WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Over the last few years I took it upon myself to explore the genealogy of my family. I focused first on my Mother’s side of the family since she primarily of Northern European stock. My Father’s side of the family is principally from Mexico and would be much more problematic in tracing ancestry since most of that information is found only in family Bibles and going to the individual villages and visiting the local church and graveyards.
My sister thought it was a great idea and so she decided to tackle our Father’s ancestral tree. In addition she had been in contact with one of our cousins who regular goes to Mexico and visits our relatives that still live there. Plus, he had already started tracing the family history.
In doing my genealogy I became quite fascinated with the names of many of my ancestors, not to mention the various European countries they hailed from. Of course, being a person who loves history it was also very interesting to see how some of my ancestors were involved in situations that I had read about while studying for my degree in history.
When my wife was teaching she specialized in Language Arts, which deals with reading, spelling and grammar. I took advantage of her knowledge to review my thesis for my Graduate Degree. From her I learned there was a school of study called etymology which is determining the origin of a word by looking at its root word. That means if the word is Arabic or Russian in origin.
While doing my families genealogy learned there is a school of study called onomastics which specializes in the study of names and what they mean or what purpose they serve.I also discovered that there was a lot of superstition in ancient times about a persons name. Some societies believed that a person must have two names; one that they tell everyone and one they keep secret holding onto it deep in their soul and is their true name. They believed that if someone discovered your true name and spoke it out loud to you they will then control you.
In reviewing the names of my ancestors I noted that some of the names were very descriptive while others did not seem to make sense. Fortunately, the computer is a very handy device and I could plug a name into the computer and it would quickly inform me what the name meant. For example, my first name is Norbert (or Norberto, which is the Hispanic pronunciation). I am named after my father who at the time of my birth was overseas fighting in Korea. When my Father received the telegram of my birth he was quite ecstatic. Naturally, he proudly informed his buddies of my birth. The telegram did not state what my name was, so they all sat down and decided it would be there task to name me. After much deliberation they chose the name George.
Fortunately, by the time my Father sent a telegram back to my Mother, her and I had already checked out of the Army Hospital where I was born and the birth certificate with the name my Mother chose already registered with the state! I am not overly fond of the name of George, I hope I am not offending anyone here that is named George. I kind of like the name I have since it is rather unique.
The origin of name Norbert is from ancient German and means “bright north.” So how does a Hispanic boy end up with a German name? Historically, Spain was overrun by the barbarians called Vandals shortly before the western Roman Empire collapsed around 476 AD. The Vandals were a Germanic tribe and they ruled Spain for nearly three hundred years the Moslem tribe of the Umayads conquered over half of Spain and ruled it for nearly 700 years.
My middle name is Ricky, which is the diminutive form of Richard. It too is an ancient German word meaning strong. Now, while I am tickled to know that I have a name that means I am strong unfortunately, according to family legend my Mother was a big fan of the I Love Lucy show and named me after Lucy’s husband Ricky Ricardo.
My last name Garcia is of Basque descent. It means young ruler of the spear. The Basques lived primarily during the days of the Vandal invasion and continue today to live in and around the Pyrenees Mountains that border France and Spain.
Now in my case, none of my names describe what my ancestors did, or at least on the surface they don’t. Reviewing the genealogy of my Mother’s family as well as my Father’s does reveal that I come from a family of warriors. You might say it was inevitable that I ended up in the military, though truth be told I was actually drafted.
While studying the ancestors on my Mother’s side of the family I discovered at least 8 of my ancestor’s fought in the Revolutionary War on the side of the rebels. In addition, my ancestors have been well represented in the US Military in almost every war the US has fought since 1776. Even today I have a cousin that is the Commanding Officer of a US Navy warship and another cousin that is a soldier in the Army.
