Scripture Reading: John 1:29-51, Deuteronomy 18:15-18, Isaiah 53:7-12
When my husband and I welcomed our first child, naming her felt like the most sacred duty we had. We wrapped our baby girl in a soft hospital blanket and the names of our paternal grandmothers. And now, many years later, she carries their names, their stories, and a healthy dose of their shared stubbornness. A few years later, when our second daughter was born, we gave her names from our maternal lines, matriarchs whose gifts we hope she will bear into the next generation.
Our girls’ names act as bridges from the past to the future; they remind us we come from somewhere and someone and that the story of our families will continue long past us. Their names fill us with emotion: with love for those long-gone and hope for those yet to come.
In John 1:29–51, Jesus was given seven names or titles by the various people He encountered. Throughout our study in John, we’ll look at several descriptive names Jesus used for Himself. For today’s reading, let’s focus on these twenty-three verses in John 1 where Jesus was given seven names that present specific information about Jesus’s identity and mission. Each name represents the past, present, and future of God’s plan for redeeming the world.
The Lamb of God (John 1:29)
John the Baptist, Jesus’s relative and a prophet who prepared the Jewish people for the coming Messiah, called Jesus the “Lamb of God,” a reference to the Passover event in Exodus 12, Isaiah 53:7, and several other passages in the Old Testament. In the Mosaic law, lambs were a sacrificial option for sin offerings to God. Jesus was the ultimate sacrificial lamb who died once and for all for the sins of His people.
Son of God (v.34)
John the Baptist also called Jesus the “Son of God” in this passage. Jesus is called the Son of God throughout the Gospel of John, which emphasizes His deity. Jesus was fully God and fully man.
Rabbi or Teacher (v.38)
Two of John the Baptist’s followers, or disciples, called Jesus “Rabbi” when they saw Him. Rabbi is the Hebrew word for teacher. This title was given to official teachers of the Jewish law as a way to show respect.
Messiah, the Christ (v.41)
In verse 41, Andrew (John’s disciple who became Jesus’s disciple) told his brother Simon Peter that Jesus was the Messiah. Messiah (the English translation of a Hebrew word) and Christ (the English translation of the Greek word for Messiah) both mean “the anointed one.” This title referred to the promised savior of God’s people.
The One Moses Wrote About (v.45)
Philip, after believing in Jesus upon meeting Him, called Jesus the “one Moses wrote about.” By doing this, Philip recalled the Old Testament prophecies made incarnate in the person of Jesus.
King of Israel (v.49)
In verse 49, Philip also introduced Nathanael to Jesus, and Nathanael believed and followed Jesus. Nathanael then called him “Son of God…the King of Israel.” This name points back to Old Testament promises of an eternal king.
Son of Man (v.51)
Jesus called Himself “Son of Man” a dozen times in the Gospel of John.
In these verses, seven names give us a rich tapestry of Jesus: His purpose, His nature, and His power. These names teach us about Jesus, reminding us who He is and why He came. And they beckon our hope in the future we have because of Him.
Written by Melanie Rainer
