The 9 names of Jesus

Names were very important in the Bible. 

There was more to a person's name than just their identification. In the Bible, names were meant to both tell stories and express messages. It is because of this that Jesus was given such meaningful names. Their stories tell us of His life and describe the kind of man He was.

Throughout scripture, we see Jesus more clearly in the names He's given. A clearer view of Him leads to a deeper understanding of Him. 

In this article, we will talk about nine different names of Jesus and what each of them means.

What is the real name of Jesus?

As to the origin and etymology of the name Jesus, there have been a number of theories. 

In Jesus’ time, the main written alphabet used at the time was Aramaic. By the 8th century BC, the ancient Aramaic alphabet had developed as a distinct script from the Phoenician alphabet. 

The Phoenician alphabet was used to write the Aramaic language and had displaced the Paleo-Hebrew alphabet. The Aramaic alphabet gradually replaced Early Hebrew in the 6th and 2nd centuries BC, resulting in Classical Hebrew, or Square Hebrew. 

Over the next 1,500 years, the Square Hebrew alphabet slowly developed into the modern Hebrew alphabet used today. 

In the original Hebrew translations, Jesus was called Y'shua (or Yeshua), which is translated as Joshua in English. The English Bible has been translated from Greek, in which Jesus was usually called “Iesous,” pronounced “Yay-soos,” which means "healer" in English. 

The word "Jesus" in modern English is derived from the Early Middle English word Iesu in the 12th century. The first person to distinguish the “I” in Iesu into a “J” was Frenchman Pierre Ramus in the 16th century.

However, since modern English didn't use a "J" until the 17th century, early versions of the King James Bible continued to use an "I" instead.

Christ's name wasn't given the form "Jesus" until its Latin roots entered the English language. 

The majority of this research relates to scholarly work. Let's now take a look at what the Bible says about Jesus' names. 

The names of Jesus in the Bible

Throughout the Lord God’s word, Jesus is called by many different names. They most often illustrate how Jesus was called by a variety of names by different people. 

Jesus is only mentioned in the Old Testament through prophecies, and He’s most prevalent in the New Testament. 

Jesus’ story begins in Luke 1:26 when the angel Gabriel first appeared to Mary and told her she'd conceive a child named Jesus, who was the son of God. 

There are many verses that give Him different names, such as: 

“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they'll call him Immanuel” (Matthew 1:23).

“The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’” (John 1:29).

“I am the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (Revelations 22:13).

“For us, a child is born, to us, a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he'll be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

“Again, Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me won't walk in darkness but will have the light of life’” (John 8:12).

The names given to Jesus show us the extent of His power. He is the Alpha and the Omega, Lamb of God, and the Wonderful Counselor. His grace permeates throughout each name. 

The Bible tells us that Jesus is the ultimate Prince of Peace and the light of the world.

When we continue faithful and true to Him, Jesus will lead us to salvation. As Christians, when we put our devotional faith in the almighty High Priest, He becomes our morning star and guides us on our journey through life. 

Jesus is the Holy One at the head of the church. But while He has many glorious accolades, He'll always be Jesus of Nazareth. 

These are only a few of Jesus’ names. Let’s take a look at the nine common titles of Jesus and their meanings. 

The different names of Jesus

There are countless names associated with Jesus. Here are nine of the most popular names of Jesus, along with their meanings.

Messiah: A leader or savior of a particular group or cause.

Immanuel: Which means "God is with us," or "God is with the people" in Hebrew.

Christ: The title Christ used in the English language is from the Greek Χριστός (Christos), via the Latin Christus. It means "anointed one."

Prophet: A person regarded as an inspired teacher or proclaimer of the will of God.

Savior: A person who saves someone or something from danger and who's regarded with the veneration of a religious figure.

Son of David: The title "Son of David" indicates Jesus' physical descent from David, as well as his membership of the Davidic line of kings. This sets up the claim of Jesus Christ to the Davidic Throne based on the promises God made to King David.

King of the Jews: In the New Testament, Jesus is called the King of the Jews on three occasions, coming at the beginning of His life and at the end. Both uses of the title lead to dramatic results in the New Testament accounts. 

The Good Shepherd: Christ's symbolism as a shepherd is directly taken from John's gospel. There, Christ is leading the faithful as if they were sheep, and He lays down His life for them as their shepherd. 

The Son of Man: For centuries, the Christological perspective on the Son of Man ("man," referring to Adam) has been a possible counterpart to that of the Son of God. Just as the Son of God affirms the divinity of Jesus, in a number of cases, the Son of Man affirms His humanity. This is especially significant considering Jesus’ human parents were Mary and Joseph.

King of kings

The Lord Jesus, Lord of Lords, Bread of Life, Light of Life, and Deliverer of Eternal Life.

Jesus will forever be our savior, no matter what name you call Him. 

By sending Jesus, God opened up the way so that all the people of the Earth could be brought to Him. 

When you refer to Him as Jesus, don't feel compelled to switch to Yeshua if you don't feel the need to do so. It’s Jesus’ voice that His followers recognize, and His voice is in His followers.

While He is known by countless other names in hundreds of different languages, when we call Him, Jesus will come running. 

For more stories about Jesus, download the pray.com app in the iOS App Store or Google Play.