Jesus is the Christ
We noted yesterday that Jesus is the Christ and when we say the Christ, we are talking about the anointed one. The Bible is clear on that. When you read the gospel of Luke he says “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me for he has anointed me …” (Luke 4.18). Peter confirmed it in Acts 10.38 saying how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power.
Jesus is the savior
Jesus is also the savior. There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we can be saved (Acts 4.12); he is the way the truth and the life (John 14.6).
Jesus is Lord
However, it is also important to understand the other dimension of Jesus. He is not just the anointed one or the savior, but he is also the Lord. That is why Peter, on the day of Pentecost, made the bold declaration in Acts 2.36 that God has made Jesus both Lord and Christ. It should be noted that it is God who made Jesus Lord and Christ. When God makes you, you become. If he doesn’t make you, you don’t become. He told Peter to follow him and he would make him a fisher of men. As we follow him, may he make us the kind of people he wants us to be.
Kurios
The New Testament Greek uses “kurios” to refer to the Lord Jesus Christ. It denotes somebody with absolute power and someone who is the owner of all things. Thus, saying Jesus is the Lord is to say he is the one with absolute power and the one who is owner of all things. Through him all things were made, and nothing was made without him.
The Apostle Paul confirms this in Colossians 1.16-17 saying by him all things were created. I remember the song we have been singing—he’s got the whole world in his hands. The Bible says he sustains this world by the power of his word. Thus, to acknowledge Jesus as Lord is to recognize him as ruler, boss, the owner of all things, the master of the whole world, the master of one’s life and the one who exercises authority and power and influence over one’s life. I want us to come to the level where we understand this. Our understanding of this will determine how we walk with him.
I pray in Jesus’ name that the eyes of our understanding shall be opened so that we shall see him not only as the Christ and savior but also as Lord—as the one who has power over our lives and holds it together. Your breath belongs to him and he has the power to take it at any time and no one can question him.
To understand the Lordship of Jesus Christ, we have to understand the following:
1. Jesus must be lord of all
When I say he is lord over my life, I mean he is in full control over my entire life. May he be lord indeed over every aspect of our lives. So, somebody has said that unless Jesus is lord of all, he is not lord at all. He becomes lord when he is lord of all. I want Jesus to be lord over my entire life, my business, marriage, my relationships—I want him to be in charge of all that I do. This is where some of us fall short. Christians begin to struggle because we are comfortable relating to him as our savior but not as lord. For some of us, some aspects of our lives are no-go areas for him. We must learn to submit to him. We must not give him 99% of our lives but all of it. Everything must be subjected and submitted to him. That is when our lives will be transformed and we will become that glorious bride.
2. It is his will and not our will
If he is lord, then it must be his will but not my will. So, the child of God cannot say Jesus is his lord when he holds on to his will not Jesus’ will. At any point in time, you must be prepared to put your will aside and accept his will. So, I remember when Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane that the Father make the cup pass over him, however, not his will but the Father’s will be done. You must sacrifice your will and accept his. Some of us know where he is directing us but we don’t want to accept it but you cannot go by you will and call him Lord. It doesn’t work like that. No child of God can stand before his lord and say not to his revealed will. In Acts 10.9-16, Peter was on the roof praying when he fell into a trance and saw a vision where he was presented with both clean and unclean animals to kill and eat but he was reluctant. He said “No, Lord” but “no” and “Lord” don’t go together. I pray we live above this; that when we recognize that he is sending us, we will gladly oblige and say “Yes, Lord” at all times.
3. Nothing comes before the Lord
Nothing is given priority over the Lord. We don’t do anything first before him. he takes preeminence over everything in our lives. He is the first and everything begins with him. Nothing should come between us and him. So, the scripture says Jesus said to somebody to come and follow him but he said “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” Another said he wanted to first go and say goodbye to his family. Both were ready to follow him but they wanted to do something first. If he is our lord and master, we don’t have any excuse when he gives us instructions. The master is making a demand and we don’t have any option but to comply. Some of us have made our bosses our lords but nobody should take preeminence over the Lord.
How to submit to his lordship
In submitting to the lordship of Jesus, the first requirement is absolute and total obedience. Sometimes we think that it will cost us to obey but there is everything to be gained in walking in obedience with him. So, he said, you call me Lord, Lord, and don’t do what I say (Luke 6.46). Calling him lord should not be about lip service. It is about walking in obedience. And the obedience should be immediate and not delayed.
Also, submitting to the lordship of Jesus is about taking your hands off the controls of your life and allowing him to be in control. Let him be in charge and in the driving seat. We must surrender everything we have to him. the reason is that you have been bought with a price and you are not your own. He should have full control and, at the end of the day, you will see his glory and we shall be a bride well-prepared for our groom who is Christ.
Main references
Acts 2.36, Luke 6.46