Jesus, Our Lord and Our God

THOMAS DOUBTED NO MORE.
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Thomas exclaimed, 

"My LORD and my GOD."

- John 20:28

In Psalm 110:1, King David, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote,

The Lord said to my Lord, sit on my right until I have made all your enemies your footstool.

The Lord Jesus Christ therefore asked this question: how can the Messiah be the son of David if David himself calls him Lord? [see Matthew 22: 42-46].

About the Lord being the Messiah, we have discussed here. About His being the Son of God we also treated here. As Messiah, He is identified by King David as his Lord. Being God, all the passages pointing to His being the Son of God also help us know and understand His being God for the Jewish themselves - who are supposed to be experts of the Law of Moses especially with regards to giving due respect to the name and being of God - reacted violently when He answered affirmatively when asked during His trial at the Sanhedrin whether He was the Son of God,

Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?" Jesus answered, "I AM" [Mark 14: 61-62].

The high priest didn't even mention the word God instead plainly referred to Him as the Blessed One because they so highly respected the word and mentioning it would be tantamount to disrespect and here someone fearlessly claims to be the Son of the Blessed One, of God. And so their reaction was to hand Him down the only punishment due to such blasphemy: death.

The high priest tore his robes and said, "What need of witnesses have we now? You have heard the blasphemy. What is your finding? Their verdict was unanimous: he deserved to die. [Mark 14: 63-64].

Earlier they also wanted to stone Him for making himself equal with God when He said that before Abraham was, I AM [see John 8: 56-59], and when He said that the He and the Father are One [see John 10: 30-33]. The Jews clearly understand and fully respect the words I AM for it is what the Lord our God introduced himself when asked by Moses and by which He was to be known by the Israelites [see Exodus 3:14] for they only know Him to be the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob-Israel [see Exodus 3: 6-16].

So for the Jewish leaders, many Jews, and the first Christian followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, it was clear to them that He is both Lord and God. There is no doubt in this for the Lord himself did not correct them if He wasn't really Lord and God indeed. If He was a mere Servant of God or Prophet, He would have made the proper corrections just like what the Old Testament messengers of God and the New Testament Apostles and disciples do when people acknowledge the wonderful deeds God does through them. Doubting Thomas was not merely carried away by his emotions when he exclaimed, "My Lord and my God!" for it was a true expression of faith and acknowledgment of the true nature of the Lord Jesus Christ, and if He wasn't God, He would surely have corrected him at that very moment. But He did not. 

Remember also when Peter confessed Him to be the Christ-Messiah, Son of the Living God and the Lord even congratulated him for having received that revelation about Him from the Father himself [see Matthew 16: 16-18]. Jesus Christ our Lord himself said that the Father and He are one and that the Father is in Him and He is in the Father [see John 14: 9-13; 20-21; 17:21]. We say that God alone should be worshiped: see Revelation 5 and you'll read that the Lamb is also worshiped together with God and do we not know who is the Lamb?  

Hence the Catechism of the Catholic Church states,

The title "Lord" indicates divine sovereignty. To confess or invoke Jesus as Lord is to believe in his divinity. "No one can say 'Jesus is Lord' except by the Holy Spirit" [1 Corinthians 12:3]. [CCC 455].

Therefore with sincere hearts and true faith let us join St Thomas in acknowledging that Jesus Christ is indeed our Lord and our God.

Jesus, the Gate

JESUS IS THE GATE.
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"So Jesus spoke to them again: In all truth I tell you, I am the gate of the sheepfold."

- John  10:7

Being the Gate, it is only through the Lord Jesus Christ that we can go to the Father [John 14:6] and it is through Him that all the children of God have access to the Father in the one Spirit [Ephesians 2:18] and so boast in the hope of the glory of God [Romans 5:2]. 

Those who enter the sheepfold in other ways are thieves [John 10:1] but the shepherd enters through the Gate [John 10:2]. Hence in a safe and sure manner enter and go out of the sheepfold in order to find pasture for the sheep [John 10:9].  

He is also the narrow gate that leads to life [Matthew 7:14]. While other gates are wide and spacious but they lead to destruction [Matthew 7:13].

Would you enter the narrow but true Gate? Or would you try finding the wide and spacious but destructive gates in order to gain access into the Fold?

