guards conspired to say that there was a resurrection when there was none at all

🔘 Drugged Theory
Jesus was just drugged, to put to sleep

🔘 Coma/Swoon Theory
Jesus was just in coma and didn’t really die

🔘 Hallucination Theory
The disciples were hallucinating

Psychology - Hallucination is real especially during traumatic events

🔘 Lie Theory
They just simply lied

Affirmation on Jesus’ Resurrection

🔘 Empty Tomb
The fact that the tomb was empty, it gave a possibility that something did happen with his body

🔘 Appearance of an Angel
An angel appeared and confirmed that Jesus is not here

🔘 Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances/apparitions

Jesus appeared to his disciples and to the women

🔘Report of the Guard

In the bible, the guard reported this event

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 🔘 Proof of Jesus’ bodily resurrection
Jesus showed his body to his disciples, meaning that the person you crucified has now risen with the same body

🔘 Transformation of the disciples

The death of Jesus made the disciples sad and feared that the master who was supposed to save them died

But that fear transformed to fearless and became more courageous disciples

🔘 Stories of conversion
(e.g. Roman Centurion, Saul-Paul)

Resurrection: A Source of Faith, Meaning, and Hope

💡 Faith

a divine gift = even his persecutors realized that he is truly the son of the living God

however, the gift of faith is a gift of God’s love for us that requires our decision to accept it or reject it

💡 Meaning

all of life’s sufferings and miseries will come to an end

all of our mortal frustrations and failures are nothing compared to the eternal glory that awaits us

💡 Hope

Jesus, who experienced the passage of death, proved to us that there is life after death

the greatest joy of being united with the Lord awaits us beyond our earthly existence

📚 Christological Titles
In ancient Israel, most people had only one name, what we think of as a "first name", but not
also a "last name".  Thus, the well-known man born about 2000 years ago was simply named
"Jesus".  Actually, his name in Hebrew was Yeshua (Joshua), which in the NT is translated by
the Greek Ιησους (Iesous), from which we get Latin Iesus and English "Jesus."  "Joshua/Jesus"
simply means "God saves". To distinguish similarly named people from one another, individuals
were further identified either by their geographical origin, or their occupation. They were also
often associated with relatives: usually their fathers, sometimes their siblings, or more rarely
their mothers

Titles of Jesus

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 💡 Messiah/Christ - both meaning "anointed one," from the Hebrew verb MASHAH ("to anoint, smear with oil,
pour oil over someone") and the Greek verb CHRIO (same def.)

OT - "The Anointed One of the Lord" frequently refers to currently reigning or past kings, esp. Saul
and David, and less often to a high patriarch, prophet, or priest

The title is applied to an expected future "anointed" leader only in Dan 9:25 and in non-biblical writings
from Qumran.

Early Judaism had a variety of different expectations as to what kind of a leader this "Messiah" would
be: royal, priestly, prophetic, or some combination of these.

NT - A transliteration of the Hebrew MESSIAS is used only in John 1:41 & 4:25. Elsewhere, the NT always
uses the Greek translation CHRISTOS ("Christ"), although the NRSV more loosely translates it as
"Messiah" 68 times.

The title refers only to Jesus, fairly often in the Gospels (7 Mk; 16 Mt; 12 Lk; 19 Jn) and very frequently
in Paul's letters (382 times).

Paul uses "Christ Jesus," "Jesus Christ," or even "Christ" alone

In Luke 4:18, Jesus quotes the scripture: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he
has anointed me to preach good news to the poor..."

Christians later used the Chi-Rho symbol (first two letters of "Christ" in Greek) as a monogram for
Jesus.

💡 Lord/LORD - it was a title of respect used for people superior to yourself, so it simply meant "Sir" or "Master,"
Later it is often also used for various gods or for the God of Israel.

OT - The Hebrew title ADONAI simply means "lord" or "master," and is often used for humans and/or for
God.

