Catechism of the Catholic Church · Part One › Section Two › Chapter Two · Article 2 (§§430–455)
Paragraphs · 26
The Catechism's text is under copyright, so each paragraph is quoted briefly here with a link to the full text at vatican.va.
I. Jesus
- §430 — Jesus means in Hebrew: "God saves." At the annunciation, the angel Gabriel gave him the name Jesus as his proper name, which expresses both his identity and his mission.vatican.va
- §431 — In the history of salvation God was not content to deliver Israel "out of the house of bondage" by bringing them out of Egypt. He also saves them from their sin.vatican.va
- §432 — The name "Jesus" signifies that the very name of God is present in the person of his Son, made man for the universal and definitive redemption from sins.vatican.va
- §433 — The name of the Saviour God was invoked only once in the year by the high priest in atonement for the sins of Israel, after he had sprinkled the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies with the sacrificial blood.vatican.va
- §434 — Jesus' Resurrection glorifies the name of the Saviour God, for from that time on it is the name of Jesus that fully manifests the supreme power of the "name which is above every name".vatican.va
- §435 — The name of Jesus is at the heart of Christian prayer. All liturgical prayers conclude with the words "through our Lord Jesus Christ". the Hail Mary reaches its high point in the words "blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus."vatican.va
II. Christ
- §436 — The word "Christ" comes from the Greek translation of the Hebrew Messiah, which means "anointed". It became the name proper to Jesus only because he accomplished perfectly the divine mission that "Christ" signifies.vatican.va
- §437 — To the shepherds, the angel announced the birth of Jesus as the Messiah promised to Israel: "To you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord."vatican.va
- §438 — Jesus' messianic consecration reveals his divine mission, "for the name 'Christ' implies 'he who anointed', 'he who was anointed' and 'the very anointing with which he was anointed'.vatican.va
- §439 — Many Jews and even certain Gentiles who shared their hope recognized in Jesus the fundamental attributes of the messianic "Son of David", promised by God to Israel.vatican.va
- §440 — Jesus accepted Peter's profession of faith, which acknowledged him to be the Messiah, by announcing the imminent Passion of the Son of Man. He unveiled the authentic content of his messianic kingship both in the transcendent identity of the Son of Man "who came down…vatican.va
III. The Only Son of God
- §441 — In the Old Testament, "son of God" is a title given to the angels, the Chosen People, the children of Israel, and their kings. It signifies an adoptive sonship that establishes a relationship of particular intimacy between God and his creature.vatican.va
- §442 — Such is not the case for Simon Peter when he confesses Jesus as "the Christ, the Son of the living God", for Jesus responds solemnly: "Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven."vatican.va
- §443 — Peter could recognize the transcendent character of the Messiah's divine sonship because Jesus had clearly allowed it to be so understood. To his accusers' question before the Sanhedrin, "Are you the Son of God, then?"vatican.va
- §444 — The Gospels report that at two solemn moments, the Baptism and the Transfiguration of Christ, the voice of the Father designates Jesus his "beloved Son".vatican.va
- §445 — After his Resurrection, Jesus' divine sonship becomes manifest in the power of his glorified humanity. He was "designated Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his Resurrection from the dead".vatican.va
IV. Lord
- §446 — In the Greek translation of the Old Testament, the ineffable Hebrew name YHWH, by which God revealed himself to Moses, is rendered as Kyrios, "Lord".vatican.va
- §447 — Jesus ascribes this title to himself in a veiled way when he disputes with the Pharisees about the meaning of Psalm 110, but also in an explicit way when he addresses his apostles.vatican.va
