This lesson asks the question, “Is Jesus Jehovah?” This question is about the divinity or Godhood of Jesus, and about his right to take the unique name of God.

Is Jesus Jehovah? (Part 1)

1 God’s Unique Name “Jehovah”

Isa 42:8

God’s name is very special. Jesus taught his disciples to pray, "Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name" (Mtt 6:9). The word "hallowed" means holy, consecrated, set apart for God’s use. God makes the holiness of his name quite definite in this statement: "I am the Lord, [Jehovah] that is my name, I will not give my glory to another (Isa 42:8).

The psalmist Asaph recognized that this special name belonged only to the Most High God: "You alone whose name is the Lord are the Most High over all the earth" (Psa 83:18).

The name translated "Lord above is rendered by some as “Jehovah” but is variously spelled “Jehovah”, “Yahweh”, or “YHWH. There are some notes on “Jehovah” on another page.

It is a most important question, therefore, whether Jesus is “Jehovah” the Lord God and has the right to be called by the same holy name as his Father — the name Many deny it, but what do the scriptures say?

2 The name God bestowed on Jesus

Php 2:9-11

"God has highly exalted him, and given him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow..." (Php 2:9).

Looking at that, let us ask a most important question: What is "the name which is above every name?" I often ask Jehovah's Witnesses who come to my door, "What is the name above every name?" Invariably they reply, "Jehovah". But when I then show them that Jesus was bestowed with "the name which is above every name?" they will not believe it. They then retract and say that the name referred to is "Jesus" because Paul goes on to say, "At the name of Jesus every knee should bow" (Php 2:10). This does not make sense for three simple reasons...

• Jesus (or Joshua) was a common name so lots of men had that name.
• "Jesus" cannot be the name above every name because then it would be a higher name than “Jehovah”.
• The name "Jesus" was bestowed when Jesus was in the womb not after he rose from the tomb and was highly exalted (Mtt 1:20-21).

We conclude therefore that Paul is using the name "Jesus" to identify the one who has been given the name above every name, not to name the very name itself.

We further conclude that if God has bestowed on Jesus the name “Jehovah” then surely God must regard Jesus to be “Jehovah” as much as God regards himself to be.

So, to the question “Is Jesus Jehovah?” the answer is yes.

Lesson continues —More proof that Jesus is Jehovah