Seven Titles of Jesus
Introduction
As his father, King Charles, did before him, Prince William now has many titles. He is the Heir Apparent to the Crown, His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales, Knight of the Garter, Earl of Strathearn, Baron Carrickfergus, Duke of Cornwall and Cambridge, Duke of Rothesay, Knight of the Thistle, Rear Admiral, Grand Master of the Order of Bath, Earl of Chester, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland.
Titles are attached to people by virtue of rank, office or attainment. In the Bible, Jesus is given far more titles than a royal prince. In fact, there are well over a hundred titles ascribed to Jesus.
The whole Bible revolves around Jesus (John 5:39). Seven titles of Jesus emerge from the passages for today and each reveal something distinct about Jesus. They help you to see what it means to put Jesus in the centre of your life.
Proverbs 8:1–11
Wisdom’s Call
8 Does not wisdom call out?
Does not understanding raise her voice?
2 At the highest point along the way,
where the paths meet, she takes her stand;
3 beside the gate leading into the city,
at the entrance, she cries aloud:
4 “To you, O people, I call out;
I raise my voice to all humanity.
5 You who are simple, gain prudence;
you who are foolish, set your hearts on it.
6 Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say;
I open my lips to speak what is right.
7 My mouth speaks what is true,
for my lips detest wickedness.
8 All the words of my mouth are just;
none of them is crooked or perverse.
9 To the discerning all of them are right;
they are upright to those who have found knowledge.
10 Choose my instruction instead of silver,
knowledge rather than choice gold,
11 for wisdom is more precious than rubies,
and nothing you desire can compare with her.
Commentary
1. Wisdom of God
Many people today have no idea how to live. They make a mess of their marriages and other relationships. Often, they wreck their own lives and the lives of others. We all need wisdom in order to live well.
Where is wisdom to be found? The New Testament answer is that, ultimately, it is found in Jesus Christ. St Paul writes, ‘Christ… the wisdom of God’ (1 Corinthians 1:24). The ‘wisdom of God’ is one of Jesus’ titles.
Wisdom in the book of Proverbs is personified and female (‘Lady Wisdom’; ‘Madam Insight’, Proverbs 8:1, MSG). She is contrasted with an adulterous woman who lurks at street corners when darkness falls and who speaks in secretive, seductive whispers (7:6ff). Wisdom openly competes against her ‘right in the city square where the traffic is thickest’ (8:2, MSG) and offers herself as a counter attraction – a pure bride rather than a fatal seductress.
This shows us that wisdom is not just about knowledge, but that to be wise is to live well. The first step in living well is to set the right goals and ambitions. Seek wisdom, rather than the sensual pleasures represented by the adulteress.
Wisdom is highly desirable. It, or rather she, is better than silver, gold or jewels: ‘Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her’ (vv.10–11).
If you want true wisdom, it starts with a relationship with Jesus Christ. That relationship is far more valuable than anything the world can offer and will have an effect on the way you live out your life.
An example of this wisdom is excellence in your speech (vv.6–9) – honest, truthful communication with words that are righteous and true (compare and contrast the words spoken in Numbers 20:3–5, which reveal a lack of trust in God).
Prayer
Luke 5:33–6:11
Jesus Questioned About Fasting
33 They said to him, “John’s disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.”
34 Jesus answered, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? 35 But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.”
36 He told them this parable: “No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. 37 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. 38 No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. 39 And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’”
Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath
6 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the cornfields, and his disciples began to pick some ears of corn, rub them in their hands and eat the grain. 2 Some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”
3 Jesus answered them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” 5 Then Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
6 On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. 7 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath.
8 But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Get up and stand in front of everyone.” So he got up and stood there.
9 Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?”
10 He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was completely restored. 11 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.
Commentary
2. Bridegroom
The title of the ‘bridegroom’ is used in the Old Testament to refer to God himself, ‘as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you’ (Isaiah 62:5).
Jesus, in the use of this image (Luke 5:34), puts himself in the place of God, not ostentatiously, but almost incidentally. It was, for him, a perfectly natural substitution. Jesus’ assumption of the divine role is all the more impressive.
The image of Jesus as the bridegroom and us as the bride is one of greatest possible intimacy (see Ephesians 5:23). It is also an image which points forward to the ultimate consummation of your relationship with Jesus when he returns. You are called to prepare yourself with the same care and love as a bride on her wedding day, particularly focusing on ‘righteous’ living (see Revelation 19:6–9).
Jesus’ teaching is radically new. It cannot be fitted into the thought-forms or behaviour-patterns of the Pharisees. New wine requires new wine skins (Luke 5:36–39).
Lord, thank you that you call me to an intimate relationship with you and rejoice over me as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride. I want to respond with my love and intimate worship.
