Its Frequency
There is an air of dignity and sense of majesty when we hear the full title and name given to our Savior: the Lord Jesus Christ. Though not found in the four Gospel records, it is first seen in Acts 11:17. From that point onward, it occurs, in our A.V., some 85 times. If we include Peter’s variation, “our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” we increase the frequency to 88.
The name Lord Jesus Christ is more than a name. It contains a title denoting both authority and purpose, humanity and deity. It is found in every NT epistle except for Hebrews, 1 John and 3 John. It is employed by Peter and Paul in their preaching (Acts), and by Paul, Peter, Jude, James and John in their epistles.
Its Significant Usage
The first thing to notice is that it is used in 1 and 2 Thessalonians 20 times, more than any other epistle, or over 20% of its occurrences. Was it because Thessalonica was the capital of Roman Macedonia and was accorded the rank of being a “free city” known for its loyalty to Caesar? Or is it related to Paul’s view, especially in his second epistle, of the coming kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ?
Attention should be drawn to its usage by James and John. They were half-brothers of the Lord, had grown up in the same home with Him, and faced the danger of familiarity. Yet James does not refer to Him as my elder brother. He does not even employ His name “Jesus.” Rather, He refers to Him as “our Lord Jesus Christ” (1:1; 2:1). To add to the dignity he affords Him, he adds “the Glory” (2:1). Jude, in like manner, in his short epistle of 25 verses, employs His full title three times, ascribing to Him the honor deserved (vv4,17,21).
And what of John who leaned on His breast and was the most intimate with the Savior? The final usage of this title comes from his pen, and it closes and seals the canon of Scripture: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen” (Rev 22:21).1 Intimacy did not degenerate into familiarity but maintained a sense of reverence for the Person. We should not miss the lesson being taught to us by the Spirit of God: “Holy and reverend is his name” (Psa 111:9). We pray in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, approaching the Father with a sense of the inestimable worth of His Person and recognizing the honor due to His Name.
Its Meaning
“Our Lord Jesus Christ”
Are there perhaps in this Name/title all the glories and honors to which He is worthy? Men who handled the priestly offerings handled them carefully. As we attempt to give the meaning to each of these three names, it behooves the writer to move carefully and for the reader to read discerningly. I would suggest that in this three-fold name there is His humanity, honor, heirship and headship.
Jesus
We have the liberty afforded by Scripture itself to say that this name, His earthly name, reveals Him as Savior (Mat 1:21). It is the name that tells as well of His humanity. “She shall bring forth a son …” tells of His entrance into humanity and into our world. It is of interest that the only word we know that Joseph, His adoptive father, ever spoke was this lovely name linked with His humanity and Saviorhood – “Jesus” (v25). As “Jesus” in His humanity, He is also the “Last Adam,” who is fit to reign over all in fulfillment of God’s plan (Heb 2:5-9).
The Christ
He is the Anointed, the Messiah. If Jesus speaks of His Saviorhood for the world, “Christ” links Him as the Messiah associated with the nation of Israel. The first occurrence of this word is in Hannah’s prayer: “Exalt the horn of his anointed [Messiah]” (1Sa 2:10). He is the promised heir to David’s throne, the hope of the nation, and the One who will reign eternally.
Acts 17:3 brings these first two titles and names together: “This Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is [the] Christ.” This was the theme of what Paul preached those three Sabbath days in the synagogue at Thessalonica as he sought to bring the gospel to them.
The Lord
If “Christ” links Him as Messiah to the nation of Israel, and Jesus is His name as Savior of the world, then “Lord” reminds us of His universal exaltation and authority: “He is Lord of all” (Act 10:36). Peter could boldly proclaim, “God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ” (2:36). It is not that He suddenly in resurrection became Lord and Christ, but that God vindicated His claims in resurrection so that we might own Him as Lord.
“Lord” is a term that denotes His authority. “Who is the LORD, that I should obey [him]?” (Exo 5:2) was Pharoah’s question, implying that Lordship demands obedience. “He is thy Lord; and worship thou him” (Psa 45:11) reveals that Lordship demands not only obedience but worship. A day is fast approaching when every tongue will confess Jesus Christ as Lord to the glory of the Father (Php 2:11).
Thus, this lofty title reminds us of the One who became man and our Savior (Jesus), who will reign over Israel and fulfill the covenantal promises to the nation (Christ), and the One to whom an entire universe will bow, owning His authority and right to be worshiped (Lord).
May we not only use His name intelligently, but so live as to recognize its claims. As my Lord, I bow in obedience and worship. As “Jesus,” I marvel at the grace that brought Him into humanity and exult in His salvation provided for me. As “Christ,” the Anointed Messiah of God, I look onward to a day when He will reign and we will, as co-heirs, reign with Him.
1 Bible quotations in this article are from the KJV.
