At the Table with JesusSample

Jesus Is Lord of All

If you were the lord of something during Jesus’ day, for example, you were a ruler. You were in charge. The buck stopped with you. That applied to a patriarch being lord of his household—both family and servants—all the way up to Caesar being lord of the Roman Empire.

In that context, the idea of lordship was connected with authority. Specifically, to be a lord was to demonstrate authority over a particular region or people or province. Lords made judgments. Lords set the rules. Lords gave orders and expected to be obeyed.

That’s what Scripture is communicating when it refers to Jesus as Lord. He carries authority. He is authority.

The Lordship of Jesus is no small thing. He is exalted to such a level that “every knee should bow” and “every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord.” Every being of every sort in heaven and on earth will eventually bow to the authority of Jesus. Every being of every sort in heaven and on earth will submit to His authority both physically and verbally because He is Lord.

The Old Testament made it abundantly clear that Messiah, the Savior, would have authority over creation. As Psalm 102:25 declares, “In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.”

The psalmist was talking about Jesus, who is Lord over all creation. Jesus, who filled the sea to its depths and, to this day, both initiates and maintains the weather patterns that produce hot and cold, clear skies and clouds, cyclones and summer breezes. Jesus, who is master over every storm.

it’s important for us to understand that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is a historical event. It happened in the same way the Declaration of Independence happened. It was not some divine parlor trick. Jesus didn’t flip a switch inside His brain that allowed Him to check out of Jerusalem for a few days and then check back in when things were more convenient. No, He died on that cross. His life drained away, and He experienced what every person has experienced when this life ends and the next begins.

Then, after death, He rose again. His body was filled with life once more. How is that possible? Simply because Jesus is Lord. Specifically, He is Lord over the grave. Jesus has authority over death. He is in charge of death, not the other way around. And through that authority, through that Lordship, Jesus conquered death on behalf of all people, including you and me.

Here’s the truth: You are an eternal being. Yes, your body will one day cease to function, but that won’t be the end of you. Not the real you. Just like Jesus, you will have a future even after you die. And when you are connected to Jesus, when you have accepted the gift of salvation purchased through His own death, that future is unbelievably bright.

So don’t be afraid of death. Jesus is the Lord over the grave.

In my experience, it’s one thing to recognize Jesus as Lord of all. It’s relatively easy to acknowledge that Jesus is Lord over creation, Lord over spiritual practices and realities, Lord over death and the grave, and Lord over evil and its consequences. After all, each of those elements is out there. They are broad truths that can be pushed to the background of our lives if we choose to do so.

On the other hand, it’s a much different thing to recognize Jesus as Master—specifically, to acknowledge that Jesus is my master. Doing so has a major effect on my life, because in order to recognize Jesus as my master, I need to acknowledge my own inferiority. I need to acknowledge my low position.

In short, if Jesus is Master, then I am His servant.

Either we are the masters of our lives or Jesus is.

Yet Jesus is not a hard-driving taskmaster. He is a servant-king. He came not to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for all.

A master who chooses to serve is a master you can follow.

And what’s more, His service sets you free.

He is Lord and Master of all. Remember to show honor and to let Him know your desire is to do His will.

Respond

What does “Lord of all” mean to you?

How do you honor the Lord?

Prayer

Master, I want you to be “Lord of all” in my life. Show me areas that I need to give over to Your care.