What are the different names of Jesus?

Addressing his followers, Jesus described himself as the Light of the World. In the book of John we read:

'When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."' (John 8:12)

In a world where bad things happen, and times feel dark, Jesus brings light by pointing us towards God’s goodness, love and mercy.

By living a life that pleases God and shows love towards others, Jesus is the light for all people everywhere. No amount of darkness can ever extinguish his light. It has the ultimate power and, as a result, offers people a hope that never ends.

The word Christ means Messiah, which, in turn, means 'anointed one'.  

The Jews of Jesus’ day expected the Messiah to be a powerful figure who would rescue their nation from the brutal force of the occupying Romans. They wanted a physical victory over their enemies.

The Samaritans, a group of people living to the north of Jerusalem, also seemed to be expecting the Messiah. The book of John tells of a conversation between a Samaritan woman and Jesus, it says:

'"I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he."' (John 4:25 and 26)

But the Bible depicts Jesus as a different kind of Messiah than the one many were expecting – one whose life would end up saving humankind from the consequences of the things it does wrong. One who would bring them closer to God.

Rather than fighting a physical battle, Jesus promoted God’s love and preached a message of forgiveness, pointing out that when we put our faith in God, we open ourselves up to a spiritual power that is greater than any earthly victory.

As humans, it’s in our nature to make a mess of things sometimes. We do and say things that are unkind or hurtful – to ourselves and others. And because of humankind’s propensity to mess things up, we need rescuing.

When God saw that the people he created were turning their backs on him and making bad choices, he wanted to save them from the condemnation that was rightfully theirs because of their actions. So, he came up with a rescue plan to restore humankind’s relationship with him: Jesus.

'Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.' (Luke 2:11)

When Jesus died, he took our wrongdoing upon himself – willingly. His death meant that our ‘sin’ died too, and so – in the eyes of God – our slate was wiped clean. Jesus is the Saviour – sometimes also referred to as the Redeemer - who shows the world that there is a better way to live than selfishly.

Not only did he preach a message of love and forgiveness, but his death on a cross – which paid the price for our wrongdoing – saves us from the consequences of having to live a life without God. Jesus promises that those who put their faith in him will spend eternity with him.

In a time and culture where farming was prominent, Jesus described himself as the 'Good Shepherd'. In the book of John we read:

'"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."' (John 10:11)

A shepherd is the sheep’s protector and carer. He frightens off predators. Keeps an eye on the sheep when they have a tendency to wander off. He nourishes them. Shelters them. The sheep follow the shepherd, trusting him completely.

Jesus – God in human form – is a shepherd to all who choose to follow him. To follow his lead means that we apply his teachings (about loving God and loving others) to our lives.

As a shepherd, Jesus is willing to die for us – in our place – for the times we have wandered away from God and ended up going in the wrong direction. Because of Jesus’ death, we can receive God’s forgiveness. And because of his resurrection, the burdens of our wrongdoing no longer have a hold over us, enabling us to live in peace with God, both now and in eternity.

Immanuel means ‘God with us’. The Bible applies the name Immanuel to Jesus at his birth, indicating that God was living alongside humankind through him. 

Centuries before Jesus was born, a prophet named Isaiah wrote: 

‘...the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.' (Isaiah 7:14). 

The New Testament writers believed that Isaiah’s prophecy was realised when Mary, a virgin, received a visit from an angel, who said: ‘You will conceive and give birth to a son ... the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God’ (Luke 1:31 and 35). 

The Gospel of Matthew adds that Jesus’ birth ‘took place to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet [Isaiah]’ (Matthew 1:22). 

In other words, Jesus – who is 100 per cent human – is also 100 per cent divine. He is God, with us.

Jesus referred to himself as the Son of God to demonstrate his divinity and the Son of Man to highlight his humanity.

Throughout his time on Earth, Jesus referred to God as his Father. By doing this he made it clear that he was more than just a human being. He also demonstrated this through miracles such as walking on water.

As his disciples got to know him, they came to understand who Jesus was. When Jesus asked some of them who they thought he was, one of them replied: 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God' (Matthew 16:16).

Jesus also called himself the Son of Man. He said: 'The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many' (Matthew 20:28).

His listeners at the time would have understood this as Jesus showing himself to be like them, in that he felt human emotions. He ate and drank. He slept. He formed relationships with the people around him. In basic terms, Son of Man means ‘human being’.

By calling himself the Son of God and the Son of Man, then demonstrating his spiritual authority through his teachings and miracles, Jesus was telling his followers something extraordinary about himself: yes, he is an ordinary human being, but he also possesses the sovereign power of God.