God's Name The Holy One

In at least 45 verses of scripture God's name is called "The Holy One." In the majority of these verses he is called the "Holy one of Israel and Is. 29:23 he is called the "Holy One of Jacob." Similarly, God is called the "Holy One IN Israel in Ezek. 39:7: "So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel."

In Is. 41:14, the "Holy One of Israel, " is said to be the "redeemer" of Jacob and Israel: "Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the Lord, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. Also in Is. 43:3 he is said to be the "Savior!" "For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, they Saviour..." In addition in Is. 43:14, 47:4, 48:17, and 54:5 he as "the Holy One of Israel" is called the "redeemer."

In the new testament Jesus Christ is identified as the "Holy One:'

1. Mark 1:24 "Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of  Nazareth? Art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God." (See also Luke 4:34).
2. Acts 3:13, 14 "The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. But ye denied the Holy One and the Just..."
3. Acts 2:27,31 "Because thou will not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption...He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption."(See Acts 13:35).

Thus we conclude that the old testament "Holy One" is identified as Jesus Christ in the new testament.

The word, "holy," literally means, "separate," and identifies the one so identified as being separate or unique. Since Jesus Christ is identified as the Holy One we can conclude that he is unique, one of a kind. Thus there is none other like him. Now, let us consider seven ways in which Jesus is separate or unique from all others.

First, he came into this world as the executor of God's covenant promises:
1. Matt. 1:21, "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins."

2. John 4:34, "Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work."

3. John 6:37 39, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day."

4. John 17:1, 2, "Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: as thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him."

5. Is. 46:11, "Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country; yea I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it."

Second, his conception and birth into this world was different from anyone else. He was conceived and born of a virgin (Lk.1:26).  Furthermore, he had no earthly father for he was conceived of the Holy Ghost: Lk. 1:34, 35, "Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God."

Third, as a result of his being conceived of a virgin, he was conceived and born without sin. All the rest of mankind because of Adam's sin are as David described himself in Ps. 51:5, "conceived in sin and shapen in iniquity." In this regard he is called, "that holy thing," and "Holy child." Subsequently, in Heb. 7:26 he is described as, "holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens."

Fourth, Jesus was unique in that he is both man and God. He is said to be the "Son of man" and to be the "Son of God." He is the God man.

Fifth, the life of Jesus upon earth was unique from any other man. He lived a sinless perfect life. When tempted of the devil, Jesus said, "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Jesus was unique as the only one who has ever "lived by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Jesus said in Matt. 5:17, 18, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." Jesus was the "Holy One" who fulfilled all the law and the prophets. Surely Jesus is the "Holy One IN Israel." Thus he was unique, one of a kind, and none other like him.

Sixth, he is the "Holy One OF Israel." That is, he is the representative of all his covenant people. He is unique as he went to the cross. He went there as the representative of his people and the only one who could represent them. He went there sinless and became sin for them according to II Cor. 5:21, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." Thus at the cross as the "Holy One" we see him as our Savior and our Redeemer.

Seventh, he is unique in his resurrection from the dead. Even in the resurrection of the just at the last day our resurrection will be different from his. We don't have power to raise or change ourselves.  We are dependent on God for that. Jesus, however, had power to lay his life down and power to raise it again as we read in John 10:17, 18, "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

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God's Name Son

When Jesus Christ walked upon the earth in human form he was called the Son of God, the Son of man, and the son of David. It is as Christ (the anointed one) that he is referred to as the "son of David." Also, it appears that the title "Son of man" primarily refers to Christ's humanity, whereas, the title "Son of God" refers to his divinity. It this essay we will restrict our considerations to Christ as the Son of God.

When Mary Magdalene saw Jesus in the garden after his resurrection Jesus said unto her, "Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend to my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God." Jesus' reference to "my Father and your Father" implies a difference between his "Sonship" and the brethren's "sonship." As we noted in the previous essay we are sons by covenant, by spiritual birth, and by adoption. In contrast Jesus is the eternal Son of God. John 17:5 proves his eternal Sonship, "And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was."

In a Father/Son relationship the son has certain inherent responsibilities (men often do not live up to these responsibilities, but the Son of God is the perfect example of a Son fulfilling his responsibilities). One of the ten commandments is to "honor thy Father and thy Mother." In honoring our natural parents we are to submit ourselves to their will. Notice how the Son of God submitted to the will of the Father in John 6:37 40, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day."

Furthermore, it is the son's responsibility to do and finish the work assigned to him by the father. To this end we read where Jesus said unto the disciples in John 4:34, "My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work."

Next, the son is to emulate or follow the example of the father. A wonderful example of this is found in John 5:19 21, "Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will."

In addition, the son is to manifest the father to those who see him.  In doing this he represents the father to others. The words Jesus spoke in response to Philip's statement in John 14:8 10 illustrate this principle to us: "Philip saith unto him, Lord shew us the Father and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works."

Next, a son should try to please the father with his actions. Notice the words of the Father when Jesus was baptized, "And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  Also notice the words of the Father at the mount of transfiguration, "...behold a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him." Moreover, a son is to glorify his father by living a fruitful life as Jesus said in John 15:8, "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit..." In 3 ½ years of his personal ministry in human form, Jesus bore more fruit that the rest of humanity combined.

Finally, a son is to obey the father and we see the perfect example in Phil. 2:5 11, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

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God's Name The Word

Rev. 19:13, "And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God."

The Greek word translated Word is logos. It means "expression of thought." The Lord Jesus Christ is described to us as the manifest expression o God to us in the flesh by the following verses of scripture:

1. 2 Cor. 4:4, "In whom...gospel of Christ, who is the image of God..."

2. Col. 1:15, "Who is the image of the invincible God, the firstborn of every creature."

3. Col. 2:9, "For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily."

4. I Tim. 3:16, "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh..."

5. I John 1:2, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For that life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us)."

6. John 14:8, 9, "Phillip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus said unto him, Have I been so long time with you and yet hast thou not known me, Phillip. He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?"

7. Heb. 1:3, "Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Jesus Christ, the only begotten of the Father, is "the Word of God as set forth in John 1:14, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth." Thus Jesus, the Word, is the expression of God to us. We, as human beings, are limited in our ability to understand by our human capacity. What we understand is by our human reference. Jesus expressed God to us in a human body. Thus he was God manifest in the flesh. For instance in John 1:14 we learned that Jesus as the Word expressed the glory of God, the grace of God, and truth to us in his bodily presence. When Jesus said to Phillip, when you have seen me ye have seen the Father, he was setting forth the same principle that he was the expression (Word) of God toward us.

The characteristics and qualities of God are manifest to us in the bodily presence of Jesus Christ as set forth to us in the scriptures.  If, for instance, we want to understand the love of God, then we need look no further than the life of Jesus and his death on the cross and we see the manifestation of John 15:13, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." All the qualities and characteristics of God are manifest to us in the bodily person of Jesus Christ. He is the embodiment of God's love, grace, mercy, kindness, longsuffering, power, glory, justice, truth, forgiveness, goodness, gentleness, etc.

The use of the name "Word" also expresses to us many of the great works of God. In John 1:1 3 the work of creation is ascribed to Christ as follows: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made."  In 1 Pet. 1:23 the work of Christ as spiritual creator is stated thusly, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.

In Rev. 19:13, 14 Jesus is described as the military leader and commander of his people thusly, "And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean."

Finally in Heb. 4:12, 13 we see our actions and thoughts are made manifest unto God through the omnipotent and omniscient Word, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do."