God's name in Hebrew, YHWH - called the "tetragrammaton" or "four sacred letters", is very often
written in the Bible, it was rarely pronounced by Jews after the Babylonian exile.

People substituted the title Adonai. To distinguish between the two uses of Adonai, many English Bibles
print this title in small capitals (LORD) when it substitutes for God's name, and in regular letters (Lord)
otherwise.

NT - The Greek word KYRIOS is very frequent, with a variety of meanings. It sometimes refers to God or to
humans, but usually to Jesus. 

Some people (esp. foreigners) may call Jesus Kyrie simply as a sign of respect ("Sir"), while his
disciples usually refer to him as their "master."

In later texts, calling Jesus "Lord" is an assertion of his messianic or divine status. 

In Luke, the disciples also address Jesus as an Epistates ("master") seven times. 

In Paul, "the Lord" is often used as a substitute for Jesus' name.

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 💡 Holy One - Originally a common circumlocution for God (a phrase used to avoid speaking God's name), it is
later also applied as a title for Jesus or other "saints.”

OT - In the singular, "Holy One" always and only refers to God, often also called "the Holy One of Israel".
In the plural, "holy ones" can refer to human or angelic beings that are close to God.

NT - Jesus is called the "Holy One of God" by unclean spirits and by Peter. Acts 2:27 and 13:35 quote Ps
16:10 to call Jesus the "Holy One," a title that is also used of Jesus in Acts 3:14; 1 John 2:20; and Rev 3:7;
16:5.

💡 I AM

OT - God's name (YHWH) is revealed to Moses in the story of the burning bush. It means something close
to "I am"

It is simply called "the Name" by Jews, and is also known as the Tetragrammaton (lit. "four letters" in
Greek).

Ancient and modern Jews revere God's name so highly that they dare not speak it aloud, instead
substituting circumlocutions such as "the Name" or simply "God" or usually "the Lord”

NT - In the Synoptic Gospels, the phrase "I am" is used only a few times by Jesus, especially when Jesus
walks on the water, a story that functions as a "theophany" (appearance of a god)

Messianic pretenders may also deceive people by saying "I am". 

In John's Gospel, Jesus himself says "I Am" (Greek EIMI) fifty-four times.

Twenty-four of these are emphatic (explicitly including the pronoun for "I": EGO EIMI)

including some well-known metaphorical images, when Jesus calls himself the bread of life, the light
of the world, the door, the good shepherd, the resurrection and the life, the way and the truth and
the life, and the true vine.

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 💡 Son of God/God’s Son - This title originally did not
 imply full divinity, but simply a person's special relationship with God. As Christian theology developed,
however, it took on more exclusively divine connotations.

OT - In the singular or plural, God's "son" or "sons" can refer to angels, kings, good people, or the people of
Israel overall

but it did not refer to a messianic figure until the 1st century BC, nor did it imply divinity until the early
Christian era.

NT - The historical Jesus referred to God as Abba

 ("Father"), but probably never called himself the "Son of God" in a divine sense.

Such language developed only gradually in early Christianity

In Mark, only the Evangelist, unclean/demonic spirits, and a Roman centurion directly call Jesus "Son
of God," while the voice from heaven, more demons, and the high priest use equivalent expressions

In Matthew & Luke these titles for Jesus are also used by Satan, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus' disciples,
while Jesus himself calls some of his followers"sons/children of God”

Paul calls Jesus the "Son of God," and calls all Christians "sons/children of God" in a few important
passage

John has much more "Father/Son" language, and is the first to call Jesus the "unique-Son" of God

💡 Son of Man - More literally "son of the human" in Aramaic & Greek; originally emphasizing someone's
humanity, this title was later also used for a powerful heavenly figure.