Jesus, the Word of God

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

- John 1:1

Being the Word of God, it was through Him that everything was made [John 1:3] and in Him everything holds together [Colossians 1:17]. He was with God from the beginning [John 1:2] but He came down and took the form of a human being [Philippians 2: 6-7] and dwelt among us [John 1:14] in order to fulfill the mission that the Father gave Him which is the salvation of mankind [John 3:16]. He is the Word of God which gives light, light that shines for everyone [John 1:9] and the Word of life [1 John 1:1] who came to give life [John 10:10].

Do you believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Word of God who came to be our light and to give us life? 

Jesus, the Emmanuel

JESUS, IMMANUEL.
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"Look! the virgin is with child and will give birth to a son whom they will call Immanuel, a name which means 'God-is-with-us'." 

- Matthew 1:23; Isaiah 7:14

He was in the beginning with God, in God and God himself [John 1: 1-2] and through Him everything was made [John 1:3]. But He emptied himself of His divinity and took the form of a man like us [Philippians 2: 6-7], born of a woman [Galatians 4:4], becoming like us in everything [Hebrews 2:17], and living among us [John 1:14]. Before He faced His passion and death, He encouraged His apostles by telling them that He would not leave them orphans but that he shall come to them [John 14:18] and by reminding them that He shall go away for a while but then they shall know that He is in the Father and they in Him and He in them [John 14:20]. Before His ascension, He promised them of His perpetual presence [Matthew 28:20].

Do you believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is present in the Church and in our lives? 

Jesus, the Son of God

TRULY, THIS MAN IS THE SON OF GOD.
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Another title of the Lord Jesus Christ which we can frequently encounter in the Holy Bible is His being the Son of God. In this entry, we shall mention some passages that speak of this title and attest to the fact of His being the Son of God. One thing that we can observe among the servants of God both in the Old and the News Testaments is their readiness to rectify people who worship, honor or praise them whenever they perform wonderful acts that the true power behind those miracles, signs and wonders is God, not themselves. But the Lord Jesus Christ manifested that He was  more than just God's messenger: He was the Son of God. If He was not, He would have made the proper corrections!

There are three occasions recorded in the Holy Bible wherein the Lord Jesus Christ is acknowledged as Son by God the Father himself. First was during the baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ, when the heavens opened, the Holy Spirit came down in the form of a dove and rested on Him, and the voice of God thundered, 

"You are my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased" [Matthew 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22; see also John 1: 32-34].

During the Transfiguration, while the Lord Jesus Christ was talking with Moses and Elijah, God's voice once again thundered,

"This is my Son, whom I have chosen, listen to Him" [Luke 9:35].

After His triumphal entry to Jerusalem, when Jesus asked the Father for the Father to glorify the Father's name, a voice from heaven spoke,

"I have glorified it, and I will again glorify it" [John 12:28].

The Evangelist John wrote what seems to be the Lord Jesus Christ's own words since it forms part of His conversation with the Pharisee Nicodemus,

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

Here we could say that Jesus our Lord did claim to be the Son of God. The following verses are also occasions when He himself claims to be so,

"I tell you the truth, a time is coming and HAS NOW COME [emphasis mine] when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live" [John 5:25].

"What about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, 'I am God's Son'?" [John 10:36].

"When he heard this, Jesus said, 'This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it" [John 11:4]

"After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed, 'Father, the time has come. Glorify your son, that your Son may glorify you" [John 17:1].

"But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer. Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?' 'I am,' said Jesus. 'And you will see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven" [Mark 14: 61-62].

"All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him" [Matthew 11:27].

There are other passages which support His title of being the Son of God which came from the mouths of others and which He did accept and did not correct if He was not the Son of God, let us take the following occasions as examples:

His temptation at the desert [see Matthew 4: 3-7] where the tempter challenges Him with the words, "If you are the Son of God ..." If Jesus our Lord was not the son of God, He would have silenced the tempter from saying those words as other messengers of God would do when they are worshiped or honored by men.

When He met Nathanael and told him that He saw him under the fig tree, Nathanael exclaimed, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." Again, He did not make any corrections with what Nathanael had declared; instead even promised him that he will see greater things [see John 1: 49-50].

Once they had the opportunity to take a little rest in the area in the vicinity of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked His Apostles as to who people say He is, they mentioned different names and when He asked them as to who He is for them, Peter stood up and said, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God" to which He replied, "Blessed are you for no man has revealed it you but by my Father in heaven" [see Matthew 16: 15-17]. If He was not the Son of the living God, the Lord would have rectified Peter's statement. But here we even hear Him telling Peter that the Father himself has revealed that information to him. 

