Hebrews 1–10

“A More Excellent Name”

All followers of Jesus Christ will experience trials of their faith. Such was the case for many Jewish Christians. Under the pressure of various persecutions, many were withdrawing from the Church and returning to the relative safety of Jewish worship at the synagogue. Paul wanted to show these Jewish Christians that Jesus is greater than Moses and that His ministry brought a new covenant superior to the old covenant under the law of Moses. This lesson can help fortify your faith in the Savior as you learn of His power over all things by identifying and studying some of His titles and roles.

Focusing on Jesus Christ. “As we focus on His titles, roles, and character, and attributes, the Spirit will testify of Him, bringing greater understanding and love for who He truly is and a greater desire to become like Him” (Chad H Webb, “We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice in Christ” [address given at the Seminaries and Institutes of Religion annual training broadcast, June 12, 2018], ChurchofJesusChrist.org).

Student preparation: Invite students to look for names of Jesus Christ during their personal or family scripture study and to come to class prepared to share the names they found.

Possible Learning Activities

Titles of Jesus Christ

Consider inviting students to do the following activity on a sheet of paper. Then collect the papers and read the responses, inviting students to guess which student wrote each description.

Take one minute and list in your study journal as many words or phrases that describe you as you can think of.

Why did you use the words and phrases you did?

Just as you have words or phrases that describe you, Jesus Christ also has many names or titles that describe Him. As we come to know these titles more completely, we come to better understand who He is and how much He loves us.

Some students may have been keeping a list of the Savior’s titles and roles in their study journals. If not, they could be invited to do so.

In your study journal, list some titles you already know for the Savior.

How does knowing and understanding these titles of Jesus Christ influence how you view Him?

Consider making a list of student responses on the board. To help students deepen their faith in Jesus Christ, consider asking follow-up questions like “Why do you think that it is important for teenagers to know about the Savior?” or “What does this title teach us about His character and attributes?”

President Russell M. Nelson taught ways we can be blessed as we learn more about the Savior:

The more you learn about the Savior, the easier it will be to trust in His mercy, His infinite love, and His strengthening, healing, and redeeming power.

(Russell M. Nelson, “Christ Is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains,” Liahona, May 2021, 103)

In what ways do you need the help from the Savior that President Nelson described?

Consider displaying or briefly summarizing the following material to help students understand the context of Hebrews.

Just as we need the Savior, so did the Jewish Christians who were not attending Church meetings because of persecution and other types of pressure. They were returning to the familiarity and relative safety of traditional Jewish worship, which did not include a belief in Jesus Christ (see Hebrews 10:25, 38–39). You can learn more about this epistle by studying “ Hebrews, Epistle to ” in Guide to the Scriptures.

Finding titles and roles of Jesus Christ

Paul shared many titles and roles of the Savior that may have helped the Saints to recognize their need for Him. For example, Hebrews 1:2 emphasizes the Savior’s title of “Son,” which relates to Him being “heir of all things.” Hebrews 1:2, 10 explains Jesus’s role as Creator of the heavens and the earth.

Students could be assigned certain verses to read in pairs or small groups. After they read, consider making a list on the board of titles students discovered.

Now that you have seen some examples of titles of the Savior, read the following verses and look for additional titles and roles of Jesus Christ. Consider marking what you find.

What is a truth you identified about the Savior from one or more of His titles and roles?

Students could identify a variety of truths, such as Jesus Christ created the heavens and the earth (see Hebrews 1:2, 10) or Jesus Christ is the Son of God and is in the express image of His Father (see Hebrews 1:2–3).

Choose a title or role that depicts an action you need Jesus Christ to perform in your life, and write it in the center of a piece of paper. Using the scriptures, the Gospel Library app, or ChurchofJesusChrist.org, look for more insights on the title of Jesus Christ you selected. One way to start your study is by finding the entry “Jesus Christ” in Guide to the Scriptures or the Topical Guide. You could then look up various scriptures focused on the Savior.

Around the title write your thoughts about Jesus Christ and why that title is meaningful to you. These thoughts could include

phrases from the verses or quotes you read,
ideas on how the Savior’s fulfillment of that role could help you in your life,
your insights about how understanding that title can strengthen your faith in Jesus Christ, and
any questions you have about that title.