OT - it usually refers to human beings in contrast to God or angels

but it could also highlight the prophet's role as a special representative of the people

Used 93 times in Ezekiel and only 13 times in the rest of the OT

Daniel 7:13 is the only OT text where this phrase describes a heavenly figure nearly equivalent to God
in power and authority

in later Jewish apocalyptic literature, the "Son of Man" is a figure of divine judgment

NT - Used 85 times, mostly in the four Gospels and almost always by Jesus referring to himself, but with
various meanings.

Some "Son of Man" sayings refer to the human

 activity of Jesus (as in Ezekiel), while others refer to his future role in divine judgment

Brand new is Jesus' use of "Son of Man" when he is telling his disciples about his upcoming suffering
and death

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 💡 Son of David - Originally referred literally to descendants of David, the most famous king of ancient Israel, but
as a title it later has several meanings.

OT - David had many sons, the most famous being Solomon, who succeeded him as king. God (through the
prophet Nathan) promises that the Davidi royal dynasty will last forever, but after the Babylonian exile most
Jewish rulers were not from David's family. Since King Herod was not, many people around the time of
Jesus wanted another "Son of David" to become king again

NT - As a title, "Son of David" (usually referring to Jesus) is not used very often, although "David" is
mentioned 56 times total.

In Mark & Luke, the phrase seems to refer not

 to royal power, but rather to the magical/ healing power for which Solomon was famous

Only Matthew uses this more often and more clearly as a messianic title with royal connotation

Matthew also stresses Jesus' Jewish heritage by calling him "Son of Abraham”

💡 Son of Mary/Son of Joseph

Son of Joseph - most people in the ancient world did not have "last names," but were identified by their
geographical origin, or their occupation, or their fathers

Son of Mary - did not become an important title for Jesus until later centuries, when Church Councils
defined Jesus' two-fold nature ("fully human and fully divine"). 

Although "Son of Mary" seems to emphasize Jesus' human nature (with "Son of God" expressing his
divine nature)

Christian theology later defined Mary as "Mother of God" (THEOTOKOS), not just mother of the
human side of Jesus.

💡 King of the Jews/King of Israel - a title connoting the political and military leadership of the Jewish people.

OT - From the 18th to 11th centuries, the Hebrews were a loose confederation of "tribes," not a monarchy.
God was considered their king.

The first human "kings" were Saul, David, and Solomon.

Thereafter, the "Kings of Israel" and the "Kings of Judah" ruled over separate realms.

After the Babylonian exile, "Judah" was usually called "Judea," the land of the "Jews.”

The exact title "King of the Jews" is not used in the OT, but obviously there were many "kings" over the
people.

NT - The phrase "King of the Jews" is only applied to Jesus, once at his birth and 17 times at his trial and
crucifixion

Jesus is also called "King of Israel" four time

Jesus himself refuses to be made king, but often speaks of the "Kingdom of God" and uses kings as
characters in his parables

The inscription place on the cross above Jesus' head said "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews", from
which is derived the common abbreviation INRI (from the Latin "Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum")

THEO 1: MIDTERMS 18
 💡 Emmanuel/Immanuel - A Hebrew name occurring in the NT only in Matt 1:23, where it is correctly translated
as meaning "God is with us.”

This OT prophetic text connects God's saving presence

 among his people with the birth of a child

Although it did not refer to a miraculous virgin birth in its original 8th-century BCE context, it was applied
by early Christians (such as the author of Matthew) to the birth of Jesus.

Matthew also explicitly connects the name "Emmanuel" with the name "Jesus," which means "God saves”

💡 Logos/Word - Used as a Christological title only in John 1:1 18, but very common in later Christianity. The
Greek word LOGOS can refer not only to a single "word," but also to a "phrase," a "sentence," a "speech," or
even the power of "reason" or the "mind."

John's use of this title alludes especially to the OT story of God creating the world merely by speaking (Gen
1)

While John's statement that "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14) is somewhat similar to
Matthew's use of the title "Emmanuel

💡 Lamb of God/Passover Lamb - In 1 Cor 5:7, Paul calls Jesus "our Passover" (Gk. pascha) which is rendered
"Paschal Lamb" in some English translations.