Martha also confessed that the Lord Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the living God", after He asked her if she believes that He is the resurrection and the life therefore anyone who believes in Him will live, even though he may die, and that those who lives and believes would never die, on the occasion of the death of her brother Lazarus, a friend of the Lord. Once again, the Lord made no corrections but even expected her to believe that He really is the Son of God [see John 11: 25-27].

In concluding His account of the the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Evangelist John wrote,

"But these 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" [John 20:31].

And in one of his letters, warns about keeping guard against those who will mislead the faithful to follow other doctrines and beliefs by writing,

"Who is the liar, if not the one who claims that Jesus is not the Christ? This is the Antichrist, who denies both the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son cannot have the Father either; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father too" [1 John 2: 22-23].

"His commandment is this, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and that we should love one another as he commanded us" [1 John 3:23].

"My dear friends, not every spirit is to be trusted, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets are at large in the world. This is the proof of the spirit of God: any spirit which acknowledge Jesus Christ, come in human nature, is from God, and no spirit which fails to acknowledge Jesus is from God; it is the spirit of the Antichrist, whose coming you have heard of; he is already at large in the world" [1 John 4: 1-3].

"This is the revelation of God's love for us, that God sent his only Son into the world that we might have life through him. Love consists in this: it is not we who loved God, but God loved us and sent us his Son to expiate our sins. ... This is the proof that we remain in him and he in us, that he has given us a share in his Spirit. we ourselves have seen and testify that the Father sent his Son as Savior of the world. Anyone who acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him and he in God" [ 1 John 4: 9-10, 13-15].

"Who can overcome the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" [1 John 5:5].

Here is one final passage which is in some way is a statement of faith about Jesus being the Son of God. It has been recorded by the Evangelists as coming not from the Lord himself, not even from someone who followed the Lord during His ministry here on earth, or from the narrator himself who must have personally witnessed the life of the Lord or who has followed someone who have been a witness to the Lord. It is about the declaration of a non-Jew, a Roman centurion, who witnessed the passion and death of the Lord: 

"And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, 'Surely, this man was the Son of God!'" [Mark 15:39; see also Matthew 27:54]. 

In Luke 23:47, the Evangelist records the same but stating righteous man instead of Son of God.

We have not even mentioned the other passages from the Epistles. In a later article, we will try to enumerate the passages from the Epistles. But for those who wish to take a look at these passages, you may visit this site just to see those passages. Most passages that we used above could be found together in this page.

Jesus, the Son of Mary

"This is the carpenter, surely, the son of Mary, ..." 

- Mark 6:3

In Galatians 4:4, the Apostle Paul writes, "... when the completion of time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, ..." In John 19: 26-27, the Lord Jesus Chris entrusts the Apostle John to Mary as his mother, and since John represented all Christians, as our Mother too, and in turn, the mother is entrusted to John and to all of us. Hence she was present with the Apostles who gathered with one heart in constant prayer in Jerusalem waiting for the coming of the Holy Spirit [see Acts 1:14]. Since Jesus Christ our Lord, Mary's son, is also God, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, Mary is called Theotokos, God-bearer, and aptly considered Mother of God.

Would you accept Mary as a mother having been given that blessed role by the Father to become His only-begotten Son's earthly mother? Or would you rather close your mind to her particular role in salvation history because you cannot understand that role?

Jesus, the Light of the World

"The Word was the real light that gives light to everyone; he was coming into the world."

 - John 1:9

Jesus said, "I am the light of world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" [John 8:12]. For in Him is life, and that life was the light of mankind [John 1:4]. He is the shining light which John mentions in 1 John 2:8 for the Lord had said, "While I am in the world, I am the light of the world" [John 9:5]. And He calls us to believe in Him that we may become children of the light [John 12:36] and remain not in darkness [John 12:46]. That we too may become light [Matthew 5:14].
.

Would you accept the light and become light? Or would you rather stay in the dark?

Jesus, the Life

THE RESURRECTED CHRIST.
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"I am the Life." 

- John 14:6

The Lord said that He has come in order for His sheep, His followers, His people to have life and to have life to the full [see John 10:10]. The Evangelist John states that, "In him was life, and that life was the light of mankind" [see John 1:4]. The Apostle Paul tells the Colossians, "When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory" [see Colossians 3:4]. When Martha told Him that she believes that Lazarus would live again at the resurrection, the Lord said, "I am the resurrection and the life."