As we look back on history, and in particular the naming of individuals, we see that names were meant to mean something about the individual. During ancient times it was uncommon for a person to have a last name. When you read the Bible you will notice there is no last name given for Abraham, Isaac, Solomon or David. Neither is there a last name for Ruth, Esther or Isaiah. However, you might occasionally run into someone like Mary Magdalene. At this particular time in the Bible there are three Mary’s; Mary, the mother of Jesus. Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Mary of Magdala. Magdala was a village alongside the Sea of Galilee. Since there were three Mary’s some means of identifying which one is being spoken about was needed. Therefore, you have Mary, mother of Jesus and Mary Magdalene.
Another example of an ancient means of identifying a person was by what their occupation was. For example, John the wheelwright. This tells you that John is a wheelwright. A wheelwright was an individual that repaired or made the wheels on wagons. Thomas the Baker. Tom was an individual that baked bread. George the Mason. George is someone that built homes or walls.
Eventually, as time moved on by the end of the Middle Ages a person was no longer identified by John the Baker, instead he became John Baker. His occupation had now become his surname.
Another way to identify a person from the crowd was an identifying characteristic of theirs such as Louis the Pious, due to his very religious beliefs. Then there was Charles the Bald , who as his name suggests was bald or Charles the Great (whom many of us know as Charlemagne) who was the first to unite the various German principalities, France, Northern Italy and Eastern Spain into one kingdom and eventually became the genesis of what became the Holy Roman Empire.
Finally, by the time of the Renaissance surnames became ever more prevalent. Children took on their father’s names. Yet, in some countries surnames became kind of fluid. For example, my maternal great grandmother’s surname prior to her marriage was Graff. Now in Norway were she was born in the 1800's it was common in the country that a person’s surname was indicative of where they lived. If and when they moved then the surname would change to reflect their current location. Since my great grandmother’s family was itinerant farmers there name changed each time they moved to a different farm. When I was working on the family genealogy I found six different last names for her before age 16!
So, names have meanings most often descriptive of the persons occupation or at times descriptive of who their parents were, or an identifying characteristic of theirs or where they are from.
So, why am I giving you a short study on the origins of names you may be asking? Especially during this Christmas Season. It is because I think it would be interesting to reflect on the many names of Jesus that we find in the Bible. Jesus is referred to by many names in both the Old and New Testament and each one of those names are very important. Why, you may ask? Why so many different names? It is because each one of the names, titles or appellations tell us who Jesus is and what His importance is to our salvation.
While researching this subject, I used over a ton of different Commentaries, Bible dictionaries and several Study Bibles. I also reviewed several books that have been written about the names of Jesus found in the Bible. All told, I discovered that there are somewhere between 350 and 500 names found in the Bible that refer to Christ specifically.
As Christians we are taught to study and read the Bible and in doing so most of us have seen the many names that are used to refer to Jesus or ones He has used to refer to Himself. In our Hymnals also there are many songs that use one or more of these names or titles for Jesus. Indeed, at Christmas time we sing carols that use several of the names that are identified with Jesus, such as;
Christ
Messiah
Immanuel
King of Kings
Lord of Lords
Savior
And Counselor. All of these names are appropriate to Jesus. Yet, why were these names chosen and what do they mean and where are they found in the Bible?
Other names associated with Christ and commonly used are;
Living Water
Son of God
Alpha and Omega
Bridegroom
Prince of Peace
And High Priest. Undoubtedly, we do not have enough time today to enumerate all 350 plus names associated with Jesus. However, I would like to take the time to review some of the more common as well as lesser names identified with Christ.
Author and Finisher: Let’s turn to Hebrews 12:2 “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
In this passage Paul is telling us that Christ was at the beginning of creation. Additionally, it is to Him we look for confidence in our faith and as a model of our faith in God.
Paul also tells us that Jesus will lead and guide us in our faith all the way to the end of our days here on Earth.
As to being the Finisher, this does not mean that He makes our faith complete or perfects it. No, it means that there is no other that has more faith than He. He is pre-eminent in His faith above all others and it is to Him we must look always as we endeavor to ensure our faith is strong in God.
It is Christ that came to Earth to reclaim us from our fallen state of sin and it is Him that calls us to the Gospel. It is also Christ that will cleanse us from our sin and make us worthy for entry into heaven. Christ will also be our example to perfect our faith, to grow in grace and in the knowledge of God.
