…because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Rm 10:9)
For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. (II Cor 4:5)
And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David? David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared, ‘The LORD said to my Lord, “’Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.’” David himself calls him Lord. So how is he his son? (Mk 12:35-7)
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe. Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” (Jn 20:27-28)
Why do you call me “Lord, Lord,” and not do what I tell you? (Lk 6:46)
If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come [Maranatha]! (I Cor 16:22)
Lord, You are king. I have no other. Praise to Your name.
The most basic and common proclamation of a follower of Jesus is that “Jesus is Lord!” That simple statement is the foundation of a life lived for God, for in simplest terms, a follower of God is one for whom Jesus has become Lord. The New Testament could not be clearer. Jesus is declared “Lord” more than any other name, and the title is early and widespread. When Paul writes to the Greek-speaking church of Corinth in the mid-50s, he quotes, in Aramaic, a saying that goes back to the original Aramaic-speaking church. He writes “Maranatha,” which means “Our Lord, come!” He does not translate it but refers to it as if everybody knows what it means. Indeed, the New Testament declares Jesus “Lord” so many times, that the term has actually become another name for Jesus.
Here’s what the word means. In the Bible, sometimes the word “Lord” is a blatant reference to God, as we see in phrases like “Thus says the Lord” and “the day of the Lord.” Other times, the word refers simply to a person in authority. One might use the word to describe a king, a commander, a business owner, the head of a respected house, or the master of some slaves, but no one ever called the garbage man “Lord.”
In the New Testament, the word is used of Jesus in both ways, but at its lowest common denominator, both ways still get at one common idea, for no matter which meaning a passage uses, it is still saying that Jesus has authority. Therefore, when people say that Jesus is Lord, what they are saying is that He is king and has every right to demand our allegiance and obedience. In other words, if Jesus is Lord, we have to do what He says. That’s what “Lord” means.
Many people like Jesus but dislike the Lord part. To them, Jesus is a wonderful teacher and a great role model, but “Lord” is going a bit far. Let’s make no mistake. A follower of Jesus follows Jesus. Disciples are not just attracted to Jesus; they are committed to Him as Lord. To Jesus, attraction without commitment is phony. Jesus is not looking for people who merely like Him. He is looking for people who will lay down their lives. That’s what “Lord” means.
When people trust Jesus, He changes their lives. You will often meet people who say they trust Jesus but whose lives haven’t changed. They say they belong to Him, but they live no different from everyone else. It is quite possible that what they thought was faith was not faith. Perhaps it was attraction; perhaps it was a warm, fuzzy feeling. True faith trusts Jesus, and “Lord” is simply who Jesus is. The problem with these people is that Jesus is not their Lord. They may call Him Savior. They may call Him wonderful. They may see beauty in His words. But He isn’t their Lord because if He was, they would actually follow Him. That’s what “Lord” means.
If Jesus is Lord, it affects life. Submitting to Him is not just about church and worship. It includes work, food, sex, money, talents, desires, family relations — everything. If Jesus is Lord, He gets to decide how we spend our money, how we use our talents, which desires we pursue and how. He directs our career, our family planning, and our sex life. He tells us when to fast, when to sleep or get up, and what to say or not say to our relatives. I don’t mean He micromanages every word or detail. I do mean that if Jesus is Lord, He has authority in all these areas of our lives — and more. That’s what “Lord” means.