Would you live in Christ? Or reject His glory and choose to live in the world?

Jesus, the Truth

PILATE ASKS JESUS, "WHAT IS TRUTH?"
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"I am the Truth." 

- John 14:6

The Truth shall set you free, declares the Lord Jesus Christ [see John 8:32] who has the fullness of Truth [see John 1:14] and is Truth Himself [see John 14:6]. Since He is truth himself He himself sets us free [see John 8:36]. The freedom He gives is freedom from sin and at the same time, slavery to righteousness [see Romans 6:18; 1 Corinthians 7:22] hence it should not be used to indulge the flesh [see Galatians 5:13]. But this new slavery is slavery to God which reap holiness and results to eternal life not damnation [see Romans 6:22].

Would you believe the Lord Jesus Christ? Or believe someone else?

Jesus, the Way

"I am the WAY ... . No one can come to the Father except through me." 

- John 14:6

The Apostle Peter says that there is no other name by which we can be saved except through the name of the Lord Jesus Christ [see Acts 4:12]. The Apostle Paul writes to Timothy that there is only Mediator between God and man, Jesus Christ [see 1 Timothy 2:5]. The Apostle John tells us that the Lord Jesus Christ is the gate through which we can be saved [see John 10:9] . The Evangelists Matthew [16:24], Mark [8:34], and Luke [9:23] quotes Him as commanding those who wish to be His disciples, "Follow me!"

Would you follow Jesus? Or would you seek another way?

Jesus, the Bread of Life

"I am the bread of life. No one who comes to me will ever hunger; no one who believes in me will ever thirst." 

- John 6:35

The Lord declared something beyond the acceptable for the Jews. They asked, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" [v52]. To which the Lord did not respond in a way that would make them feel easy like, "Look, it's just a figure of speech!" But He even continued saying that unless they eat His flesh and drink His blood, they wouldn't have life in them [vv 53-58]. It was too hard for them to accept: to eat a man's flesh and drink a man's blood and so many deserted Him [v66]. But upon being asked, Peter, in the name of the Twelve, responded: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life and we believe and have come to know that you are the Holy One of God" [vv 68-69].

How about you? Would you accept the Lord Jesus as the Holy One of God and eat His flesh and drink His blood? 

Jesus, the Lamb of God

JESUS, THE LAMB OF GOD.
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"Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."

- John 1:29

Only the Lord Jesus Christ is the One Lamb of God but as Christians called to follow Him as other Christs, we are also called to become other lambs of God, that is, we must be ready to offer our lives that all may be gathered as One into the One Fold of the One Shepherd. 

Would you be willing to offer yourself as another lamb, another Christ, like the Lord Jesus Christ that others may be led to salvation?

Jesus, the true Vine

JESUS, THE TRUE VINE.
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"I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, with me in him, bears fruit in plenty; for cut off from me you can do nothing." 

- John 15:5

In verse 1, the Lord declares that He is the true, not just any, vine and the Father is the vinedresser. In verse 2, He tells us that every branch that shall not bear fruit shall be cut off by the Father while those that shall bear fruit, He prunes to produce more. In verse 16, the Lord says that He appoints His friends and followers to bear fruit that will last so that whatever they ask of the Father in His name the Father will grant them.

Would you accept the call to become a branch of the Vine and bear much fruit?

Christ is not His Surname: It's His Title

JESUS THE CHRIST.
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Last week we discussed about the name of Jesus our Lord. Today we shall talk about one of His titles: the most famous one, which is Christ, the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew Messiah, which means anointed.

When they were in the area of Caesarea Philippi [see Matthew 16: 13-19], Jesus asked His Apostles about who do people say He is. They mentioned John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or anyone else among the prophets. Then He asked them as to who they say He is. It was Peter who took the courage to respond with the confession of Faith which the Lord said as having been revealed to him by the Father himself earning Peter that of being called by the Lord as blessed and that of being given an important role to fulfill,

"You are the Christ. 

The Son of the living God." 