In this life we are a wayfarer, a traveler. We have a goal as a Christian, and that is to emulate Christ in the way we live our life. We also have the goal of joining Christ in heaven. At the end of each day we should ask ourselves if we are any nearer to reaching our goal. If not, then we need to ask ourselves why not. Furthermore, we should be on our knees, asking God to assist us in reaching our goals.
Christ is the Finisher, (some versions of the Bible say Perfecter), because he guarantee’s the reality of the prize of eternity in heaven by the fact that He sits at the right hand of God in the throne room. Because He achieved the goal we strive for, He shows us that we can succeed. He guarantee’s it!
Other names for Christ that is similar in meaning is Alpha and Omega ( Revelation 1:8, 21:6; 22:13). Beginning and End also found in Revelation 1:8 and 21:6. First and Last also found in Revelation 22:13.
Almighty: Turn to Revelation 1:8: “I am the Alpha and Omega,” says the
Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”
John tells us that Christ is the all powerful Lord. Nothing is beyond His ability or His reach. He is also stating that Christ is the framer or creator of the Universe as well as of man. He is also telling us that Christ is the ruler of all and is omnipotent. And because He is the Almighty One none can conquer Him, indeed He has already conquered our arch enemy, Satan.
John is also telling us that Christ is complete. That is, He was always there in the beginning, He is still there today, and He will be there tomorrow and for eternity. He is in control and has been since the beginning of time and will be for all eternity.
Additionally, Christ has boundless life which embraces all and transcends all.
Other names associated with Almighty given to Christ: Mighty God (Isaiah 9:6) ;Mighty in Battle (Psalms 24:8); Potentate (1 Timothy 6:15).
Bread of Life: Turn to John 6:32 “Then Jesus said unto them, I tell you the truth, Moses gave you not the bread from heaven; but my Father gave you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He which comes down from heaven, and gives life unto the world. Then said they to Him, Lord, give us this bread. And Jesus said to them, I am the Bread of Life: he that comes to me shall never hunger; and he that believes on me shall never thirst.”
John tells us here that Jesus is our Sustenance, He will provide us with our spiritual food necessary to succor and sustain our faith. The term Bread of Life is also a twist on where Jesus was from: Bethlehem. Bethlehem in Hebrew means “House of Bread.” Bethlehem was a producer of grain and wine during Biblical times.
Jesus is also asserting here that He was the giver of manna (bread) and not Moses that the Hebrews received while roaming in the desert. However, the manna only satisfied the physical needs of the Jews. The bread Jesus now speaks of provides something more important than physical sustenance, Christ provides the spiritual sustenance we need. And as opposed to the physical bread that the Jews received in the desert, this ‘bread’ will not leave you hungry several hours after eating, but instead will sustain you for a lifetime.
Notice also in these verses that Christ repeats the word bread. First, as bread from heaven, then bread of God and finally, bread of life. By stressing the word bread He is telling us that His bread is essential. More importantly it is the bread from Our heavenly Father that will sustain us spiritually, give us life and prevent death.
Other names associated with Jesus with similar meaning: Living Bread (John 6:5) and Living Water ( John 7:37).
Carpenter: Let us now turn to Mark 6:3 “Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us? And they took offense at him.”
Joseph was a carpenter and as was customary during that time, he taught his sons the same trade. Until Jesus took up the mantle as our Saviour he too was a carpenter.
Jesus, the creator of trees and forests, became a worker of wood. Later, at the end of His ministry he was crucified by being nailed to a cross made of wood.
Additionally, as you read the first six verses of Mark 6 you will notice that the towns people, people he grew up with mocked him. They mocked the poverty of his upbringing, his lack of education, and the meanness of his social standing. Yet, Christ ignored all this and continued with His ministry. He still preached to them and He still healed those that were sick.
As Christians we will be belittled and mocked, sneered at and called names. However, like Jesus we are to ignore these slights against our person and continue to do as Jesus did, despite the people being unappreciative.
Chief Cornerstone: Turn now to Ephesians 2:20 “And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone.”
