The "names" of Christ are certain words or titles that are used in Sacred Scripture to refer to Christ. One of them, "Jesus", is a name in the sense in which we commonly use this word today. The others, which are quite numerous and which are used with varying frequency, denote the nature or essence of Jesus, as, for example, "Son" or "Word", or some characteristic of his action, for instance, the fact that he is "Shepherd" or "Master". Sometimes these names do not designate Jesus exclusively, as in the case with "shepherd" and "son of God", although they are applied to him in a very special way. There are other names that pertain only to Christ, such as "Lamb of God" and "Bread of Life".
The purpose of this little book is simply to reflect about and meditate on the names of Christ in order to draw near to him with humility, so we may know who he is and what sort of blessings the Father imparts to us through him. The fruit of such reflection should be the praise of God for his live and for the wonders he has done and continues to do for us, gratitude for all his boundless gifts, and, as a consequence, love for him who loved us first.
There is not one logical order for the names of Christ: one presuposes the other, and they are intertwined, like flashes of light reflected from the various facets of a cut diamond. Thus the reader, as he becomes acquainted with this subject, will discover, little by little, a rich and limitless prospect for learning about Christ through the Scriptures: he will see "the unsearchable riches of Christ" (Eph 3:8) and in these riches find joy, peace, and a pattern of life.
Jorge Cardinal Medina Estevez, former prefect for the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, has been a professor of theology and metaphysics at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. He was a peritus at the Second Vatican Council. He is the author of numerous essays, books, and articles on theological and pastoral subjects.
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