The Jewish nation waited for the Messiah, God's Anointed, as their national savior, who will lead in raising their nation above the other nations of earth. The Old Testament records prophecies about the Messiah. They believed that the Messiah will give Jerusalem its due glory and lay the foundations of an Israelitic theocracy. From among the many Old Testament passages which speak of this Jewish expectation, the following will help us understand His rightful claim of being the Messiah or Christ:

The prophecy that the scepter will not depart from Judah [see Genesis 49:10] and that He will be of the line of David [see 2 Samuel 7: 11-16]; and these passages which speak of His reign: as eternal [2 Samuel 7:13]; of His sway as boundless [see Psalm 71:8]; and that all nations shall serve Him [see Psalm 71:11].

But then the prophesies also point to a savior who will bring other nations into the family of God as the Servant of Yahweh. This Messiah will not be an exclusive national hero of the Israelites but someone who will save not only Israel but many others and the salvation that He brings is not contained in time. 

In some of these passages, we can read that He will be the light of the Gentiles [see Isaiah 42:6] and that He will lay down His life for the salvation of many [see Isaiah 53: 10, 12]. 

As we can notice in the passage about Caesarea Philippi, the Lord Jesus approved of Peter's confession of faith. It was short of telling the Apostles directly that He indeed is the expected Messiah. Then in Mark, we read that the Lord answered the High Priest who asked Him if He was the Christ with, "I am" [see Mark 14:62] even if in Matthew He merely answered with, "You have said it yourself" [see Matthew 26:64]. 

Aside from these, the entire life of the Lord Jesus and all the works and the miracles that He performed were perfect testimonies to His being the Christ or Messiah. As He started His ministry, He already applied to himself the words of Isaiah about the Servant of Yahweh [see Luke 4:18; Isaiah 61:1]; He claimed being superior to the Law [see John 1: 16-17], as the Lord of the Sabbath [see Matthew 12:8], and Master of the Temple [see Matthew 17: 25-26]; He performed miracles and wonders in His name and through His words; and more. 

Jesus our Lord is clearly the Messiah or the Christ. The Jews had a different expectation about Him, while we, Christians, with the help of the Holy Spirit, have received more enlightened understanding. 

For more about these, you may read the topic on Messiah at the online Catholic Encyclopedia.

Jesus, the Good Shepherd

"I am the Good Shepherd: the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.'

- John 10:10

Our Lord Jesus Christ showed us that He is truly the Good Shepherd for He had laid down His life and died upon the cross in order to free us from the bondage to sin and that we may gain eternal life with the Father.

Would you be willing to become a member of the Good Shepherd's flock? 

His Name is Jesus: Savior

ANGEL APPEARS TO JOSEPH IN A DREAM.
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"She will give birth to a son 

and you must name him Jesus, 

because he is the one who is to save 

his people from their sins." 

- Matthew 1:21

First of all, we must be clear about this: the name of the Lord is Jesus. While Christ is His most common and well-known titles which we shall discuss in a later entry.

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, '[t]he word Jesus is the Latin form of the Greek Iesous, which in turn is the transliteration of the Hebrew Jeshua, or Joshua, or again, Jehoshua, meaning "Jehovah is salvation."' More explanation can be read there. Hence the name of the Lord Jesus Christ means savior and salvation. 

In the Gospel according to St Luke, the announcement of the name of Jesus was made to the Blessed Virgin Mary, 

"Look! You are to conceive in your womb

and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus." 

- Luke 1:31 

it can be deduced that the angel appeared to St Joseph in a dream after this Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary because the account of St Matthew already tells us that the Blessed Virgin Mary was already known to have a child and he was already thinking of secretly divorcing her hence the divine intervention to ensure God's plans are fulfilled [see Matthew 1: 18-21]. Isn't this event a prelude to the saving act of Jesus?

Both Evangelists mention the name Jesus but instead of stating that the name was due to our Lord's mission of salvation for all men, Luke instead declares about His important title of being the Son of the Most High, His royal lineage, and His future reign: 

"He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. 

The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; 

and he will rule over the house of Jacob for ever 

and his reign will have no end"

- Luke 1: 32-33]

St Matthew states the Lord's role of Savior. In St Luke's record, we can say that his account of the Lord's eternal reign speaks not of an earthly kingship but a heavenly one. His declaration about the Lord ruling over the House of Jacob, could be pointing out to His being the Head of the Church, the New Israel. Remember that the former name of Israel is Jacob [see Genesis 32:28; 35;10]. St Matthew directly introduces our Lord as Savior; St Luke somehow gives us a hint of His role as our salvation for we shall be ruled by Him in the New Israel, the Church, and  ultimately be ruled by Him in heaven, in the Father's kingdom.

