How many times is Jesus mentioned in the Bible?
The word Jesus appears 984 times in the King James Version, in 943 verses. It is found in 26 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses Jesus 980 times.
Jesus in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of Jesus counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| Jesus | 984 | 980 |
| Total | 984 | 980 |
Which books mention Jesus most
Jesus appears in 26 books of the 66 in the King James Version. John has the most (256), then Matthew (172) and Luke (100).
Also in: Revelation (14), 2 Thessalonians (12), 1 John (12), 1 Peter (11), 2 Peter (9), Colossians (8), Philemon (7), Jude (5), Titus (4), James (2), 2 John (2).
First and last mention of Jesus
The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
The verse that uses it most is John 19:38, 3 times:
And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.
Where the two translations differ
23 verses match in the KJV but not in the World English Bible, and 18 verses match only in the World English Bible, usually because the other translation chose a different word there.
Matthew 4:18: counted in the KJV only
And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
Walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers: Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew, his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.
Matthew 8:5: counted in the KJV only
And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,
When he came into Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking him,
Matthew 27:3: counted in the World English Bible only
Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
Then Judas, who betrayed him, when he saw that Jesus was condemned, felt remorse, and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
Luke 5:18: counted in the World English Bible only
And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him.
Behold, men brought a paralyzed man on a cot, and they sought to bring him in to lay before Jesus.
Verses with Jesus on our topic pages
185 verses that use Jesus in the World English Bible are in our topic collections.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort;
On: Comfort, Depression, Suffering, Courage
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.
nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from God’s love, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
On: Love, Depression, Loneliness, Death
In all things I gave you an example, that so laboring you ought to help the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
On: Forgiveness, Identity in Christ, Freedom, What Does the Bible Say About Sex Before Marriage? 26 Verses
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
For our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;
On: Heaven, Waiting, Resurrection, What Does the Bible Say About Cremation? 25 Verses
Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father, through him.
On: Gratitude, Thanksgiving, Work, Tattoos
This is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things which must happen soon, which he sent and made known by his angel to his servant, John,
Jesus said to him, “Assuredly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
On: Heaven, Death, What Does the Bible Say About Ghosts? 25 Verses, What Does the Bible Say About Reincarnation? 26 Verses
Common questions
How many times is Jesus in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 0 of the 984 uses are in the Old Testament and 984 in the New Testament. Jesus appears in 26 books of the 66 in the King James Version. John has the most (256), then Matthew (172) and Luke (100).
Where is Jesus first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Matthew 1:1: "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham." The last is Revelation 22:21.
More word counts: Christ, Lord, Holy Spirit, faith, hope, grace, fear, fear not, or all 253 words.
Counted by Bible Says About from the full public-domain text of the King James Version (1769 edition) and the World English Bible. Verse text only: headings and psalm titles are left out. A word is a run of letters: a hyphenated name like Beer-sheba counts as two, and an apostrophe stays inside its word (LORD'S is one). Matching ignores capital letters. Data compiled 2026-10-03.