The general impression left on the mind by this series of designations is that Luke was less interested in the preexistence of our Lord than in His divine quality and the divine nature of His mission. To him Jesus was the authoritative Teacher, the God-appointed Messiah, the heaven-sent Redeemer from sin and di- vine Founder of the Kingdom of righteousness, the Judge of all the earth, Lord of men and angels, and God's own Son, between whom and the Father there persists unbroken and perfect communion. If there is scarcely as full a witness to these things in his gen- eral narrative as meets us In Matthew, there Is an air thrown over the whole of settled conviction which is very striking; and the reader carries away with him the impression that the engrossment of the evangelist with his narrative represses much more testimony to the divine dignity of the Messiah than actually finds ex- pression in his pages.
3^ Cf. Godet in loc, E. T., p. 276: "This remarkable saying was preserved with literal exactness in the tradition ; accordingly we find it in identical words in the three Synoptists. It proves, first, that from the earliest period of His ministry Jesus regarded Himself as the Mes- siah; next, that He identified His coming with that of Jehovah, the husband of Israel and of mankind (Hos 2^^, see Gess, Christi Zeiigmss, pp. 19, 20) ; lastly, that at that time He already foresaw and an- nounced His violent death." Godet adds: "It is an error, therefore, to oppose on these three points, the fourth Gospel to the other three."
THE JESUS OF THE SYNOPTISTS
There has now passed under our observation the
whole series of designations applied to Jesus In the
„ . . Synoptic Gospels. They are somewhat
Variety of " ^ in t i
Titles Used numerous, but all to much the same
effect: and they unite to suggest a uni- tary conception of His person of the highest exaltation. Our Lord Is called In these Gospels, ' Jesus,'^ ' Jesus of Nazareth,'^ ' the Nazarene,'^ ' Jesus the Galilean,'^ ' Jesus the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee,'^ ' Jesus surnamed Christ.'^ ' Jesus Christ,"^ ' Jesus the Son of David,'^ * Jesus King of the Jews,'^ ' Jesus, Master,'* ' Jesus the Son of the Most High God.'^ He Is ad- dressed respectfully, passing up into reverently, by the titles of ' Rabbi,'^ ' Rabbonl,'^ ' Teacher '^ ( d:8d<7xaXe) , 'Master'* {emardra) ^ 'Lord' {xupce) •} and He is spoken of by Himself or others by the correspond- ing appellatives, ' Teacher,'^ ' Guide ' ( xaQriyr^xriz ) ^ i ' House-Master ' {ohodsaTcozfj^;) ,'' ' Lord;'^ obviously 1/ with the highest implications these appellatives are capable of bearing. More specifically He is described as to His office and person by a long series of recog- nized Messianic titles: 'the Coming One," 'the Prophet,^ ' the Christ,'^ ' the King of the Jews,'^ ' the King of Israel,'^ ' the King," ' the Son of David,'^ ' the
1 Matthew, Mark, Luke. ^ Matthew. <* Mark, Luke.
2 Matthew, Mark. * Luke. « Mark.
''■ Matthew, Luke. 125
126 The Designations of Our Lord
Son of Abraham,'^ ' God's Chosen One,"* ' the Holy One of God,'^ ' the Servant {~a7^) of God,'^ ' the Son of God,'^ ' the Son of the Blessed,'^ ' the Son of the Most High,'* ' the Son of the Most High God,"^ ' the Son of the Living God,'^ ' God's Son,'^ ' the Son,'^ * the Son of Man,'^ ' the Saviour who is Christ the Lord,'* ' Immanuel,'^ * the Shepherd who is God's Fel- low,'^ ' the Bridegroom,'^ ' the Beloved.'^
We have spoken of these designations as recognized
Messianic titles. They emerge as such on the pages
of the Gospel narrative. But it is nat-
Extent of i i i • i 11
Jewish Use ^^'^'- ^'^'^^ their actual use as such by the Jews contemporary with our Lord admits of illustration from the very scanty remains of their literature which has come down to us in very vary- ing measures. Suffice it to say that those of them which are most frequently found in the Gospel narrative and which seem most significant for it, already occur in the narrow compass of the Book of Enoch, the Apocalypse of Baruch, 4 Esra, and the Psalms of Solomon : ' the Christ,' ' the Son of David,' ' the Chosen One of God,' ' the Son of God,' ' the Son of Man.'* The matter is of no great importance and requires to be noted chiefly that the richness of the Messianic vocabulary capable of being intelligibly employed in Jesus' day may be appreciated, and that therefore the varying designa- tions assigned to Jesus in the Gospels may occasion no surprise.
* For a list of the Messianic titles in common use among the Jews see Schiircr's The Jeivish People in the Time of Christ, 11. 2, 158; Bousset, Die Religion des Judentums, 214 seq., 248-9; Drummond, The Jewish Messiah, II., X., pp. 283-289; and cf. Charles, Book of Enoch, pp. 51, 112, 301.
The Jesus of the Synopttists 127
This rich body of designations is rooted, in all its
Items, not in current Messianic speculation, but in Old
Testament prophecy; and is a witness
Old Testament , ^ ^1 -^j • • ,1 „i ^