05 - CHAPTER TWO
THE TITLE “LORD”
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord” (Luk 2:11).
“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36).
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Rom 10:9).
People change their names as their role in life and office changes. When I began teaching, my students referred to me as “Prof. Towns.” Later, after receiving my first doctorate, I began to be called “Dr. Towns.” As dean of the B. R. Laken School of Religion, today I am sometimes referred to as “Dean Towns.” The changing titles mark changes in my life. When my children began having children of their own, 1 thought I was too young to be a grandfather! I told my children not to teach my grandchildren to call me Grandfather, or some cute name like “Poppa. “ My daughter, not wanting to offend me, taught her daughter to address me as “Dr. Towns. “ For a while it worked, but the child soon learned that this man was really “Poppa. “ Also, this little girl noticed that her father often called his father-in-law “Doc. “ Soon she began addressing me as “Poppa Doc.” Although the title was once that of a Haitian dictator, I am now more than pleased to be called “Poppa Doc” by my grandchildren.
Similarly, the name of Jesus has changed over the years as His role and office have changed. In the Gospels, He is most often called “Jesus,” although both His title “Lord” and office “Christ” were emphasized at His birth (Luk 2:11). It was not until the book of Acts that the title “Lord” became more commonly used and began to take on the characteristics of a name. When Luke was writing the early history of the church, he chose “Lord” as his narrative name. Probably “Jesus” was considered too familiar to be used and, “Christ” at that time sounded too formal. Another advantage of this title is that it conveyed the idea of relationship. If Jesus is Lord, He is Lord of something or someone.
Jesus is the Lord of your life whether you let Him operate in your life or not. He is by nature the Lord. Ultimately a lord has dominion over one, and the Lord will be the Lord. If He is not recognized as Lord now, He will be someday when every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Php 2:11). We may choose to recognize Him as Lord today or be coerced into recognizing Him as Lord at His return. The normal posture of prayer traditionally practiced by Christians is a symbolic recognition of the lordship of Jesus. As we pray, it is common for us to bow our heads. That is the usual way of approaching the monarch or supreme ruler of a region. That is the way in which we approach the King of kings and Lord of lords. When we bow, we are symbolically showing we owe our allegiance to Him.
THE MEANING OF THIS NAME In calling Jesus “Lord,” a speaker could have been using that term in one of several ways. The Greek word kurios is used in the New Testament with reference to an owner (Luk 19:33), one who has disposal of anything (Mat 12:8), a master to whom service is due (Mat 6:24), an emperor or king (Acts 25:26; Rev 17:14), a title of respect for a father (Mat 21:30), husband (1Pe 3:6), master (Mat 13:27), ruler (Mat 27:63), angel (Acts 10:4), a stranger (Acts 16:30), a designation of a pagan idol or deity (1Co 8:5), as well as a translation of the name of God from the Old Testament: (Jehovah, Mat 4:7; Adonai, Mat 1:22, and Elohim, 1Pe 1:25). There is no indication that Christians used this term for anyone but Jesus, suggesting it was used as a recognition of His deity. The translation of Hebrew titles Jehovah, Adonai, and Elohim by the Greek word kurios (Lord) emphasizes that these titles of God in the Old Testament are also to be included in the names of Jesus. The use of the word kurios in this way recognizes that several rights belong to Jesus. First, there is the right to respect. This word was commonly used as an address of respect not only to those in authority, such as kings and fathers, but even to strangers. Secondly, there is the right to be served. When one used the title “Lord,” it normally expressed a willingness to serve the person or idol so addressed. A third implied right is the right of disposal. As owner, a lord could dispose of his property in any way he saw fit. This is an important concept to remember in the area of our stewardship of the Lord’s resources. Finally, the right to rule and hold authority over others is also implied in the name “lord.” In the cultural context of that day, a lord had absolute authority over his subjects. When Jesus was called “Lord” by Christians, who reserved that word as a title of deity, each of the four above rights were intensified in their experience. The use of this name is significant in the lives and experience of the disciples, particularly in three instances. When Jesus told Peter to let down his nets, Peter respectfully addressed Jesus as “Master” and consented to let down a net (Luk 5:5). That he let down only one net suggests he was doing so merely as a courtesy to Jesus and did not expect to catch anything. Later, when the net broke because of the size of the catch and Peter realized Jesus was more than just another religious teacher, he addressed Jesus as “Lord” (Luk 5:8). A second significant use of this title in the Gospels occurred at the last supper. Again the speech of the disciples betrayed the nature of their faith and true attitude toward Jesus. When Jesus announced that one of the twelve would betray Him that night, the eleven asked, “Lord, is it I” (Mat 26:22). Later, Judas also asked but said, “Master, is it I” (Mat 26:25). The eleven disciples had come to recognize Jesus as Lord, but for Judas, He was only Master. The third significant use of this title by a disciple in the Gospels is the time when Thomas answered Jesus’ invitation to touch His wounds by crying out, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28). His affirmation of faith in Jesus as Jehovah El of the Old Testament is the apex of the Gospel of John and the highest statement of deity yet attributed to Jesus. John writes his Gospel in such a way as to build to a climax with Thomas’ affirmation of the Lordship of Christ. This expression of faith is that of Thomas, the disciples, and-hopefully you the reader.
