Christ's Name – Master and Rabbi 

In John 1:38 we find two more names for Christ: “Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?”   We also note that the two names, Master and Rabbi, mean the same thing.  They are both terms to indicate that the one referred to is an instructor or teacher.  59 times the Greek word, “diakaskalos” is interpreted Master when referring to Christ. 

Sometimes people mistakenly think that the term Master as used in the New Testament is depicting a Master/Servant relationship.  Whenever a master/servant relationship is found in the New Testament the word used is “Lord,” not Master.  The following verses depict this principle:

1.  Matt. 10:24  “The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.”  Notice the master/disciple relationship and the lord/servant relationship.

2.  Matt. 10:25  "It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?"  Again, we notice the master/disciple relationship and the lord/servant relationship.

3.  John 13:13  “Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.” Notice the two different terms used in the same sentence.

4.  John 13:14  "If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet." Again there are two terms used in the same sentence.

While Christ journeyed here in the flesh, he was the teacher (Master) to the disciples.  Moreover, through his word, he is still teaching us today.  As his disciples he is our Master.

Christ's Name – Son of God

There has been controversy over whether Christ is the eternal Son of God or if his son-ship began with his conception in the womb of Mary.  The bible is clear concerning this issue.  Christ is the eternal Son of God.  The following verses show us that as the Son of God he is verily God and that he has always been God: 

1.  Heb. 1:8 “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.”  Here, God said of the Son that he is God and that his throne is for ever and ever.  The conclusion to be drawn from this is that the Son is both God and eternal. 

2.  John 8:58 “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”  Plainly Jesus is declaring that the one who appeared unto Abraham and when asked what his name is replied “I AM that I AM.”  Thus, Jesus is declaring himself to be the God of Israel.   

3.  John 10:30 “I and my Father are one. 31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? 33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.”  When Jesus said, “I and my Father are one,” the Jew understood him to mean that he is God.    

4.  John 17:1 “These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: 2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. 3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. 5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.”   As the Son of God, Jesus has asked the Father to glorify him with the glory he had with the Father before the world began.  We conclude from this that the Son of God is the eternal Son of God who has no beginning and no ending.   

In the ordinance of baptism and according to the direction of Christ we are to follow the commandment given in Matt. 28:19 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” This is one of many passages of scripture that teach that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost make up the three and one Godhead. 

That Christ is both God and man is declared to us in the following verses: 

1.  Isa. 9:6 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”  Notice, “a child is born,” compared to “a son is given.”  Christ was born according to the flesh, but he was given as the eternal Son of God. 

2.  Rom 1:3 “Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; 4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:”  As a man, Jesus was made of the seed of David, but as the Son of God he was declared to be thus by the resurrection from the dead.   

Christ's Name - Son of Man

Christ is called “Son of Man” 89 times in the New Testament.  He called himself Son of man 85 of those times.  The question sometimes arises: Why does he call himself Son of man instead of Son of God.  The answer is because he is both.  As the Son of God he is eternal and is the middle person in the 3 and 1 Godhead.  He has all the attributes of God because he is God.  As the son of man he has all the attributes of man, except for the sin nature.  When he dwelt here on earth he ate, he drank, he slept, he walked, he breathed, he had no place to lay his head, etc.   

Some may object and say that he had no biological father and that is true.  However, he still is the son of man as he was conceived in the womb of a virgin and is therefore the seed of a woman which was prophesied by God in the Garden of Eden. 

A great significance of him being the Son of Man is that he was the representative of man and could take the place of the elect family of God in the wrathful judgment of their sins on the cross of Calvary.  Animal sacrifices were never sufficient representatives to bear the wrathful judgment of God due to the sins of the elect family of God: Heb. 10:4 “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.”  As the Son of Man, he accomplished what animal sacrifices could never accomplish:  Heb. 10:10 “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” 

Another great significance of him being the Son of Man is that he was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin: Heb. 4:15 ”For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”