Online Bible College DJC-006

Discovering Jesus Course

6
The Titles of Jesus
In the last lesson, we explored the redemptive significance of the name Jesus. But
Christ not only inherited a name superior to all others, he has also inherited a
number of titles which are “far above...every title that can be given, not only in
the present age but also in the one to come” (Ephesians 1:21). In this lesson, we
will take a brief look at just three of these titles.
The Son of God
Mark launches his Gospel account with these words: “The beginning of the gospel
about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” And John 20:30-31 provides us with the
primary reason John wrote his own account:
“But these [miraculous signs] are written that you may believe that Jesus is the
Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
Although Jesus avoided describing himself as the long-awaited Messiah (for rea-
sons we will see in a moment), he didn’t shy away from the title “Son of God.” In
fact, Jesus frequently referred to himself by the abbreviated title “Son” (see Luke
10:22; John 3:16-18), and when asked at his trial, “Are you then the Son of God?”
(Luke 22:70), he replied without hesitation: “You are right in saying I am.”
This title “Son of God” is the most fundamental description of Christ’s identity.
This primary title has two important facets: DISCOVERING JESUS COURSE
 Relationship – The title “Son” is primarily a description of relationship.
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Jesus is, first and foremost, the Son of God. The use of this term through-
out the New Testament underscores Christ’s relationship with his Father.
As the Father himself expressed it in Matthew 17:5: “This is my Son, whom
I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
 Authority – With the relationship comes authority. As the Son of God,
Jesus has the full authority to act on his Father’s behalf. This is reflected in
the many statements found throughout the New Testament describing
Jesus “at the right hand of the mighty God” (Luke 22:69; Acts 5:31; 7:55-
56; Romans 8:34; Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:3).
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As we study the life of Jesus, we will see these two dimensions of Christ’s Sonship
– relationship and authority – constantly being expressed.
The Son of Man
This was the title most commonly used by Jesus himself, for three reasons:
 Firstly, it was a generic title used for prophets in the Old Testament (see
Ezekiel 2:1; Daniel 8:17). In calling himself “the Son of Man,” Jesus was
laying claim to the long prophetic heritage that stretched behind him.
 Secondly, it was a scriptural term used for human beings in general. Thus
by describing himself as the “Son of Man,” Jesus was declaring his total
identification with humanity.
 Thirdly, it was a title drawn from Daniel 7:13, which describes “one like a
son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven.” Jesus himself echoed this
description when he declared in Matthew 24:30: “They will see the Son of
Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.”

The Messiah
The Hebrew title Messiah (and its Greek counterpart, Christ) simply means “the
Anointed One.” On one level, the term “messiah” could be applied to any anointed
king. For example, Saul, David and Solomon were all anointed as king over Israel,
and the term “anointed one” or “messiah” was applied to all three (1 Samuel
26:7-11; 2 Samuel 5:3; 1 Kings 1:39; 2 Chronicles 6:42).
But in time, the title Messiah took on a whole new meaning. Daniel 9:25, for
example, foretold of “the Anointed One, the ruler,” and Micah 5:2 described him
as “the one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from
ancient times.”
Jesus avoided the title Messiah (except when speaking to his innermost circle of
disciples) for two reasons:
 The first-century expectation of a Messiah had strongly military tones.
 The expectation of the coming Messiah had reached a fever pitch in Israel,
and Jesus did not want to instigate his arrest before the set time.
But there came a time, in response to the question “Who do you say I am?” (in
DISCOVERING JESUS COURSE
Matthew 16:15-16), when Peter exclaimed:
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“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus has many other titles, beside these. He is called the Son of David (Matthew
12:23; 21:9), the Alpha and Omega (Revelation 22:13) and Immanuel (Mat-
thew 1:23). We will investigate these, and others, in the lessons to come.

Unless otherwise indicated, all quotations from the Bible are from the New International Version, copyright © 1973,
NIV1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
Peter replied: The Online Bible College can be accessed at www.online-bible-college.com

“Matt 16:16 Page 2

You are the Christ, the Son of the living God