- §448 — Very often in the Gospels people address Jesus as "Lord". This title testifies to the respect and trust of those who approach him for help and healing.vatican.va
- §449 — By attributing to Jesus the divine title "Lord", the first confessions of the Church's faith affirm from the beginning that the power, honour and glory due to God the Father are due also to Jesus, because "he was in the form of God", and the…vatican.va
- §450 — From the beginning of Christian history, the assertion of Christ's lordship over the world and over history has implicitly recognized that man should not submit his personal freedom in an absolute manner to any earthly power, but only to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Caesar is not "the Lord".vatican.va
- §451 — ") - "Amen Come Lord Jesus!"vatican.va
In Brief
- §452 — The name Jesus means "God saves". the child born of the Virgin Mary is called Jesus, "for he will save his people from their sins" (Mt 1:21): "there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).vatican.va
- §453 — Jesus is the Christ, for "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power" (Acts 10:38). He was the one "who is to come" (Lk 7:19), the object of "the hope of Israel" (Acts 28:20).vatican.va
- §454 — The title "Son of God" signifies the unique and eternal relationship of Jesus Christ to God his Father: he is the only Son of the Father (cf Jn 1:14, 18; 3:16, 18); he is God himself (cf Jn 1:1).vatican.va
- §455 — The title "Lord" indicates divine sovereignty. To confess or invoke Jesus as Lord is to believe in his divinity. "No one can say 'Jesus is Lord' except by the Holy Spirit'" (I Cor 12:3).vatican.va
Scripture cited · 186 verses
Exodus 3:14 · Exodus 4:22 · Exodus 25:22 · Exodus 29:7 · Leviticus 8:12 · Leviticus 16:2 · Leviticus 16:15 · Leviticus 16:16 · Numbers 7:89 · Deuteronomy 5:6 · Deuteronomy 14:1 · Deuteronomy 32:8 · 1 Samuel 9:16 · 1 Samuel 10:1 · 1 Samuel 16:1 · 1 Samuel 16:12 · 1 Samuel 16:13 · 2 Samuel 7:14 · 1 Kings 1:39 · 1 Kings 19:16 · 1 Chronicles 17:13 · Job 1:6 · Psalm 2:2 · Psalm 2:7 · Psalm 51:4 · Psalm 51:12 · Psalm 79:9 · Psalm 82:6 · Wisdom 18:13 · Sirach 36:11 · Sirach 50:20 · Isaiah 11:2 · Isaiah 53:10 · Isaiah 53:11 · Isaiah 53:12 · Isaiah 61:1 · Jeremiah 3:19 · Daniel 7:13 · Hosea 2:1 · Hosea 11:1 · Zechariah 4:14 · Zechariah 6:13 · Matthew 1:16 · Matthew 1:20 · Matthew 1:21 · Matthew 2:2 · Matthew 2:7 · Matthew 3:17 · Matthew 5:48 · Matthew 6:8 · Matthew 6:9 · Matthew 7:21 · Matthew 8:2 · Matthew 9:27 · Matthew 11:27 · Matthew 12:23 · Matthew 14:30 · Matthew 15:22 · Matthew 16:16 · Matthew 16:17 · Matthew 16:18 · Matthew 16:19 · Matthew 16:20 · Matthew 16:21 · Matthew 16:22 · Matthew 16:23 · Matthew 17:5 · Matthew 20:28 · Matthew 20:30 · Matthew 21:9 · Matthew 21:34 · Matthew 21:35 · Matthew 21:36 · Matthew 21:37 · Matthew 21:38 · Matthew 22:41 · Matthew 22:42 · Matthew 22:43 · Matthew 22:44 · Matthew 22:45 · Matthew 22:46 · Matthew 24:36 · Matthew 26:64 · Matthew 27:54 · Mark 1:24 · Mark 12:17 · Mark 14:61 · Mark 14:62 · Mark 15:39 · Mark 16:17 · Luke 1:31 · Luke 1:35 · Luke 1:43 · Luke 2:11 · Luke 4:16 · Luke 4:17 · Luke 4:18 · Luke 4:19 · Luke 4:20 · Luke 4:21 · Luke 11:13 · Luke 22:70 · Luke 23:39 · Luke 23:40 · Luke 23:41 · Luke 23:42 · Luke 23:43 · Luke 23:47 · Luke 24:21 · John 1:14 · John 1:31 · John 3:13 · John 3:16 · John 3:18 · John 4:25 · John 4:26 · John 6:15 · John 6:62 · John 6:69 · John 10:36 · John 11:27 · John 12:28 · John 13:13 · John 15:16 · John 19:19 · John 19:20 · John 19:21 · John 19:22 · John 20:17 · John 20:28 · John 20:31 · John 21:7 · Acts 2:21 · Acts 2:34 · Acts 2:35 · Acts 2:36 · Acts 3:14 · Acts 4:12 · Acts 4:26 · Acts 4:27 · Acts 5:29 · Acts 5:41 · Acts 9:14 · Acts 9:20 · Acts 10:38 · Acts 13:33 · Acts 16:16 · Acts 16:17 · Acts 16:18 · Acts 19:13 · Acts 19:14 · Acts 19:15 · Acts 19:16 · Romans 1:1 · Romans 1:3 · Romans 3:25 · Romans 9:5 · Romans 10:6 · Romans 10:7 · Romans 10:8 · and 26 more