In the New Testament, Jesus is mentioned numerous times. Christians use the name Jesus frequently because it is the name of their Savior, and they also pray in His name.
Other names associated with Jesus include Jesus of Nazareth and Jesus Christ. Joshua is another name that is related to Jesus in that Joshua means Jesus in Greek. What many people want to know is, “How many Jesus were there?”
The Bible mentions four different people named Jesus, namely: Jesus of Nazareth, who is Jesus Christ; Jesus, who is called Justus; Jesus Barabbas; and Joshua, who is Jesus when translated into Greek form.
Who is Jesus, also called Justus? Who is Jesus Barabbas? How does the name Joshua become Jesus? Who is Jesus of Nazareth, also called Jesus Christ? Continue reading this article for answers to these questions.
The men named Jesus in the Bible
Jesus called Justus.
The Bible verse Colossians 4:11 says, “Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. These are the only Jews among my co-workers for the kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me.”
The apostle Paul, the author of Colossians, mentions Jesus, who is also called Justus. A person associated with the Christian Religion lived around the same time that Apostle Paul existed.
Paul, the author of many chapters in the Bible, was also an apostle of Jesus Christ. He lived around the same time that Jesus Christ existed.
Paul was an executioner of the disciples of Jesus before becoming an Apostle of Christ; seeing him call another person Jesus in one of his many chapters in the Bible suggests without a doubt that there was truly another person with the name Jesus in the Bible.
This is the only part that mentions Jesus, who is called Justus, and after that, not much more is said about Him. We only know that he was also a Jew, as implied by the apostle Paul, and that is all there is to know about this person known as Jesus, also called Justus.
He vanishes from Bible texts and is mentioned no more in the whole Bible but what sticks with us is that he was also called Jesus, which surprises many Christians.
Jesus Barabbas
The name Barabbas is no strange name to Christians. According to some early scripts of Matthew 27:16-17, Jesus Barabbas is the full name of the prisoner who was released instead of Jesus Christ.
Most Bible translations use just Barabbas, but the New International Version (NIV) uses the full name of Barabbas, which is Jesus Barabbas.
Many discussions and debates have taken place to determine why most Bible translations omit this critical information. There was another person named Jesus in the Bible.
The Ministry Magazine Organization investigates various scriptural points of view on the authenticity of the name Jesus Barabbas in Matthew.
Later, scribes would have every reason to remove the name Jesus if Matthew originally read Jesus’ Barabbas. This would appear especially witty for a contrasting individual in the passion drama to have the name Jesus.
The interpreting Jesus Barabbas greatest describes the shorter interpreting Barabbas and should thus be chosen.
They further argue that Pilate presents Jesus as the “one called Messiah.” The wording suggests that Pilate used this to distinguish between him and some other Jesus in a similar frame of reference.
The interpretation of Jesus Barabbas as the criminal’s name is highly endorsed because only through this viewing would the text have a logical framework.
The scene is certainly heightened when the choice is between two men with the same name.
Joshua as Jesus
When the Old Testament prophet is mentioned in the Bible (Acts 7:45 and Hebrews 4:8), the Greek translation form of Joshua is used.
Greek was translated literally as Jesus in the King James Version (KJV), but most modern Bible translations use Joshua to avoid confusion. However, in the New Testament, this name was popular among Greek-speaking Jews.
The Ministry Magazine Organization states that “Jesus” is an anglicized version of the Greek rendering of the Hebrew name Joshua.
It is used for the man who succeeded Moses as Israel’s leader, as well as for others with the name Joshua, but we are more familiar with the successor of Moses as Israel’s leader. This tells us that anyone called Joshua in the Bible is also called Jesus if their names are translated into Greek form.
Jesus of Nazareth.
Jesus of Nazareth is also called Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the central focus of the New Testament, and the one people commonly think of when talking about Jesus.
Jesus Christ is the son of a God who was a gift from God to human beings. Jesus Christ described God’s nature by His deeds and words bringing back the relationship between God and man.
Jesus Christ’s life here on earth was prophesied long before He came to be. It was prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem and that He would come from King David’s lineage, as stated in these Bible Verses:
Micah 5:2, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”
Isaiah 11:1, “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.”
Jesus Christ fulfilled these prophecies making Him Christ, which means the Messiah. The one that God had sent to his people for their redemption.
Jesus Christ taught the word of God and performed miracles. He lived a divine life that Christians are encouraged to endorse in their daily livelihoods.
Jesus Christ had 12 disciples that helped him spread His ministry while He was on the earth and even after He ascended back to heaven, where He sits on the right-hand side of God, as mentioned in the Bible.
Jesus lived an ordinary human life coming from a humble background. Jesus Christ died for the sins of man on the cross. Jesus died for the redemption of humanity, He died so that our sins would be forgiven.
Jesus Christ’s death brought forth salvation; by believing in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, Christians can accept His salvation and, in doing so, become closer to God through Jesus Christ.
REFERENCES
Who was Barabbas in the Bible?
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