“Lord” is the most often used name of Jesus in the book of Acts. It was the name God used of Jesus at the resurrection (Php 2:9-11). The lordship of Christ is a post- resurrection emphasis. It was a constant theme in apostolic preaching. “For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake” (2Co 4:5). THE MESSAGE OF THIS NAME As is true with each name of Jesus in Scripture, the name “Lord” has a special significance in the life of every Christian. It closely relates to what it means to be a Christian. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Rom 10:9). Some evangelists erroneously argue that this means a person is not saved if his conversion is not accompanied by a dramatic evidence of repentance. Although repentance is as important as faith in conversion, the evidence of repentance differs in every experience.
If the Lord has convicted an unsaved person about a particular sin and he refuses to repent of that sin, he cannot be saved until he is willing to recognize the Lord Jesus in that area. Often, however, it is not until after a person is saved that he is convicted by the Holy Spirit of sin in his life. This presence of sin does not mean that Jesus is not his Saviour, only that Jesus is not recognized as his Lord.
Recognizing the “Lordship of Christ” is a work of the Holy Spirit in our life. “No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost” (1Co 12:3). All Christians at some point in their walk with God need to put Jesus Christ on the throne of their life as Lord. “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts,” the Apostle Peter urged (1Pe 3:15). Paul urged essentially the same things of the Romans when he said, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Rom 12:1). This is the foundation of practicing Biblical stewardship. Stewardship is not just fund raising; it is also managing your life. It is placing your all on the altar for God. Stewardship is recognizing not just the tithe as the Lord’s-that is, ten percent-but that all of it is His. “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they who dwell therein” (Psa 24:1). He is Lord both by creation and redemption.
Lordship is an experience of the believer rather than the unsaved. What is today referred to as “Lordship Salvation” is almost a statement of salvation by works, but the Scriptures teach that we are saved solely by grace. Lordship is for the Christian; grace is for the unsaved. Failure to recognize Jesus as Lord in your life will result in frustration in your Christian experience. If you never yield control of your life to Jesus, you will constantly have doubts concerning the certainty of your salvation.
Lordship marks the progress or growth of your Christian life as you confess and forsake known sin in the process of becoming more Christlike. George Mueller grew in grace as a Christian. On several occasions God revealed areas in his life to be corrected. As Mueller confessed his sin and surrendered that area of his life to Christ’s lordship, he continued to grow in Christ.
Lordship means surrender. In a meeting of several well-known Christian workers in the last century, the question was asked what was the greatest need in Christian circles at that time. Without hesitation, a Scottish missionary leader summed up that need in two words, “absolute surrender. “ He went on to explain that most of the problems he dealt with in his ministry would resolve themselves if Christians would surrender themselves totally and absolutely to the lordship of Christ. Many Christian leaders today would agree that this is still the greatest need of the church. Jesus said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luk 9:23). The key to the victorious Christian life is found in this surrender or yielding of oneself wholeheartedly to God. “Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God” (Rom 6:13).
Paul uses four key verbs in Rom 6:1-23 which describe various aspects of what it means to call Jesus “Lord.” These are keys to the victorious Christian life. The first verb is “know” (Rom 6:3, Rom 6:6, Rom 6:9). We must first know the doctrinal basis of victory in the Christian life-that is, that we are united to and identified with Christ in His death and resurrection. The next verb is “reckon” (Rom 6:11), which means to count or rely upon these facts to be true concerning ourselves. The verb “yield” (Rom 6:13, Rom 6:16, Rom 6:19) means to present ourselves once and for all to God as His possession and for His use. The fourth verb, “obey” (Rom 6:16-17), urges us to be continuously obedient to the revealed and known will of God.
Lordship is more than just yielding; lordship means control. An overemphasis on yielding sometimes results in passive Christians. But God wants more than yielded Christians; He wants control of your life. When He has control, we will take up our cross. When He has control, we will deny self and the flesh. When He has control, we will find ourselves saying no to the “old man” and yes to the “new man.” When Jesus taught the parable of the talents, He emphasized several principles of lordship or Biblical stewardship. One of the most significant is that God expects production from what He has given us to use. To take the resources of God, which He has entrusted to our keeping, and hoard them or bury them in the ground is the greatest wrong we can do toward the Lord. When God entrusts us with His resources, He expects us to use them and multiply them. It is impossible to invest what God has given us without seeing a return on it.
CONCLUSION
Recognizing the lordship of Christ should be the norm in the Christian’s life. Jesus taught a parable concerning the duty of the servant constantly to obey his master and concluded with the words, “So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do” (Luk 17:10). The concept of a Christian who does not recognize the lordship of Christ in his life is foreign to the New Testament ideal.
Yet, such Christians are all too common today. The greatest need of the church is still absolute surrender. Someday, of course, “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” (Php 2:10-11). When it comes to recognizing the lordship of Christ, we have a choice. It can be our decision now, or His coercive act later. For Discussion:
1. What did the word Lord mean in the culture of our Saviour’s day?
2. Explain the term “Lordship of Christ. “
3. Can you recall a time when you surrendered your life to the Lord? (Be ready to share briefly.) 4. Explain the statement: “Jesus is the Lord of your life whether you let Him operate in your life or not.”
5. Where will you be when “everyone” recognizes the Lordship of Christ?