The sheer number of witnesses to the risen Christ is overwhelming. Peter had himself seen the risen Christ. The other apostles had seen Jesus alive after His crucifixion. The apostle Paul gives us a witness list: “[Jesus] was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time” (1 Corinthians 15:5–8). Having presented irrefutable and insurmountable evidence, Peter pulls it all together with a closing argument.
 The third day He rose again from the dead – The Apostles’ Creed
I enjoy mystery novels. One of my favorite genres is the legal thriller that combines mystery with courtroom drama. In legal thrillers the verdict is based on evidence brought forth. That evidence needs to be unearthed and presented in such a way that the narrative makes sense and adequately accounts for all the facts.
We can take this approach to verifying Jesus’ resurrection from the grave. In fact, that is the approach Peter takes in his sermon to the crowd gathered in Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost following Christ’s resurrection. People had traveled from all over for the occasion. They were abuzz with recent events, events that made that Pentecost like no other. In his sermon in Acts 2 Peter brings to bear four strands of evidence that lead to an inescapable conclusion.
The Man
Peter begins by pointing to Jesus, particularly as one distinguished by God. “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know” (Acts 2:22). Peter highlights two things in particular. He identifies Him as Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus is His given name. Nazareth refers to His hometown, where He was raised. This is a common manner of identification in the Bible, narrowing it down from all those who bear a common name. For example, Saul is called Saul of Tarsus. Sometimes people are identified by their lineage, such as Simon bar Jonah, Simon son of Jonah. But for reasons we’ve already touched on, identifying Jesus as the Son of Joseph would be inappropriate. Associating Jesus with Nazareth makes Him a known quantity and gives Him roots just like anyone else would have, roots that have significance for prophetic anticipation and validation (see Matt. 2:23).
The second thing Peter highlights about Jesus distinguishes Him from everyone else, providing definitive identification. Peter could have referenced the proclamation from God that he had heard with James and John at the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt. 17:1-6), but that was private knowledge not public. What was public were all the miracles, signs and wonders Jesus did. Many in the multitude had seen personally or heard through the grapevine the stupendous acts of Jesus in healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, and even raising the dead. Peter explained these mighty acts as pointing not to the deity of Christ but to the “Man attested by God,” the Man Jesus, with a known hometown, credentialed by God. It was as if Peter brought God Himself to the witness stand to authenticate Jesus as the Son of Man sent by God.
The Plan
In presenting a case, attorneys will construct a narrative that fits the facts of the case. A prosecuting attorney will frame an account that shows the defendant to be guilty. The defense attorney will take the same facts and paint a much different picture, one that exonerates his or her client. Peter constructs a narrative that aligns with the plan and purpose of God, putting the events surrounding the Man Jesus in biblical context. “Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it” (Acts 2:23–24).
Peter puts the events in the context of the plan of God, which we might think of as a metanarrative or redemptive narrative. This bigger picture governs the events of the day and the actions of men, including the sinful actions of betraying an innocent man. The people were responsible and culpable for their actions, yet God’s plan superintended and enfolded those actions.
We see a similar scene in the book of Genesis when Joseph addressed his brothers who had sold him into slavery. “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God?

As for lessons learned, Pinocchio in 2022 does not turn into the boy that Geppetto had wished for, as in 1940. He remains a puppet, no doubt as a sign of his authenticity and acceptance for himself as is. That suggests an underlying truth—children brought up with such beliefs can never really grow up.

American parents used to trust Disney to charm their kids with beautiful fairy tales. Most such tales were European in origin, but Disney Americanized them, made them more democratic, less bloody minded, and ultimately hopeful. It started with animations, then added amusement parks, then any number of other things that made American technical ingenuity and prosperity gentle and pleasant, until it became the most important educator of the imagination of children in the entire media industry.
Nowadays, Disney is reeducating American children to believe in a woke agenda most Americans don’t share, wouldn’t vote for, but might somehow be tricked into financing when their attention is diverted. It seems to have traded delightful surprises for involvement in political scandals, as in Florida, or media scandals over every aspect of casting and plot. Indeed, it courts scandal as a marketing strategy, dividing Americans rather than uniting them, and using its reputation to make it seem as though the very people who gave Disney their vaunted reputation are immoral. What happened?