One cannot erect a building without laying the foundation first. The foundation must be firm and anchored to solid ground otherwise the structure to be erected upon it will not be stable and will eventually collapse due to wind, rain or earthquake.
During the first year I was attending the College of Charleston after retiring from the Navy the College was building its Business School across the street from the building where I was taking a Psychology course. After they tore down the building on that lot and leveling the ground they started putting pylons into the ground. Charleston is built on marshy land, so before laying the foundation for a large multi-story building they must anchor the foundation on bedrock. Thus, the contractor had to pile-drive 40ft pylons into the ground to reach bedrock. It was upon these pylons the foundation would be laid. Every day I attended class it was to the noise of the pylons being driven into the ground. It was also to the unsettling situation of our chairs being moved about the classroom because of the impact of driving the pylons jolting the ground in the surrounding area.
Paul is stating here that the church is built upon a very stable foundation, a foundation built upon solid ground and one that has Christ as it’s cornerstone. A church that has been guided not only by Christ, but also by His Apostles.
Peter goes even further with this analogy in 1 Peter 2:6 by saying that the church is a living thing, a family constantly growing in size, but also in faith. A community of individuals that have come together to learn and grow at the feet of Christ. A growth that will continue until the second coming.
But this cornerstone is not just any rock. It is something that is precious to God and therefore should be precious to us. It is upon this cornerstone that the church, the community of God’s people, that we rely on. A precious stone that will never fail. A church that will never collapse despite all that nature or Satan throws at it.
Christ being the cornerstone and foundation of this church will always protect us and sustain us.
Other names associated with this: Foundation (1 Cor 3:11), Living Stone (1 Peter 2:4), Precious Stone (Isaiah 28:16), Rock (1 Cor 10:4), Rock of Offense (1 Peter 2:8), Stone (Psalm 118:22).
Door: Let us now turn to John 10:9 “I am the door; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.”
Here we have Christ telling us that it is through His door that we must enter if we want peace, security, nourishment and sanctuary. There are hundreds of thousands of doors that we will enter and exit in our lifetime. Behind each door we will find many wonderful things and many things that are not so wondrous. Behind some doors we will find hatred, other doors poverty. Some doors hide bitterness, and others jealousy.
It is only through the door of Christ that we can find peace. It is only though the door of Christ will we find access to God. It is only through the door of Christ that we will find the true path.
Even more so, as the shepherd guides the sheep in and out of the gate, so we as Christians will find Christ guiding us day in and day out. He will ensure that we will find living water and nourishing food. Food and water that will not only suffice to nourish us physically, but also spiritually.
Other similar names: Door of the Sheepfold (John 10:7).
Immanuel: Let us now turn to Matthew 1:23 “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel – which means, God with us.”
The actual interpretation of the Hebrew word Immanuel is “The strong God with us.” Here in Matthew the angel is informing Joseph that the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy in Isaiah 7:14 is to be the son that Mary is carrying.
Obviously, Mary’s baby was not named Immanuel, but Jesus. However, it was important to stress that He will be both human and divine. That indeed he would be the embodiment of God on earth. According to the SDA Bible Commentary, the word Immanuel is not so much a name, but a description of who the child will be and his mission on Earth.
The fulfillment of the prophecies found in Isaiah meant that God was coming to Earth. He would walk among His people, He would suffer their pains. He would share in the degradation of His people. Furthermore, by being God with us, He shall also be our intermediary between God and man, that God has restored His covenant with us, reconciled with us and is at peace with us.
At the same time He would be the Rock that His people could cling to in time of trouble and the Sanctuary they may avail themselves of against the depredations and sins of the world.
The word Immanuel is found only in Isaiah Chapter 7 and 8 and in Matthew chapter 1. Seldom seen in the Bible, but very important to mankind.
Related title: Only Begotten God (John 1: 18)
High Priest: Turn now to Hebrews 3:1 “Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house.”
