Jesus, name above all names, Beautiful Savior, glorious Lord. Emmanuel, God is with us. Blessed Redeemer, Living word. These lyrics to a well known old hymn reflect just a few of the many names attributed to Jesus throughout Scripture. Given that names have meaning, it is truly vital to understand what those names given to Jesus mean and what they say about Jesus in order to glean a deeper comprehension of our Lord. Noted pastors and authors Alistair Begg and Sinclair Ferguson, in their latest book, Name Above All Names, interact with seven key descriptions of Christ that when understood more clearly, form a solid foundation for the believer to better grasp Jesus.
At the very outset of the book, Begg and Sinclair rightly note “Being able to think long and lovingly about the Lord Jesus is a dying art. The disciplines required to reflect on him for a prolonged period of time and to be captivated by him have been relegated to a secondary place in contemporary Christian life.” To have a Christ-centered approach to life, one must first understand who this person we worship is and why he is worthy of such worship. One such approach to addressing the lack of thought about who Jesus is can be found in concentrating on the name of Jesus. After all, Scripture says “at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil. 2:10)
Begg and Sinclair begin with a study of Jesus as the seed of the woman, a description arguably either highly overlooked by most believers or highly misunderstood. The conflict between the seed of the woman and the seed of the Serpent is one which will take place in one degree or another until Christ returns. With that said, the battle between the seed of the woman, Jesus Christ and the Serpent was won at the cross with a resounding victory by Christ over the Serpent. Genesis 3:15 is described as the Protevangelium, better known as the first mention of the gospel. Begg and Sinclair do a marvelous job of contrasting the First Adam with the Second Adam using the title of seed of the woman as a springboard to note how this description plays itself out to the end of Revelation. I especially appreciated the motif of Jesus as the gardener, a concept that ties nicely into the discussion of that which was lost in the garden and that which will be regained when Christ, the seed of the woman, returns in glory.
The descriptions of Christ as Prophet, Priest, and King are perhaps a little better understood by most believers, however, Begg and Sinclair dig into each description with attention being paid to the most familiar title of Jesus, that of the Christ. The very title of Christ means “anointed one” and Begg and Sinclair rightly note the three offices in Scripture that “were anointed for the service of God: the prophet, the priest, and the king. “ One very interesting element of the three chapters on Christ as prophet, priest, and king is the need for Christ to be a prophet on our behalf. Begg and Sinclair note what they call the four “R’s” of why we needed Jesus to come as a prophet: 1) Our fallen condition requires us to have Jesus as our prophet; 2) Hebrews 1:1-2 notes God has spoken His word to us through Jesus, thus noting the revelatory role of Jesus’ prophetic ministry; 3) “Ultimately Jesus must be recognized, not merely as a messenger of revelation from God but as the very source of that revelation”; and 4) The ministry of Christ will be realized in the life of the believer through the preaching of the Word of God.
As Begg and Sinclair aptly state, the office of prophet cannot be understood apart from the other offices of priest and king. Those wanting to read what Scripture says about Christ as our Priest need only look to the book of Hebrews for a lengthy exposition of that topic. There is a tremendous overview of this topic provided by Begg and Sinclair and their notation that we can be encouraged by Jesus being our great high priest is centered on the reality that 1) we do have a great high priest, 2) we have a real salvation allowing us to draw near to God, 3) we have a perfect high priest who does not need to offer sacrifices for his own sin, 4) unlike the shadows that were the OT priests, Christ is the better priest, 5) Christ offered himself as the perfect and final sacrifice, and 6) we can approach the throne room of God and God Himself through Christ being our intercessor and mediator. What a glorious thing to understand and Begg and Sinclair provide the reader with excellent commentary on this amazing aspect of Christ’s title as priest.
Christ as the Conquering King relates back to Genesis 3:15 where it was declared he would crush the enemy. The event of the Triumphal Entry is discussed in great detail by Begg and Sinclair as they connect the context of that event to the title of Christ as King. Christ riding that donkey into Jerusalem hearkens back to a number of OT prophecies that declared to the people of Israel their king would be coming. Of course, many missed the fact Jesus was the Messiah, the King from the line of David promised to them of old. Understanding Jesus as King has great ramifications in the life of the believer. Begg and Sinclair refer to the Shorter Westminster Catechism, Question 24 which rightly asks “How doth Christ execute the office [ministry] of a king?” The response is given as “In subduing us to himself, in ruling and defending us, and in restraining and conquering all his and our enemies.” It is this concept of ruling and subduing us to himself that Begg and Sinclair explore with great insight and detail. They declare “since Jesus is Lord and God, King and Savior, this impacts all of life.” That is a concept we all need to have a better grasp of and by reading the chapter on Christ as King, the reader will be well equipped to better understanding just how Jesus as Lord should impact their relationship with their King.
Perhaps the most often used description of Jesus is the Son of Man, something Jesus calls himself over fifty times in the gospels. A term used that much certainly deserves a great deal of attention and Begg and Sinclair address this subject rather saliently. The title Son of Man is rooted in Daniel 7 so any possibility of understanding what that title means must first take place by studying the prophecy found in Daniel 7. Begg and Sinclair walk the reader through Daniel’s prophecy aptly discussing what phrases such as “Ancient of Days” and “Son of Man” meant and how they relate to one another. They also compare and contrast how the title son of man is used in relation to other individuals such as Ezekiel noting the differences between a mere man as “Son of Man” and Jesus bearing that title. This naturally leads into the discussion of Jesus as the last Adam, which again hearkens back to the opening pages of Scripture where God promises He will send the seed of the woman to crush the Serpent and to redeem that which was lost. One can quickly begin to see how these various titles intersect one another and build upon each other, something Begg and Sinclair note often.
Name Above All Names is a valuable exposition of seven of the many titles attributed to Jesus throughout Scripture. The titles selected by Begg and Sinclair arguably are ones which all believers should spend a great deal of time studying and understanding. In doing so, they will gain a greater appreciation for the person and work of Jesus and they will grow in their relationship with the One who is the True Prophet, Great High Priest, Conquering King, Seed of the Woman, Son of Man, Suffering Servant, and the Lamb on the Throne. When we understand these titles, we can then sing with great vigor the lines of the hymn mentioned at the outset of this review:
“Jesus, name above all names, Beautiful Savior, glorious Lord. Emmanuel, God is with us. Blessed Redeemer, Living word."
I received this for free from Crossway Books for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."