3. Son of Man
This was Jesus’ favourite way of referring to himself (see, for example, Luke 6:5). This is a messianic title. Daniel 7 speaks of ‘one like a son of man’ (Daniel 7:13) and it is likely that this aspect of Jesus’ understanding of his identity and mission stems from that passage. It is a title that combines authority and power with humility and suffering.
We are reminded both of Jesus’ love for us and his authority over us. Often we can focus on the first without paying enough attention to the second. Submit to Jesus’ authority, obeying his teaching and following where he leads you.
Lord, thank you that you are the representative Son of Man who suffered for me.
4. Lord
Jesus reinterprets the Old Testament. The Pharisees ask, ‘Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?’ (Luke 6:2). Jesus replies by quoting an example in the Old Testament (vv.3–4). He shows from a wider reading of the Old Testament that the Pharisees’ understanding of the Sabbath was far too narrow.
He heals a man on the Sabbath and asks this question, ‘Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?’ (v.9). In other words, he looks behind the letter of the law to the spirit of the law and shows that as ‘Lord of the Sabbath’ (v.5), he is not bound by the letter of the law.
Jesus is radical in his reinterpretation of the Old Testament and we need to read the Old Testament through this lens. We need to understand it in the light of the fact that Jesus says, ‘These are the very Scriptures that testify about me’ (John 5:39). We see this in our Old Testament passage in three particular ways.
Prayer
Numbers 19:1–21:3
The Water of Cleansing
19 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron: 2 “This is a requirement of the law that the Lord has commanded: Tell the Israelites to bring you a red heifer without defect or blemish and that has never been under a yoke. 3 Give it to Eleazar the priest; it is to be taken outside the camp and slaughtered in his presence. 4 Then Eleazar the priest is to take some of its blood on his finger and sprinkle it seven times toward the front of the tent of meeting. 5 While he watches, the heifer is to be burned—its hide, flesh, blood and intestines. 6 The priest is to take some cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet wool and throw them onto the burning heifer. 7 After that, the priest must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water. He may then come into the camp, but he will be ceremonially unclean till evening. 8 The man who burns it must also wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he too will be unclean till evening.
9 “A man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and put them in a ceremonially clean place outside the camp. They are to be kept by the Israelite community for use in the water of cleansing; it is for purification from sin. 10 The man who gathers up the ashes of the heifer must also wash his clothes, and he too will be unclean till evening. This will be a lasting ordinance both for the Israelites and for the foreigners residing among them.
11 “Whoever touches a human corpse will be unclean for seven days. 12 They must purify themselves with the water on the third day and on the seventh day; then they will be clean. But if they do not purify themselves on the third and seventh days, they will not be clean. 13 If they fail to purify themselves after touching a human corpse, they defile the LORD’s tabernacle. They must be cut off from Israel. Because the water of cleansing has not been sprinkled on them, they are unclean; their uncleanness remains on them.
14 “This is the law that applies when a person dies in a tent: Anyone who enters the tent and anyone who is in it will be unclean for seven days, 15 and every open container without a lid fastened on it will be unclean.
16 “Anyone out in the open who touches someone who has been killed with a sword or someone who has died a natural death, or anyone who touches a human bone or a grave, will be unclean for seven days.
17 “For the unclean person, put some ashes from the burned purification offering into a jar and pour fresh water over them. 18 Then a man who is ceremonially clean is to take some hyssop, dip it in the water and sprinkle the tent and all the furnishings and the people who were there. He must also sprinkle anyone who has touched a human bone or a grave or anyone who has been killed or anyone who has died a natural death. 19 The man who is clean is to sprinkle those who are unclean on the third and seventh days, and on the seventh day he is to purify them. Those who are being cleansed must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and that evening they will be clean. 20 But if those who are unclean do not purify themselves, they must be cut off from the community, because they have defiled the sanctuary of the LORD. The water of cleansing has not been sprinkled on them, and they are unclean. 21 This is a lasting ordinance for them.
“The man who sprinkles the water of cleansing must also wash his clothes, and anyone who touches the water of cleansing will be unclean till evening. 22 Anything that an unclean person touches becomes unclean, and anyone who touches it becomes unclean till evening.”
Water From the Rock
20 In the first month the whole Israelite community arrived at the Desert of Zin, and they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried.
2 Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron. 3 They quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the LORD! 4 Why did you bring the LORD’s community into this wilderness, that we and our livestock should die here? 5 Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no corn or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink! ”
6 Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the tent of meeting and fell facedown, and the glory of the LORD appeared to them. 7 The LORD said to Moses, 8 “Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.”
9 So Moses took the staff from the LORD’s presence, just as he commanded him. 10 He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” 11 Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.
12 But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honour me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”
13 These were the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarreled with the LORD and where he was proved holy among them.