For the Jews, Moses was placed on a higher platform than any other prophet in the Old Testament. As you read the Old Testament you will notice that all the prophets, but one, received word from God via visions when sleeping or at rest. Moses on the other hand, talked face-to-face with God. It was to Moses that God handed the Ten Commandments. To the Jews, no prophet or teacher was greater than Moses.
So, here in Hebrews, Paul is telling the people that as great as Moses was, Jesus is even greater. As Aaron was the High Priest appointed by God to intercede between man and God, so now Jesus is.
Paul calls Jesus both Apostle and High Priest in Hebrews. An Apostle was God’s spokesman to the people. A position that Jesus definitely fulfilled during His time on Earth. The High Priest acted as the intercessor between man and God. It was the High Priest who asked God to forgive the sinners. It was the High Priest that was the only person that could enter the Holy of Holies in the Sanctuary and in effect speak directly to God. Now, Paul is telling the people that Jesus is our High Priest, our intercessor. He has taken on the role that Moses had, by being able to speak face-to-face to God. He has taken on the role the 12 Apostles had by being God’s spokesman. And he has taken on the mantle of High Priest, a position once held by Aaron, and is our intercessor.
Related titles: Bishop of Souls (1 Peter 2:25); Minister of the Sanctuary (Hebrews 8:1,2); and Prophet (John 6:14)
Hope: Turn now to 1 Timothy 1:1 “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Saviour, and of Christ Jesus our hope.”
Billy Graham once said, “For the believer there is hope beyond the grave, because Jesus Christ has opened the door to heaven by His death and resurrection.”
For us Christians, the cross tells us that God understands our suffering, for He took upon Himself all of our sins and all of our failures and all of our sufferings. Why? To redeem the world, to save you and me from our sins, to give us assurance and Hope that when we die we will have a spot saved for us in heaven. Christ was saying while bleeding and suffering on the cross, I love you, I know the heartaches and the sorrows and the pain that you feel.
When He died He was taken to a borrowed tomb. Not a tomb carved for Him, but a borrowed tomb. Why? Because He wasn’t planning on staying there too long. After the tragedy of the cross we then have the Hope of the empty tomb. That tomb shows us that death has been conquered and no longer has a hold over us since Christ conquered death. Again, giving us Hope and triumph over sin, death and hell.
So, yes one of Jesus’s many names is Hope. And it is this hope found in His promise of freedom from the wages of sin. No matter what trials, temptations or pain we may suffer, Christ extends to us the hope of eternal life and an eternity in the presence of our Lord and Saviour.
Today, I have taken the time to provide a little in-depth meaning of 9 of the many names of Jesus. In addition, I have provided a further 22 names and texts where additional names for Jesus can be found. But, despite all that I have not provided the meaning of the name Jesus. I certainly don’t want to be accused of short changing you on that topic.
Jesus Luke 1:31 “You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name of Jesus.”
Jesus comes from the Hebrew word, Joshua which means “Jehovah is our salvation.”
Now you might say that Jesus was His given name. Christ is the name that describes what he is. Christ is a Greek word that happens to be a translation of the Hebrew word, Messiah. Messiah means “anointed one.” Finally, let us not forget His title. Jesus is oftentimes prefaced by the word Lord. Often the word Lord is in all capitals emphasizing that He is divine.
In closing let me leave you with these thoughts:
Jesus came to earth with a mission. A mission to save us, no matter how unworthy we may be. God did not want to lose a single one of us. So, He sent His only begotten Son (John 3:16), to die for us.
Along the way, he provided us with many services. Services such as; Counselor, Comforter, Shepherd, the Door, the Light, the Carpenter and our Hope. He was able to do this because He was; the Almighty, the Saviour, the Alpha and Omega, the King of Kings and Lord of Lord.
Yes, Jesus has many names. And each one of those names is very descriptive of who He is and what He has done, is currently doing and what He will continue to do for each one of us for eternity.
So, this Christmas Season I ask you to reflect on who Jesus is in your life, the miracle of His birth and why He came here for you.
It is my hope that you have had a Merry Christmas and will have a Happy and prosperous New Year! Or as we say en Espanol; Felice Navidad y prospero ano felicidad!
