Jesus is Lord

It almost rolls of the tongue without being given a second thought. “Jesus is my personal Lord and Savior.” In fact, you can’t spend any time in any major branch of Christianity without hearing the phrase “Lord Jesus.” But what does it mean to have Jesus as “Lord”?

Savior is easy to define. We were in a pit, in jail, in slavery. Jesus comes along with a rope to pull us out, with a pardon to absolve our guilt, with a payment to set us free. In all of these things, Jesus comes and delivers us from conditions that in ourselves we could not break free from. In a humbly glorious way, the very fact we have faith is truly a miracle - some activity of God that breaks the status quo and apparently violates some universal principle. Yes, even in our modern world, we rejoice at the thought of being delivered, of being rescued.

We all have that longing for someone to reach down and make our world a better place for us. Even if we don’t quite have the concept of being saved from sin and its power, we all have some sort of idea of what it’s like to be “saved.” It’s something that speaks to us, that draws us in. Ultimately, we see salvation as something that makes us happier, better people.

We enjoy seeing Jesus as our Savior.

But how do we approach Jesus as our Lord? Honestly, how do we engage our reasoning with our faith when confronted with that term?

In the United States specifically, though the idea isn’t confined to our young country at all, we do not like “lords.” Perhaps it was something as grand as the philosophical and psychological ideologies behind the birth of our nation (if you’re in the United States), perhaps it was something as simple as having an ornery teacher or a mean parent, but Americans (and people generally) do not like figures of absolute authority.

Those in power are the ones who throw us into those pits, lock us in jail and strip us of our freedom debasing us into slavery. Kings, governors, rulers. Parents, policemen, school administration. Bosses, bank presidents, and the like. We don’t want someone outside of ourselves telling us what to do. And like the foolish beings we are, even those in God’s family, we put our views of authority onto God and onto Jesus. So while we are happy in the good news that Jesus is our Savior, we tend to buck against the idea that Jesus as our Lord can tell us what to do with unquestioned loyalty.

We don’t enjoy seeing Jesus as our Lord.

The word that we most commonly translate as “Lord” in the New Testament is the Greek word kyrios meaning “one with supreme power or control” or more simply “Master” or “Boss.” It’s very important to note that kyrios is how the Grecian Jews chose to translate the name of God into the Greek language.

To say that Jesus is your Lord is to make the claim that he is your master, that he has the rightful and justified claim over your entire life. Calling Jesus “Lord” is just another way of stating that when he says to do something, you will obey - no questions asked.

But we shouldn’t see Jesus as being our Master or our “Boss” as a bad thing. Unlike every other human authority, people who are limited in their knowledge and insight at best, or completely expressing their fallenness at worst, our Lord Jesus is completely kind, completely fair and just, loves his subjects with all his heart and being all-knowing, and all-powerful, has the ability to follow through with his requirements and his promises for making his kingdom the best place to live.

What are some of the characteristics of Jesus as Lord?

1 Look at my servant, whom I strengthen. He is my chosen one, who pleases me. I have put my Spirit upon him. He will bring justice to the nations. 2 He will not shout or raise his voice in public. 3 He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. He will bring justice to all who have been wronged. 4 He will not falter or lose heart until justice prevails throughout the earth. Even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for his instruction.

Isaiah 42:1-4

“If you love me, obey my commands.” Luke 6:46

To say “No, Lord” is the most oxymoronic thing a Christian can do. Not only is our Lord, our Master and Boss, kind and gentle, but he’s looking out for our best in the end.

But saying “no” to Jesus is what we do every day unfortunately. As Lord, Jesus reopened the Law of God to us, making clear that what had been accepted as a standard of behavior was actually a standard of the heart and mind. Jesus took the “easy” Ten Commandments and, again, opened them up for us, making it clear that it’s not just a matter of what you do, but where your heart is that determines true obedience.

Why do we obey Jesus? Well, we obey because he is Lord and King. He is deserving of our obedience by virtue of being God and the Sovereign over all Existence. But that is only part of the equation. We obey Jesus because we love Him and trust Him. Even when things are hard and difficult, our confidence in His ability to keep his promises, our faith in Jesus, prompts us to obey him. Not out of mere duty, though duty and obligation are important aspects, but because our hearts are warm toward Him. Simply put, we want to obey Christ.

When we understand that we are under his smile and acceptance, and that his omnipotent divine power is for us, in Christ, obedience becomes a matter of course rather than something that’s compelled or forced in some fashion.

My friends, Jesus is Lord regardless of your relationship to him. He’s the Boss, the one who decides and directs the course of our lives even when we laugh in his face and try to do things our own way. We can either rejoice in his kind, benevolent rule as we submit to him, or face him as conqueror and judge when he comes to remove all rivals to his reign. The offer of Jesus to meet you as Savior and as Lord is still open for anyone and everyone who wants Him.

Will you embrace Jesus tonight as Lord of your life and as Savior of your soul?