“God has made [Jesus] both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36). “The LORD said to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand'” (Ps. 110:1; cf. Mt. 22:44; Mk. 12:36; Lk. 20:42; Acts 2:34). “There is… one Lord” (Eph. 4:4-5). “No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor. 12:3). “Jesus is Lord” is probably the most controversial statement in the history of the world. It is the oldest creed of the church. The title, “Lord,” is used of God hundreds of times in the Old Testament, and is used of Jesus throughout the New Testament. Jesus is Lord, divinely and humanly. It seemed that his followers instinctively called him “Lord” (which implies that other rulers are not Lord). He is the Lord: absolutely, uniquely, and exclusively. And he is our Lord: personally, heroically, and vicariously. Jesus is Lord on our behalf and for our sake.
Consider what kind of man the Lord Jesus is. He loves his Father—he has no “daddy issues.” He is whole. He is “the Prince of Shalom” (Isa. 9:6), the Prince of Wholeness and Peace. He delights in God’s Law, always loving God with his whole being and loving his neighbor as himself, putting the needs of others before his own. He stands fast against the deceptions and temptations of the devil; through his faithfulness he has crushed the serpent’s strength. His good intentions are seen in his miraculous provisions, healings, and exorcisms. His power is seen in his sacrificial service. He calls his people his friends; he prays for us and pours out his life for us. He has besieged and overwhelmed even death itself on our behalf. “His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed” (Dan. 7:14). And now he prepares a place for us to join him in his everlasting kingdom, because the Lord wants us to be with him where he is. This One is our Lord! One day, one way or another, “every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:10-11). That sounds like Good News worth sharing!
Why is the statement, “Jesus is Lord,” so controversial? Why are we instinctively threatened by this statement? What kinds of resistance do various people offer to this statement, and how can the Gospel subvert such resistance? What does Jesus’ Lordship mean to you, personally? Do you ever think of evangelism as the joyful proclamation of the Good News of his Lordship? Do you ever think of service done in the Lord’s name as princely?