The expression "Lamb of God" (amnos tou theou) is used only in John 1:29, 36, as John the Baptist points to
Jesus

This image became much more popular in later Christian art and in the celebration of the Eucharist.

In John it is related to the detail that Jesus' death occurs at the very same time that the Passover lambs were
slaughtered in the Jerusalem Temple, so Jesus himself replaces the sacrificial lambs, whose blood was
necessary for the forgiveness of sins in the Jewish sacrificial system.

The "lamb (arnion) standing as if it had been slain" is also prominent in the Book of Revelation (5:6, and 30
times total).

THEO 1: MIDTERMS 19
 💡 Shepherd of Israel/Good Shepherd

OT - In part because the patriarch Jacob and his sons were literally herders of sheep, goats, and other flocks,
God is sometimes described as the "Shepherd of Israel" and related imagery

Some of the later leaders of the Israelites were also literally shepherds, including Moses, Amos, and
especially King David as a youth

Thus, shepherd imagery is frequently applied to the rulers of Israel, both the good and the bad ones

Some of the prophets express hope that a future ruler of Israel will be a good shepherd like David

NT - Not only does Matthew refer to the above-mentioned prophecies while telling of Jesus' birth, but Jesus
himself uses shepherd imagery in some of his parables

The evangelists also quote certain OT passages in describing the ministry and the death of Jesus

In the Fourth Gospel, Jesus calls himself the "Good Shepherd”

Later NT writings similarly refer to Jesus as "the great shepherd of the sheep", the "shepherd and
guardian of your souls", and the "chief shepherd”

While the Book of Revelation explicitly combines references to Jesus as both Lamb and shepherd

💡 Great High Priest - A cultic official, one who offered sacrifices. In Judaism, all priests had to be from the Tribe
of Levi, which Jesus was not. However, the Letter to the Hebrews calls Jesus a "great high priest" of a different
type, namely "according to the order of Melchizedek”

Melchizedek was the King of Salem (the city later called Jerusalem) at the time of Abraham (ca. 1800 BC),
and is called "priest of God Most High

💡 Advocate/Paraclete - This title normally refers to the Holy Spirit in the Gospel of John, but the first Johannine
Epistle says, "we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous

In Greek, a "para-clete" is someone "called to your side" to assist you in some way; thus some translations
also say "comforter" or "consoler.”

💡 Alpha & Omega;  First & Last;  Beginning & End

The first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. Both God and Jesus are called "the Alpha and the Omega,"
with the same meaning as "the first and the last" and/or "the beginning and the end”

THEO 1: MIDTERMS 20
 💡 Savior - A title originally used for God or any human being who would "save" people from present or future
dangers. In Greco-Roman politics, this title was also often applied to the emperor as a "benefactor," providing
material benefits.

OT - "Savior" is sometimes applied to human leaders, but is used mainly as a title for God

NT - The title is rarely used in most NT writings, but is more common in the later "Pastoral" and "Catholic"
epistles (25 times)

In Luke, "Savior" only once refers to God (Luke 1:47), and twice to the new-born Jesus

The longer phrase "Savior of the world" occurs only in John 4:42 and 1 John 4:14. However, as
mentioned in the introduction above, the name "Jesus" (or "Joshua" or "Yeshua") itself means "God
saves”

Also, the verb "to save" is frequently applied to Jesus' ministry

The ancient symbol contains abbreviations for the name "Jesus" and "Christ" (the first and last letters of
each word in Greek), along with the verb "NIKA", meaning "to conquer, win, be victorious"; thus the
phrase means "Jesus Christ is victorious

💡 Suffering Servant - The combination "suffering servant" is not really a biblical title, but a scholarly short-hand
for the servant of God who suffers much, or any righteous person who suffers

Jesus often speaks of himself and his disciples as "servants" and also often speaks of the necessity of his
upcoming suffering

Matthew quotes and applies Isa 42 to Jesus, while Peter several times refers to the crucified and risen Jesus
as God's servant

THEO 1: MIDTERMS 21
 💡 Prophet - A "prophet" is not primarily someone who "predicts" the future, but rather is a chosen messenger
or spokesperson for God, whose role is to speak God's words and perform miraculous and/or symbolic actions in
order to convey God's messages to the people.

