Christological Titles – Jesus
Thesis
Samuel Langhorn Clemons is better known to us by his pen name Mark Twain.
Four years after his birth, in 1839, his family moved to Hannibal, Missouri, a thriving port city. It was from this locale along the banks of the Mississippi River that Clemons became endured to the mighty river and the steamboats that traveled to-and-fro. At the age of 17, he left home for St. Louis to work as a newspaper reporter. However, the siren call of the river never parted from his ears, so pursuing his passion he secured his river pilot’s license 1858. With the outbreak of the Civil War, river trade was no longer profitable and Clemons returned to his other ardor, writing.
Early in his writing career Clemons wrote a humorous travel story and elected to sign his name to the article as Mark Twain, the name under which he wrote thereafter. Mark Twain was adopted from a term frequently used and heard by riverboat captains. The minimum depth of the water needed for a boat to pass unobstructed was 12 feet, or two fathoms. “Twain” was slang for two. “Mark” referred that the depth had been measured. When the helmsman heard the cry “Mark Twain” he knew the river passage was safe for further navigation.
Names are important for they reveal much about the possessor. Logan Pearsall Smith (1865-1946), an American essayist and man of letters who resided in London, once wrote, “Our names are labels, plainly printed on the bottled essence of our past behavior.” Names, over time, do reveal who we are. One’s name quickly becomes associated with one’s character. And sadly, like most things, in takes years to build a reputable name which can be surrendered in an evening of ill judgment. Jesus, a man of no sin, has a name that is exemplary of meritorious behavior.
Jesus is the name that was given to the son of Mary and Joseph. From the beginning of recorded history through the Middle Ages an individual only had a proper or first name, often referred to as the “given name.” The last name, or family name, recognized as the “surname” is a recorded only in recent history.
Prior to the use of a surname, distinguishing one person from another, when both cradle the same proper name, was accomplished by a descriptor. This centered on one of three categories: first names of parents, place of birth or residence, or occupation. Jesus, as recounted in the Scriptures, was known by all three. The man with an unclean spirit challenged, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?” (Mk 1:24) When Jesus taught in the synagogue, confounding all with his great wisdom and insight, those gathered in astonishment inquired, “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary?” (Mk 6:3)
Jesus was a popular name encompassing Palestine, being ascribed with theological significance only after the resurrection. The name and derivatives of it are found throughout Hebrew literature. This is best illustrated by the poignant scene transpiring on the balcony of Pontius Pilate’s palace. The bloodthirsty crowd waited below for the verdict of who will be chosen for crucifixion by the pontiff. Pilate, unwilling to get involved in an internal dispute, puts the question to the crowd, so they must decide. Pilate demanded to know which of these two prisoners did the mob wish to have released, Jesus of Nazareth who is on trial as a political activist, or Jesus Barabbas, standing condemned as an insurrectionist and murderer. A number of ancient texts list the proper name of Barabbas as Jesus, and the distinguishing term Barabbas means “son of the master.” So, the real question becomes, “Which Jesus do you choose?” (Mt 27:15ff) Understanding the usage of names elongates the seriousness of the question posed. If our enlistment is to sail with the man from Nazareth, the river of life will easily be two fathoms deep.
Jesus is the name by which he is addressed by the world today. His family and friends knew him by his Hebrew name Yeshua, equivalent to Joshua. Yeshua means “Jehovah saves.” So instructed the angel to Joseph on the birth of Mary’s child, “She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus (Yeshua), for he will save his people from their sins.” (Mt 1:21) When the Hebrew Scriptures were translated into Greek the name became Iesous. The Greek name was transliterated into Latin which in turn became “Jesus” in English.
The Greek name for Jesus acquired significant symbolic importance in the history of Christendom. Infrequently appearing in the first century catacombs it gained prominence in the third century. Unfortunately, most congregations today have lost the original testimony of the inscription. The monogram IHS is the first three letters of the Greek spelling of Jesus (Iota – Eta – Sigma). These letters were often displayed on a crown or cross in an artistic rendition of a scene from the life of Jesus. This was often shortened to IC or XC for Iesous Christo, meaning Jesus Christ.
Through centuries of misunderstanding the hieroglyph was rendered to convey political calls to discipleship. The contemporary interpretation of the Greek IHS is “In His Service.” The Latin variation of IHS (In hoc signo) summons followers “By this sign you shall conquer.” This was the standard bearer for the marchers on the Crusades against the Muslim occupation of Jerusalem. To be specific, IHS authenticated Christians to be warriors, which was sanctioned by the church against Muslim infidels.
