St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Tampa shared a recent reflection from the Rev. Kyle Smith, explaining the titles of Jesus.

“While I was preaching at a Sunday Mass it dawned on me that there are many titles that refer to Jesus in the Gospel according to Matthew, with little or no context they can be overwhelming and can create a source of tension for those who desire to understand and yet can feel lost due to a perceived complexity of these terms,” Fr. Smith said in the church's Sept. 6 bulletin.

The first title to look at is Christ or Messiah; it is the first title used in the Book of Matthew. This title means “anointed” and hearkens back to the ancient anointing of a priest or king with oil.

“The Messiah is God’s chosen King who will usher in a heavenly kingdom of God,” Smith said in the bulletin.

Lord is a common term that is used throughout Scripture, and in the Bible it would have related most to “Sir,” which lacks a religious relation.

“In the Jewish sacred scripture Kyrios is far weightier and has deeply religious context and was the translation of the Divine name of God and carries Divine emphasis,” Smith said. “It is believed that when we read Lord in the Gospel of Matthew the speaker may be speaking in the first context, but we the reader connect to the second context and deeper reality of making reference to the Divine name.

The most confusing title, perhaps, is “Son of Man.”

“In the New Testament, the phrase that is almost solely used in reference to Jesus, there are a few exceptions," Smith said. "When the title is used in the Gospels it is regularly used by Jesus to refer to himself."

We can see the term being used in Daniel, relating to the savior that would come at the end of times to judge the world.

“This is only three of several titles found in Matthew’s Gospel," Fr. Smith said. "I feel they are pretty common titles and yet they can be pretty vague. There is much more to say on the topic, but to what end. I hope this was more helpful than confusing."