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’ ,6~ and the Father manifested the sovereignty of Jesus by raising him from the dead and 653 exalting him into his glory.66 450 From the beginning of Christian history, the assertion of Christ’s lordship over the world and over history has implicitly 668—672 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’.6~ ‘The 2242 Church.. . believes that the key, the centre and the purpose of the whole of man’s history is to be found in its Lord and Master.’68 451 Christian prayer is characterized by the title ‘Lord’, whether in the invitation to prayer (‘The Lord be with you’), its conclusion ~ (‘through Christ our Lord’) or the exclamation full of trust and 2664—2665 hope: Maran atha (‘Our Lord, come!’) or Marana tha (‘Come, 2817 Lord!’) — ‘Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!’6~

IN BRIEF

452 The name Jesus means ‘God saves’. The child born of the Virgin Mary is called Jesus, ‘for he will save his peoplefrom their sins’ (Mt 1:21): ‘there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved’ (Acts 4:12).


453 The title’Christ’ means’Anointed One’ (Messiah) .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).

454 The title ‘Son of God’ signifies the unique and eternal relationship of ,~‘::::s Christ to God his Father: he is the only Son of the Father (cf Jn 1:14, i8; 3:16, 18); he is God himself (cf Jn 1:1). To be a Christian, one must ibelieve that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (cf Acts 8:37; 1 Jn 2:23). 1455 The title ‘Lord’ indicates divine sovereignty. To confess or invoke Jesus is Lord is to believe in his divinity. ‘No one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit’ (i Cor 12:3).