If time permits, students could be given an opportunity to discover the answer to their questions. Students could also be invited to share their insights as a class, in small groups, or in pairs. Testify of Jesus Christ and the importance of learning more about Him.

Now that you have practiced identifying names and titles of Jesus Christ, take a moment to reflect on how well you are using this skill in your scripture study.

How did looking for titles of Jesus Christ help you know Him better?
How could you incorporate the study of titles of Jesus Christ into your regular scripture study?

Look for titles of Jesus Christ in your personal study and with your family as you continue to study the New Testament and other scriptures.

Commentary and Background Information

Why should I learn about Jesus Christ?

President Russell M. Nelson taught:

59:42

If you proceed to learn all you can about Jesus Christ, I promise you that your love for Him, and for God’s laws, will grow beyond what you currently imagine. I promise you also that your ability to turn away from sin will increase. Your desire to keep the commandments will soar. You will find yourself better able to walk away from the entertainment and entanglements of those who mock the followers of Jesus Christ. …

Study everything Jesus Christ is by prayerfully and vigorously seeking to understand what each of His various titles and names means personally for you.

(Russell M. Nelson, “Prophets, Leadership, and Divine Law” [worldwide devotional for young adults, Jan. 8, 2017], ChurchofJesusChrist.org; emphasis added)

Hebrews 1:2, 10. How can Jesus’s role as Creator influence my life?

Chad H Webb, administrator of Seminaries and Institutes of Religion, explained:

You may remember that President Boyd K. Packer was an accomplished artist who enjoyed carving wooden birds. One day he was a passenger in a car driven by Elder A. Theodore Tuttle, and one of his carvings rested on the backseat of the car. At an intersection, Elder Tuttle slammed on the brakes and the carving tipped upside down on the floor and broke into pieces. Elder Tuttle was devastated, but President Packer was not. He simply said, “Forget it. I made it. I can fix it.” And he did. He made it stronger than it was and even improved it a bit. President Packer explained, “Who made you? Who is your Creator? There is not anything about your life that gets bent or broken that He cannot fix and will fix.”

(Chad H Webb, “We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice in Christ,” Seminaries and Institutes of Religion Annual Training Broadcast, June 12, 2018, ChurchofJesusChrist.org)

How can knowing Jesus Christ bring me hope?

The following experience shared by Elder Ronald A. Rasband can help us understand how knowing titles and roles of Jesus Christ can provide hope.

40:19

Hebrews 2:10. In what ways is Jesus “the captain of [our] salvation”?

The following podcast episode shares insights on how Jesus Christ is the captain of our salvation:

Supplemental Learning Activities

Finding titles of Jesus Christ in the Book of Mormon

Another way to help students discover titles of Christ is to use the Book of Mormon. Consider doing the following activity.

Ask students, “What is the complete title of the Book of Mormon?”

Remind students that the Book of Mormon was written to convince all people that Jesus is the Christ.

To help students appreciate the primary purpose of the Book of Mormon, ask a student to read aloud the following statement by President Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994):

The honest seeker after truth can gain the testimony that Jesus is the Christ as he prayerfully ponders the inspired words of the Book of Mormon.

Over one-half of all the verses in the Book of Mormon refer to our Lord. Some form of Christ’s name is mentioned more frequently per verse in the Book of Mormon than even in the New Testament.

He is given over one hundred different names in the Book of Mormon. Those names have a particular significance in describing His divine nature.

(Ezra Taft Benson, “Come unto Christ,” Ensign, Nov. 1987, 83)

Invite students to turn to any chapter in the Book of Mormon and see if they can locate names or titles that refer to Jesus Christ. Ask students to report a name or title they discovered and explain what it can teach us about Jesus Christ.

Additional titles of Jesus Christ

After students list titles they already know, consider inviting them to scan the following web page looking for additional titles of the Savior that have not been identified: ChurchofJesusChrist.org/comeuntochrist/believe/jesus/50-names-for-jesus

This will give students additional titles to choose from when they select and study a title that is most meaningful to them.