Edom Denies Israel Passage
14 Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, saying:
“This is what your brother Israel says: You know about all the hardships that have come on us. 15 Our ancestors went down into Egypt, and we lived there many years. The Egyptians ill-treated us and our ancestors, 16 but when we cried out to the LORD, he heard our cry and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt.
“Now we are here at Kadesh, a town on the edge of your territory. 17 Please let us pass through your country. We will not go through any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will travel along the King’s Highway and not turn to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory. ”
18 But Edom answered:
“You may not pass through here; if you try, we will march out and attack you with the sword. ”
19 The Israelites replied:
“We will go along the main road, and if we or our livestock drink any of your water, we will pay for it. We only want to pass through on foot—nothing else.”
20 Again they answered:
“You may not pass through. ”
Then Edom came out against them with a large and powerful army. 21 Since Edom refused to let them go through their territory, Israel turned away from them.
The Death of Aaron
22 The whole Israelite community set out from Kadesh and came to Mount Hor. 23 At Mount Hor, near the border of Edom, the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, 24 “Aaron will be gathered to his people. He will not enter the land I give the Israelites, because both of you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah. 25 Get Aaron and his son Eleazar and take them up Mount Hor. 26 Remove Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar, for Aaron will be gathered to his people; he will die there.”
27 Moses did as the LORD commanded: They went up Mount Hor in the sight of the whole community. 28 Moses removed Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar. And Aaron died there on top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain, 29 and when the whole community learned that Aaron had died, all the Israelites mourned for him thirty days.
Arad Destroyed
21 When the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming along the road to Atharim, he attacked the Israelites and captured some of them. 2 Then Israel made this vow to the LORD: “If you will deliver these people into our hands, we will totally destroy their cities.” 3 The LORD listened to Israel’s plea and gave the Canaanites over to them. They completely destroyed them and their towns; so the place was named Hormah.
Commentary
5. Mediator
These passages about the blood of goats and bulls and the ‘ashes of the heifer’ (19:9) foreshadow Jesus’ death in our place on the cross.
The writer of Hebrews draws attention to these sacrifices, but then explains: ‘How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! For this reason, Christ is the mediator’ (Hebrews 9:14–15a).
Thank you, Lord, that there is ‘one God and one mediator between God and human beings, Jesus Christ, himself human, who gave himself as a ransom for all’ (1 Timothy 2:5–6).
6. Rock
God tells Moses to bring water out of the rock. Moses strikes the rock twice and water gushes out for everyone to drink (Numbers 20:1–11). ‘Water came out abundantly’ (v.11, AMP). The apostle Paul also tells us how to interpret the water coming out of the rock. He says, ‘They… drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ’ (1 Corinthians 10:3–4). He is the one who quenches our thirst. Material things alone do not satisfy.
God is so generous to us. Water did not come out in a trickle – it came out abundantly. Jesus came to give you abundant life (John 10:10, RSV). He promises to satisfy your spiritual thirst with ‘rivers of living water’ (John 7:37–38).
Lord, my rock, thank you that you satisfy my spiritual thirst. May I, through the Holy Spirit within me, bring the water of life to others.
7. Great High Priest
Jesus is the ‘great high priest’ (Hebrews 4:14) who lives for ever to intercede for us. The death of Aaron (Numbers 20:28–29) reminds us that one of the weaknesses of the Levitical priesthood was that these priests died.
The writer of Hebrews contrasts these priests like Aaron whose ‘death prevented them from continuing in office’ with Jesus who ‘lives for ever’ and ‘has a permanent priesthood. Therefore, he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them’ (Hebrews 7:23–25).
This reminds us of the certainty that you can have in your faith. You do not have to worry about whether you will be ‘good enough’, you can be totally confident in the salvation that you have in Jesus.
Prayer
Pippa adds
Take encouragement from Luke 6:1. We don't have to feel guilty about taking a day off. We need to rest, recover and enjoy it!
Verse of the Day
Proverbs 8:11
‘… wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her’
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References
The Official Website of The British Monarchy: ‘Style and titles’, http://www.royal.gov.uk/ThecurrentRoyalFamily/ThePrinceofWales/Stylesandtitles.aspx [Last accessed February 2015]
The Bible with Nicky and Pippa Gumbel (commentary formerly known as Bible in One Year) ©Alpha International 2009. All Rights Reserved.
Compilation of daily Bible readings © Hodder & Stoughton Limited 1988. Published by Hodder & Stoughton Limited as the Bible in One Year.
Unless otherwise stated, Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version Anglicised, Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 Biblica, formerly International Bible Society. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Publishers, an Hachette UK company. All rights reserved. ‘NIV’ is a registered trademark of Biblica. UK trademark number 1448790.
Scripture quotations marked (AMP) taken from the Amplified® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)
Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from The Message, copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.