What's in a Name?

Jim:

Revelation 19:11-16
Matthew 16:13-20
Two of our passages today focus so on the identity of Jesus, and not just his identity, but the various names by which he is known, whether correctly or incorrectly, during both his earthly ministry and in the coming kingdom. In the passage from Revelation the rider on the white horse—understood to be the Christ leading the host of heaven to battle—is called Faithful and True, the Word of God, and King of kings and Lord of lords. These are all appropriate understandings of who the Christ is in his glory as reveled to John on Patmos. They describe the Son of God in relation to God, God’s people, and the world in general. But lest we believe we can fully define the Christ in all his glory, we also learn that he has “a name inscribed that no one knows but himself.” In other words he can not be fully known; his glory transcends our ability to comprehend. In the Matthew passage the identity of Jesus is dealt with as well in terms that are both accurate and inaccurate. Jesus calls himself the Son of Man, and Peter calls him the Messiah—meaning Christ or anointed one, but others call him John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, and one of the prophets. These latter names come out of false assumptions or expectations and fail to grasp the real ministry of Jesus. One question to consider in light of these readings is how do we understand Jesus, the Christ? By what names do we call him and what do they say about our expectations or assumptions? Do we believe that we can fully grasp who Jesus is?