There are many aspects to this very important story, and some thoughtful conservative should take the time to elucidate them. All I can do today is point out the educational aspect of this change—What is the role of the imagination in education?—by comparing Disney’s Pinocchio (1940) with the new Disney+ movie directed by Robert Zemeckis, starring none other than America’s last lovable actor, Tom Hanks.
Pinocchio is a story about how children learn to become moral. The puppet is a metaphor not only for helplessness but also for the way children are made to do what they do by their parents—it points to our imitative nature, and much of the comedy depends on the awkwardness of the children, who are self-important without being self-aware in their imitation, and the foibles, to say no more, of the adults, who recognize their faults magnified in the small versions of themselves they have made, the focus of their love and life. The puppeteer Geppetto’s wish upon a star, to have a real boy, is every parent’s wish that their child turn out right.
Walt Disney’s contribution to Carlo Collodi’s original story, Jiminy Cricket, is a metaphor for conscience. Jiminy defines it by an old and trusty adage: “The still, small voice that people won’t listen to. That’s just the problem with the world today!” It’s not hard to know what’s right and wrong in many cases, indeed, but it’s hard to do it, it comes at a cost, and without certainty of reward. That problem of character, rather than of knowledge, might not be solvable. After all, our admiration of good character depends to some extent on our knowledge of its rarity!
But in this moment when Jiminy introduces himself to Pinocchio, he gets so carried away with confidence in the power of morality that he leaves character behind, taking it for granted. Instead, he insists on the intellectual part of morality and quickly gets himself in trouble: “The world is full of temptations. They’re the wrong things that seem right at the time. But even though the right things may seem wrong sometimes, sometimes the wrong things may be right at the wrong time, or vice versa. Understand?”
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Written by Dr. Barry Waugh, B.B. Warfield |
Wednesday, January 10, 2024
Consider the greatness of the Son of God….As the Crucifixion and Resurrection remembrance called Easter approaches, it is hoped this list of designations helps readers to think of the greatness of the Incarnation, Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus.

“What’s in a name?” asks Juliet as she speaks to Romeo from the balcony in Shakespeare’s tragedy Romeo and Juliet. Whether a rose be called by another name, it would still have its sweet fragrance. But when it comes to the designations or names of Jesus in the New Testament there is quite a lot in a name with each one fully inspired and providing information about his person and work.
The list of designations for Jesus that follows this introduction was drawn from the “Index of the Designations of our Lord” on pages 307-11 of The Lord of Glory, which was written by B. B. Warfield and published by the American Tract Society of New York in 1907. The book was written to show the abundant evidence from Scripture testifying to the divinity of Christ in an era when his identity as the Son of God was not only increasingly questioned by some professing Christians but also denied. Editor John H. Kerr of the American Tract Society compiled an index of the designations for Jesus in the book with page references for the purpose of locating occurrences, so since the references are not needed for the current purpose, the page numbers have been removed. Some designations have been relocated in the list and use of “the” has been eliminated because it occurred repeatedly and interrupted the flow. For example, instead of listing “Author (the) and Perfector of our Faith,” for “the Author and Perfector of our Faith,” as did Kerr, the entry is written “Author and Perfector of our Faith.” Warfield was grateful to Kerr for his indexing work.
Any value the book may have is very greatly increased by the full and accurate index of the passages of Scripture cited, which has been prepared by the Rev. Dr. John H. Kerr, Secretary of the American Tract Society, to whom also is wholly due any accuracy which may have been attained in printing the book. The great pains which Dr. Kerr has taken in verifying the numerous references with his own hands and otherwise watching over the actual printing of the book, have made the printed volume almost as much his as the author’s; and the author takes this opportunity of acknowledging them and returning his thanks for them. There are two other indexes, one of which gives a list of the designations our Lord employed in the New Testament, while the other notes the authors cited.