As a Protestant theologian, this author is not alone contending that the Roman Catholic Church blasphemed the name of Jesus when the proper name was conjoined with the bestowing of indulgencies. The Roman Catholic Church of the Middle Ages, similar to many evangelical and non-denominational Protestant denominations today, sought to control their constituency through the fear of hell and damnation. To render obedience to the Pope a parishioner would give monetary gifts or perform specified acts of service, and in turn be rewarded with an indulgence.
Until the fifteenth-century the established church, the Roman Catholic Church as this was prior to the Protestant Reformation, taught that when one died they went directly to heaven or hell for eternity. When the affluent and social elite sought the blessing of the church for salvation, they were reluctantly to surrender their worldly lifestyle. The church then established the doctrine of purgatory, an intermittent place between heaven and hell. These prestigious individuals could spend time in repentance in purgatory, absent of going to hell as a result of an earthly life lived in the flesh absent of the Holy Spirit. The church, desirous for money to continue its opulence, and the politicians and bureaucrats who destained the thought of even residing temporarily in purgatory, where allowed to buy indulgences from the church to lessen their time in confinement. In other words, these individuals who confessed Jesus as their Lord and Savior though chose not to be sacrificing and obedient disciples of their Lord, could in essence purchase their way into heaven. One of the cornerstones of the Protestant Reformation was a protest against the sale of indulgences.
For each indulgence acquired, incarceration in Purgatory was lessened. Pope Urban IV, who reigned from 1261 to 1264, granted an indulgence of thirty days to any individual who would add the name of Jesus to the Hail Mary, or would either bow the head or bend the knee every time he/she heard the name of Jesus spoken. Pope Sixtus V, on July 2, 1587, granted an indulgence of fifty days to the ejaculation: “Praise be to Jesus!” with the answer, “Forevermore,” or “Amen.” Pope Benedict XIII, reigning from 1724 to 1730, granted the same number of days to anyone who pronounced the name of Jesus reverently. Pope Pius X, on October 10, 1904, offered the greatest gift of all when he dictated as often as a patron invoked the name of Jesus and Mary together, he/she would be the recipient of a papal indulgence of 300 days. The repetitious reciting of the name of Jesus coupled with the perpetual bobbing of heads, begs the question if anything else of substance was ever accomplished. This, of course, is very Pharisaical; a legalism Jesus adamantly opposed since it does nothing to care for the widows and orphans, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and liberate those who are oppressed.
It should be noted that the name Jesus never appears with an adjective; it always stands alone. The first century authors put sentimentality aside, avoiding the demonstrative writing of “blessed Jesus,” “sweet Jesus,” or “dear Jesus.” Jesus stood on his name alone and all that it implied. Nothing could be added to clarify his perfection as the world’s comforter. We are amiss by doing today, as we add qualifiers where none are needed.
Reflection upon the person of Jesus after the Resurrection provided the transitional stage of lessening the use of his proper name, instead yielding to Christological titles that informed believers of his transforming place in history. An example of this would be Paul’s inclusion of a Christological hymn, sung in worship by first century Christians, in his letter to the church at Philippi. Paul recited, “that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil 2:10-11) In this one stanza the proper name of Jesus evolves to the Christological confession of Lord and Christ.
George Savile (1633-1695), an English statesman and author penned, “The invisible thing called a Good Name is made up of the breath of numbers that speak well of you.” The multitude of great things that have been associated with the name of Jesus goes unopposed. It is a name that must reside constantly upon our lips.
Since childhood Lydia Baxter was bedridden with a debilitating disease. One of the activities she enjoyed the most, passing hours of solitude, was to be a student of the Bible. When friends came to visit, they would conduct contests and quizzes as to who might be the most biblically knowledgeable. One of the games that Lydia most enjoyed was the interpretation of biblical names and their spiritual implication. She would be forthright in her rendition: Samuel means “asked of God,” Hannah is “grace,” Sarah is called “princess,” and Naomi means “pleasantness.” But, of course, the name she esteemed the most was Jesus.
She attached special significance, as well she should, to that name. During difficult times she would share, “I have a very special armor. I have the name of Jesus. When the tempter tries to make me blue or despondent, I mention the name of Jesus, and he can’t get through to me anymore.”
In 1870, at the age of 61, four years prior to her death, she wrote a hymn on the beauty of that name. The hymn became the staple of Dwight L. Moody’s evangelistic rallies. It is a hymn that is still sung in our sanctuaries today, with passion for the calmness and reassurance it disseminates. The hymn is: Take The Name of Jesus With You. With a peaceful calm we sing:
Take the name of Jesus with you,
child of sorrow and woe;
it will joy and comfort give you
Take it, then where’er you go.