OT - The most important early prophets are Elijah and Elisha, who both perform many miracles.

The four major prophetic books are attributed to Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel.

The OT also promises that "a prophet like Moses" will appear and/or the prophet "Elijah will return" in
the last days

NT - The OT prophets are often mentioned and quoted, esp. in Matthew. Both John the Baptist and Jesus are
appropriately considered "prophets," because of their speech and actions, even though they have very
different styles.

In the Synoptics, Jesus says that John the Baptist was a prophet and compares him to Elijah

but in the Fourth Gospel, John [the Baptizer] himself disputes that he was the Elijah-figure people were
expecting

Jesus is also considered a "great prophet" by many people

💡 Rabbi/Rabbouni/Teacher - Hebrew and Aramaic words meaning "my master" in general, or "my teacher" in
particular. They were not used as titles in OT times, but were common titles of respect by the time of Jesus,
especially but not only for teachers.

A Greek transliteration of the Hebrew "Rabbi" occurs only in the Gospels

while a transliteration of the Aramaic "Rabbouni" occurs only in Mark 10:51 and John 20:16.

Both titles are explicitly translated in John as meaning "teacher", and both are almost always applied to Jesus

These titles are used almost exclusively by his own disciples (Peter, Judas, etc.), or by a few minor
characters (Bartimaeus, Nicodemus, or the "crowd" in general)

THEO 1: MIDTERMS 22
 📌 Other Titles and Metaphorical Descriptions in the Bible

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isa 9:6)

the bridegroom (Mark 2:19-20; Matt 9:15; Luke 5:34-35; John 3:29)

the Son of Abraham (Matt 1:1)

the prince/ruler and shepherd of Israel (Matt 2:6; cf. Micah 5:2; 2 Sam 5:2)

the horn of salvation (Luke 1:69) & dayspring/dawn from on high (Luke 1:78)

the resurrection and the life (John 11:25)

the way, and the truth, and the life (John 14:6)

the author of life (Acts 3:15)

the judge of the living and the dead (Acts 10:42)

the spiritual rock (1 Cor 10:4)

the beloved (Eph 1:6)

the cornerstone (Eph 2:20)

the head of the church (Eph 5:23; also 1:22; 4:15)

the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation (Col 1:15)

the one mediator between God and humankind (1 Tim 2:5)

the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords (1 Tim 6:15; cf. Rev 19:16)

the righteous judge (2 Tim 4:8)

the apostle and high priest of our confession (Heb 3:1)

the pioneer and perfecter of our faith (Heb 12:2)

the shepherd and guardian/bishop of your souls (1 Peter 2:25; cf. 1 Peter 5:4; John 10:11-14)

the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the origin of God's creation (Rev 3:14; cf. 3:7)

the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the root of David (Rev 5:5)

the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star (Rev 22:16)

Post-Biblical Images and Titles

💡 Animal Images - Early Christians used various other images for Jesus such as a Phoenix (rising from the ashes
to new life), or a Pelican (sacrificing its life for its young), but the best-known image is obviously the Fish.

The most common Greek word for "fish" is ΙΧΘΥΣ

 ("Ichthus")

which the early Christians connected with the first letters of the words in the Greek
phrase Ιησους Χριστος Θεου Υιος Σωτηρ (Iesous CHristos THeou hUios Soter = "Jesus Christ, God's
Son, Savior").

THEO 1: MIDTERMS 23