The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ is Lord. This is a foundational truth of the Christian faith. But what exactly does it mean when we say that Jesus is Lord?
At the most basic level, calling Jesus “Lord” is an acknowledgment of His deity and authority. The word translated “Lord” in the New Testament is the Greek word kurios. In the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament), kurios is used to translate the Hebrew name for God – YHWH. Therefore, when the New Testament authors apply the title kurios (Lord) to Jesus, they are identifying Him with the one true God of the Old Testament.
Jesus being “Lord” means several key things:
1. Jesus is God
Numerous passages in Scripture equate Jesus with God the Father and proclaim the full deity of Christ (John 1:1-3, 14; 5:17-18; 8:58-59; 10:30-33; 20:28; Romans 9:5; Philippians 2:5-8; Colossians 1:15-17; 2:9; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:3, 8; 2 Peter 1:1). By calling Jesus “Lord,” we affirm that He is fully divine.
2. Jesus has absolute authority
“Lord” implies rulership and authority. Philippians 2:9-11 explains that because of Christ’s obedient suffering and death on the cross, God the Father has “highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow…and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” Jesus has been given all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). His lordship encompasses all of creation.
3. We belong to Him
If Jesus is Lord, then we who trust in Him are His possession and servants. Our lives are not our own – we have been bought with the price of His blood (1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 7:22-23). To call Jesus “Lord” is to place our lives under His control and rulership.
4. Jesus is worthy of our worship and obedience
Deuteronomy 6:13 says we are to “fear the LORD your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name.” As Lord, Jesus deserves our absolute allegiance, reverence, obedience, and worship. We obey His commands not out of mere duty, but out of loving devotion to our Master.
5. Jesus has power to save us
The apostle Peter preached to the Jewish leaders, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Salvation is found in Jesus Christ alone because He is Lord – He has the power and authority to save sinners. Calling on the name of the Lord Jesus is the only way to be saved (Romans 10:9-13).
In summary, confessing Jesus as Lord means embracing Him as the true God and absolute Ruler over all. He is infinite in power and authority. We owe Him our unwavering allegiance. Jesus holds supreme rank, dignity, and power over everything in heaven and on earth. He possesses all authority to subjugate, govern, and command. As Lord, Jesus calls us to yield to His loving reign over every area of our lives. We no longer live for ourselves, but for Christ who died for us and rose again, conquering sin and death forever.
Jesus’ exaltation as Lord
Scripture explains that Jesus was not always known as Lord in the full sense that He is today. The human Jesus did not go around demanding everyone call Him Lord. Rather, He humbled Himself, took on human flesh, and submitted Himself to the Father’s will, even unto death on a cross (Philippians 2:5-8). After being crucified and buried, Jesus rose from the grave in victory over death, and was then highly exalted by God the Father (Acts 2:32-36). The fact that Jesus is now Lord reflects the honor bestowed upon Him after completing His earthly mission.
Philippians 2:9-11 describes God exalting Jesus and giving Him the name above all names:
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Jesus was perfected through sufferings (Hebrews 2:10) and obedience (Hebrews 5:8-9) in order to become the source of salvation for all who obey Him. God now commands all creation to worship Jesus Christ as Lord.
Jesus as Lord in the early church
The first Christians recognized and proclaimed the lordship of Christ, often at great personal cost. Here are a few examples from the book of Acts:
- Acts 2:36 – Peter concludes his first sermon on the day of Pentecost by declaring, “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
- Acts 4:24, 29 – The early believers pray to God saying “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea…grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness.”
- Acts 10:36 – Peter’s sermon in the household of Cornelius: “As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all).”
Jesus was Lord of their lives, no matter what it cost them. They proclaimed His lordship boldly, even in the face of persecution and death.
The lordship of Christ in Romans and 1 Corinthians
Paul’s letters to the Romans and Corinthians provide significant insight into what it means for Jesus to be Lord.