Our Lord's name is therefore equivalent to the very mission for which He was sent by the Father. St John states in his account of the Gospel,

"God so loved the world 

that he sent his only-begotten Son

so that whoever believes in him should not perish 

but have everlasting life." 

- John 3:16

Should not perish but have everlasting life - salvation in another formulation of words. St Luke wrote quoting St Peter in Acts 4:12,

"Salvation is found in no one else, 

for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind 

by which we must be saved."

St Paul, whose original name was Saul before it was changed by the Lord to Paul declared His being a Savior by writing to Timothy in this manner, 

"For there is one God 

and one mediator between God and mankind, 

the man Christ Jesus."

- 1 Timothy 2:5

The Lord also gives meaning to His mission to save mankind in another set of words,

"I have come that they may have life and have it to the full."

- John 10:10

The they refers to His sheep, and who are His sheep? Who else but the members of His flock, the Church, the New Israel. He also acknowledged that there are other sheep outside of the flock, which means those who are still not members of the Church, the New Israel, which He also must bring in so that there should be only one fold and one Shepherd [see John 10:16]. To this sheep He has sent His Apostles that they may belong to the Church, the One Fold and the New Israel, and attain salvation in His name [see Matthew 28:19]. As to the fullness of life, what more salvation can mankind expect beyond having the fullness of life? For such life can only be with the Father in eternity!

Being our Savior the name of the Lord requires our utmost respect just as St Paul wrote,

"That in the name of Jesus every knee should bend, 

of those that are in heaven, on earth, 

and under the earth ..." 

- Philippians 2:10

Clearly, Jesus's name means salvation, and He is our Savior. A lot more passages in the New Testament would attest to this and their fullest meaning can be best understood when read in conjunction with Old Testament prophesies about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

We only have to prayerfully read the Bible to know more about Him.

The Importance of Knowing not only "A" but "THE" Jesus Christ

CHRIST THE KING.

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The Cambridge Dictionaries Online defines title as "a word that is used before someone's name, stating their social rank, qualifications, position in an organization, sex, etc." The online freedictionary.com defines title as "a formal appellation attached to the name of a person or family by virtue of office, rank, hereditary privilege, noble birth or attainment or used as a mark of respect." Examples of titles under the category of rank are President, General, Senator; under qualifications we have Doctor, Attorney, Engineer; under hereditary privilege and noble birth we have King, Queen, Duke; under sex of course, Mister, Mrs and Miss; and more.

A title is different from a name. A name is what we call a person in accordance with has been officially given him or her as an identification upon being registered at the local civil registry office after his or her birth or at the parish office for his or her baptismal record. Many times a person may have other names aside from these official names which are also different from being considered as his or her title. Such name or names may fall under the category of nickname, like Rob for Robert or Marge for Margarita. or simple terms of endearment, like Baby, Honey or Sweet, though at times these are used as proper names too.

Of all the well-known and most influential people on this earth, we could say that our Lord Jesus Christ holds the record of having the most titles. His various titles all refer to Him but are uniquely distinct from each other. One of His most important titles is the combination of His two distinct titles: Christ the King. Christ [Greek] or Messiah [Hebrew] is His title being the Anointed One [see Daniel 9:25]; while King refers to His being the ruler of the universe [see 1 Corinthians 15: 24-25]. We can say that His various titles attest to the many ways by which He made himself available to obey the Father's will and be of service to others.

What's the importance of knowing the Lord Jesus Christ with all His titles? Knowing the Lord's various titles will help us understand the many ways He was known to His contemporaries in accordance with Old Testament prophesies and New Testament theology. It is important because through deeper knowledge of Him, we can avoid the misconceptions that non-Christians, particularly non-Catholics have about our Faith. For if we have to believe in and proclaim the Lord Jesus Christ, we must be sure about who is this Person whom we believe and proclaim. 

For example, here in the Philippines we have an election coming. In case there are two or more candidates with the same name [same surname at least], and they are running for the same office, would the voter not make all efforts to identify properly the one he or she really wants to vote? Or would the voter just choose any of the three hoping that the person he or she chooses is the one he or she really wanted to vote for? Or perhaps the candidates have the same title for instance, two or more of the candidates are doctors. Would the voter simply vote any of the candidates since they are all doctors after all?  Sensible and responsible voters would naturally want to know about the candidates they will vote into office. 

