BY GREG CRUM
“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:10-11
Jesus is Lord. Many of us have heard it said, sung, and shouted from pulpits to pews to choir lofts for most of our lives. It’s true, he is, and he always will be, but do we really understand what that means? Sure! Well…maybe? Maybe not. You’d have to admit that the term is very common in our religious vocabularies. Over the years we’ve gotten so accustomed to hearing it that it’s quite possible that some of us have lost the full impact of what it means that Jesus is our Lord. Here’s the thing we must remember: “Lord” isn’t just a title of respect given to Jesus; it’s a function of who he is and an integral component of a proper relationship with him.
For almost three months now we’ve taken the time to think about who Jesus really is. We’ve stated that the world has their opinions of Jesus but that he’s much more than they’ll ever acknowledge. We’ve noted that religion has painted a certain picture of him but that he’s much different from many organizational doctrines make him out to be. We’ve come to this conclusion: the only surefire way to know who Jesus really is is to look into the Scriptures for ourselves and see what those who followed him closely believed him to be and who he himself said he was!
Now, it’s that latter part that I feel is most significant and so we’ve focused on Jesus’ testimony of himself. You know humans because you are one. We can misunderstand situations and make assumptions based on our preconceived ideas, but to hear it from the Son of man himself. Well, in this instance that’s as good as straight from the Throne of God! So far, we’ve seen that he said he was the Resurrection and the Life, and the Way and the Truth, and last week we began to investigate his claims that he is Lord (John 13:13).
So, Jesus acknowledged that his disciples were correct in calling him Lord in John 13:13, but what does that really mean and how should that shape our relationship with him? The Greek word that was translated as “Lord” in our King James Bibles sheds some light on its significance. In the original language, the term “Lord” spoke of one supreme authority (over another), a controller, or one having dominion over another.
Now, as modern Americans, we might bristle at such a definition applied to anyone over us, but the reality is that God isn’t bound by our standard of thought or our current culture. Today we get the idea we are free to do whatever we want and God is okay with it, but when Jesus is really our Lord it means that he is the one in charge of our lives. He is our boss, and we are not our own!
“Wait a minute, no one is going to tell me what to do. I’m a grown man, I’m an American, I choose. It’s my way!”
Well, if Jesus is going to be your Lord, and you are truly going to “confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead” and receive your salvation (Romans 10:9-10) then it seems that you’re going to have to revise your perspective and voluntarily relinquish your right to be your own boss. Remember the words of Jesus in Luke 6:46 (and similar thoughts in Romans 14:8, I Corinthians 7:22, Colossians 1:10, and James 4:15) when he questioned, “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”
The implication? He’s not really our Lord unless we are doing what he says.
Brothers and sisters, Jesus is our Lord and he deserves that place in our lives. He’s a great boss and the best leader you’ll ever follow. He won’t make decisions for you that will bring you harm or loss of what is good. Don’t be afraid to allow him to direct your life completely.
Greg Crum is the pastor of Calvary Temple in Lovely.