In Romans 10:9-13, Paul writes:
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. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Proclaiming Jesus as Lord brings salvation. All who call upon the name of the Lord Jesus will be saved from sin and granted eternal life. He is universally Lord over all types of people.
In 1 Corinthians 8:5-6, Paul writes this about idols and false gods:
For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
Paul recognizes only Jesus as the one true Lord. Idols and false gods hold no actual authority. Jesus is Lord of all creation, through whom all things were created and exist.
1 Corinthians 12:3 states, “Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says ‘Jesus is accursed!’ and no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit.” Confessing Jesus as Lord is only possible through the enablement of the Holy Spirit. He is the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9) who enables people to submit to Christ as Lord.
To call Jesus anything less than Lord is to deny His divine identity and ultimate authority. We can only recognize the full truth of Jesus as Lord through the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.
The cosmic lordship of Jesus
The New Testament speaks of Jesus having authority and lordship over all creation. Here are some key verses that reveal the cosmic extent of Christ’s dominion as Lord:
- Matthew 28:18 – “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.'”
- John 3:35 – “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand.”
- Acts 10:36 – “Jesus Christ, he is Lord of all.”
- Romans 14:9- “For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.”
- 1 Corinthians 15:27 – “For God has put all things in subjection under his feet.”
- Ephesians 1:20-22 – God seated Jesus “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church.”
- Colossians 2:10 – “He (Christ) is the head of all rule and authority.”
- 1 Peter 3:22 – “Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.”
Jesus is Lord over every spiritual being, earthly authority, all of nature, and the very events of history. His lordship encompasses the cosmos in its totality, both now and in the age to come. Nothing exists apart from His authority and sovereignty as Lord of all.
The lordship of Christ and human relationships
Jesus as Lord has ramifications for all our relationships with other people:
- Marriage – Wives are called to submit to their husbands as to the Lord, and husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her (Ephesians 5:22-33)
- Parenting – Fathers are not to provoke their children to anger, but to raise them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4)
- Work – Servants/slaves are to obey their earthly masters as they would the Lord; masters should treat subordinates knowing they have a Master in heaven (Colossians 3:22 – 4:1)
- Church – We are to submit to spiritual leaders as those who keep watch over our souls (Hebrews 13:17)
- Government – Governing authorities are instituted by God and we should submit to them for the Lord’s sake (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-17)
In every human relationship, Jesus as Lord should transform how we treat one another. It removes pride and self-interest and enables us to humbly serve one another, as unto the Lord.
The lordship of Christ and the end times
At the end of the age, Christ’s lordship over all will be unmistakably displayed for all to see:
- Philippians 2:9-11 – At the name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue confess He is Lord.
- 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 – All dominion, authority and power will be abolished when Jesus delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying all His enemies. The Son will be subject to the Father so that God may be all in all.
- Revelation 19:16 – When Jesus returns, He will have the name “King of kings and Lord of lords” written on His robe and thigh.
Every being in heaven, on earth, and under the earth will eventually recognize and declare that Jesus Christ reigns as the universal Lord. Evil will be vanquished. Creation will be made completely new. And the heavenly Father who subjected all things to Jesus will reign forever over a perfectly restored cosmos (Revelation 21-22).
Practical implications of Christ’s lordship
If Jesus is Lord, this should impact how we live on a daily basis. Here are some key implications:
- Repentance – Jesus’ lordship calls everyone everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30). Turning from sin to follow Him as Lord.
- Holiness – Our lives should reflect the holy nature of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:13-16).
- Obedience – We obey Jesus’ commands out of love for Him as our Lord (John 14:15, 21).
- Prayer – We ask for God’s will to be done in Jesus’ name (John 14:13-14).
- Faith – We have faith in Christ’s power and ability to answer prayer as Lord (Mark 11:22-24).
- Purpose – We no longer live for ourselves, but for the Lord Jesus Christ who died and rose again for us (2 Corinthians 5:15).
Every area of life comes under Jesus’ absolute lordship. We seek His kingdom and righteousness first and foremost (Matthew 6:33). Jesus Christ is Lord of all – so we live every moment for Him.