The same with the Jesus we ought to believe in and proclaim. We must not be contented with simply knowing a Jesus Christ, we ought to know the Jesus Christ. For He himself said that many will say to Him, "Lord, Lord" but He will never listen to because they knew, followed and even performed miracles through a different Lord [see Matthew 7: 21-23]. Moreover, if we really know the Lord Jesus Christ, we will surely not be ashamed to speak of Him in front of others so that when we have to face the Father, the Lord will also know us perfectly and not be ashamed of presenting us to the Father [see Matthew 10:33; Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26].

So we will discuss one by one the name and the titles of the Lord Jesus Christ in order for us to know more about Him. If we could provide time for other things that are not even important for our daily existence, how much more for such important matters which will affect our pilgrimage toward the Father's house and our consequent stay there for all eternity?

Knowing more about the Lord Jesus Christ

THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS.
Image from ewtn.com

Our previous entry on Availability was about the opportunity to study or learn about the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus himself said that eternal life is knowing God and the One whom He sent [see John 17: 2-3]. Knowledge about the Lord Jesus Christ is very important indeed for how can we believe unless we know? How can we develop an intimate relationship with Him if we do not know about Him?

So we shall endeavor to get to know more about the Lord Jesus Christ in the next entries under this Pillar: Availability. There are many and various identities and titles which have been used to identify and describe the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ has many titles which has been used to identify Him in accordance with His mission and as to how He was expected, understood and known to His followers, contemporaries and others. You can see these titles at Fr Felix Just's Christological Titles in the New Testament here and the Catholic Answers' The Original Catholic Encyclopedia here. You may also want to visit the online Catholic Encyclopedia and Wikipedia's series on the Lord Jesus Christ.

But of course, the fundamental material which we ought to use more is the Holy Bible itself, which contains the Jewish Scriptures, which we Christians call the Old Testament, and the Christian writings, which we call the New Testament, for quoting St Jerome once again, "Ignorance of the Scripture is ignorance of Christ." The Old Testament prepared us for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ while the New Testament fulfilled that expectation of His coming. With so much to learn about the Lord Jesus Christ, we really have to provide available time in order to know Him more so that we may develop a deeper, closer and more intimate relationship with Him. But all of these are of course summed up in the basic tenet which the Apostle Peter confessed: 

"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" 

[see Matthew 16:16]

In other translations, instead of Christ, which is of Greek origin, we have the Jewish term, Messiah. This confession of faith is the basic knowledge that we ought to know hence the first thing that we shall discuss in our next entry is about Jesus as the Christ or the Messiah and how the two are one and the same but somehow distinct in a way. 

But before we proceed, one question that many might ask is: Is it necessary to know these things? Isn't it enough to believe in Jesus and be baptized? The answer could be both "Yes" and "No". Yes, because it is the only basic requirement being asked of those who wish to become His disciples, become members of the Body of Christ and be saved. But "No" because as the Lord himself said, many will come and say that "I am the Christ" to mislead others hence it is important that we know the Jesus whom Peter acknowledged and the Apostles have proclaimed as the Lord, Savior and Son of the living God.

The early years of the Church has been filled with challenges due to questions about the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ which became the bases for the formulation of dogmas, doctrines and proclamations about Him. After the persecutions, when the Church was already acknowledged and especially regarded as the Roman Empire's religion, the next problem that the Church faced was the rise of various ideas, identification and interpretations of who Jesus was and what Jesus is. The first Ecumenical Councils were particularly focused on answering these problems and the results of these Councils produced not only dogmas and doctrines which are directly about the Lord Jesus Christ but also related issues and concerns.

Such issues and problems continue to hound us today because of the lack of true knowledge about the Lord Jesus Christ. That is why it is very necessary that we provide enough time to learn these things about the Lord so that when we are called to make an account of our faith, we may be able to give it properly and faithfully [see 2 Timothy 2:25; 1 Peter 3:15]. Or else we might be easily snatched up by ravenous wolves from the Lord's flock [see 2 Corinthians 2:11; 1 Peter 5:8; 1 John 2: 18, 22; 4:3; Matthew 24: 5, 24; Luke 21:8].

As the Lord Jesus Christ provided time for us that we may not perish, we too must also give enough time to learn more about Him that we may follow Him better and lead others to the right Savior.