The list that follows includes 163 designations for Jesus in the New Testament. Some of the terminology could have been updated but I wanted the list to read as the designations were presented in The Lord of Glory. Note that the list includes only those designations mentioned by Warfield in the book and may not be a complete list of New Testament terminology about Jesus. Clarification comments are included in brackets.
It is a devotional experience to read through this list and consider the aspects of Jesus’ person and work brought out by each one. The terminology is rich in its theology with an abundance of Old Testament language that looks forward to and describes Jesus. You might find it beneficial to read the list aloud and consider the greatness of the Son of God particularly in our era of suspicion regarding the supernatural. Even though Bible readers will be familiar with the terms, it is a different experience to read them gathered in a list. As the Crucifixion and Resurrection remembrance called Easter approaches, it is hoped this list of designations helps readers to think of the greatness of the Incarnation, Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus.
The Names and Designations of Jesus in the New Testament
AdvocateAdvocate with the FatherAlpha and OmegaAmen, the Faithful and True WitnessApostle and High Priest of our ConfessionAuthor and Perfecter of our FaithAuthor and SaviorAuthor of LifeAuthor of SalvationBeginning and the EndBeginning of the Creation of GodBelovedBishop of our SoulsBread of GodBridegroomBright and Morning StarCaptain of SalvationChosen One of GodChristChrist a KingChrist JesusChrist Jesus our LordChrist Jesus our SaviorChrist Jesus the LordChrist of GodChrist the King of IsraelChrist the LordChrist the Son of the Living GodComforterComing OneDespot [a household master or lord]DoorEffulgence of God’s GloryElect of GodEternal LifeFaithful and TrueFaithful and True WitnessFaithful WitnessFirst and the Last and the Living OneFirstbornFirstborn of the DeadGloryGodGod and Savior, Jesus ChristGod over allGod’s ChristGod’s Own SonGod’s Son, JesusGood ShepherdGood TeacherGreat God and SaviorGreat Shepherd of the SheepGuideHe that hath the Keys of DavidHe that hath the Seven Spirits of God and the Seven StarsHe that hath the sharp, two-edged SwordHe that Holds the Seven StarsHe that is Holy and TrueHe that Loved us and loosed us from our sinsHeir of all thingsHigh PriestHoly and Righteous OneHoly OneHoly One of GodHoly ThingHouse MasterImage of GodImage of God’s SubstanceImmanuelJesusJesus ChristJesus Christ our LordJesus Christ our SaviorJesus Christ the LordJesus Christ the NazareneJesus Christ the RighteousJesus Christ the Son of the FatherJesus MasterJesus of NazarethJesus our LordJesus, surnamed ChristJesus, the GalileanJesus, the King of the JewsJesus, the NazareneJesus, the Prophet from Nazareth of GalileeJesus, the Son of DavidJesus, the Son of GodJesus, the Son of JosephJesus, the Son of the Most-High GodKingKing of IsraelKing of Kings and Lord of LordsKing of the JewsLambLamb of GodLamb that hath been slainLifeLife EternalLightLight of ManLight of the WorldLion that is of the Tribe of JudahLiving OneLordLord and ChristLord and GodLord and SaviorLord and Savior Jesus ChristLord ChristLord JesusLord Jesus ChristLord of GloryLord of Lords and King of KingsLord of the HouseLord’s ChristManMan ChildMasterMaster and Lord Jesus ChristMaster of the HouseMediator of the New CovenantMessiahNazareneOnly begottenOnly begotten from the FatherOnly begotten GodOnly begotten SonOnly begotten Son of GodParacletePriestPrincePrince and SaviorPrince of LifePrinciple of the Creation of GodProphetRabbiRabboniResurrection and the LifeRighteous OneRoot and Offspring of DavidRuler of the Kings of the EarthSaviorSavior of the WorldSent of GodServant of GodShepherdShepherd and Bishop of our SoulsSonSon of AbrahamSon of DavidSon of GodSon of JosephSon of ManSon of the BlessedSon of the Living GodSon of the Most HighSon of the Most-High GodTeacherTrue God and Eternal LifeWordWord of GodWord of Life
AMEN, AND AMEN
Dr. Barry Waugh attends Fellowship PCA in Greer, SC. This article is used with permission.
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