Words about the word
As we approach Easter Sunday (March 31), my mind takes me to the Easter Confession that Christianshavebeenmaking regarding Jesus for the past 2,000 years. It is found in Paul’s epistle to the Philippians, the passage often referred to as the “emptying passage,” Philippians 2:5-11. Here the Apostle predicts that onedayeverysingleperson who has ever lived on this planet will declare that “Jesus Christ is Lord” to the glory of God the Father.
That word, “lord”, is found some 600 times in the New Testament.About 250 times it is used with direct reference to or in address to Jesus. “Lord” in the Ancient Greek in essencemeans“themaster of everything.”
Thelordofanestatewas the master over all things concerning that estate. When “lord” is used of diety, it refers to the truth that God is Master over all things in heaven and earth. Thus, the confession that “Jesus is Lord” is the acknowledgement of his rulership over all that is.
A natural question would be, “When exactly did Jesus actually become ‘Lord’?”
Would that have been at His birth when the angels declared to the shepherds, “Unto you is born this day…a Savior which is Christ, the Lord.”? Or did Jesus become Lord in that event during His earthly ministry that we refer to as the transfiguration? In that event Jesus’ heavenly glory that had been concealed during His incarnation literally radiated itself before three of Jesus’ disciples.
Perhaps Jesus became Lord when He cried out from the cross, not, “I am finished,” but “It is finished!” This cry signaled that Christ had fully accomplished everything His Father had sent Him to do. He had lived a sinless life, and in those six final hours He paid the price for the sins of all humanity that only He was qualified to pay. Then again maybe Jesus became Lord when He rose from the grave on Easter revealing that He had defeated death, sin, hell and Satan himself. Or wasitfortydayslaterwhen HisfollowerswitnessedHis ascensionintotheheavens, and He took His rightful place at the right hand of God the Father?
If I had to answer the question, “When did Jesus become Lord?”, based on what our passage in Philippians 2:5-11 says, my answer would have to be…never. Jesus never BECAME Lord, because He has ALWAYS been LORD. The New Testament is very clear about this when in verse 6 of our Philippians text we are told that “Christ Jesus… existed in the form of God” andthatHewasequalwith God. Jesus has ALWAYS been LORD!
To ask the question, “When did Jesus become Lord?”, is a little bit like asking a left-handed person, “Hey, when did you become a lefty?” Naturally, the answer is, “I’ve always been a left hander. That’s who I am.”
Jesus has always been Lord. That’s Who He is.
The Easter season is a perfect time for each of us to reflect on another “when” question regarding Jesus’lordship. It’s the question, “When did Jesus become Lord of your life?”
When was it that you yielded your life, all you do and all you are, to His will and His desire for you?
WhenIwasateengrowing up in Anaheim, California, our church youth group sang a song to the tune of Disneyland’s “It’s a Small World After All.” The words were: He is Lord of the sky, He is Lord of the sea. He is Lord of you, And He’s Lord of me. He died for our sins and He gave us liberty… He is Lord of all! The Bible tells us that one day all of creation will join together in that magnificent Easter Confession: “Jesus Christ is Lord!”
Let’s get a head start and declare Him to be so now, with our lives and with our lips, to the glory of God the Father.
