The lordship of Christ - What does it mean?

In the Scriptures, Jesus of Nazareth has received many titles. He is called the Christ, Son of God, Son of Man, Savior,
and Messiah. He has also been called "Lord." Unlike many of the other terms given to Jesus, the term Lord is
relatively common and as such its meaning is often taken for granted. But what does the Lordship of Christ actually
mean?

Jesus Himself gives the first inkling into the significance of being called Lord when He addresses a great multitude of
people along with His disciples in the plain, "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?" (Luke 6:46).
If anyone recognizes Jesus Christ as his or her Lord, then the first requirement from such a person is utter and total
obedience. This obedience is given to Jesus Christ because of the authority that was granted to Him. Jesus said, as He
departed for His throne in glory, ". . .All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." (Matthew 28:18).

How did Jesus gain this authority? On the day of Pentecost, the Apostle Peter addressed the crowd that had gathered
in Jerusalem for the feast. He recited from the Psalms, the words of David, linking them to the deeds and happenings
in the life of Christ. After explaining about the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and proving that the words
in the Psalms did not refer to David but to someone future and greater, he goes on to say, "Therefore let all Israel be
assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ" (Acts 2:36).

The Father bestowed the office of Lord to Jesus Christ His Son because Jesus had surrendered Himself in full
obedience to God and had accomplished the work of salvation through crucifixion and taken victory over all enemies
through His resurrection.

The Apostle Paul also stresses the connection between the obedience of Christ and His lordship in the book of
Philippians, "And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even
death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,
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" (Philippians 2:8-11).

As Lord, Jesus Christ deserves reverence, honor, and obedience because of the glory that was bestowed upon Him by
the Father. We are to take the same mind of obedience that Jesus Himself had. We as followers of Christ must
acknowledge Him in all of our ways. We are only to do what pleases Him and what He has commanded us to do. This
is how He, Himself lived towards the Father during His earthly sojourn, "So Jesus said, 'When you have lifted up the
Son of Man, then you will know that I am [the one I claim to be] and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what
the Father has taught me.'" (John 8:28).

What does the lordship of Jesus Christ mean? It means that we recognize Him for who He is and give Him the honor
that He is due. He has earned it; He is worthy of it.

Ultimately, this is how our walk with Christ should begin, by recognizing and confessing that He is Lord. This is how
salvation is obtained, by this very recognition. "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in
your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are
justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved" (Romans 10:9-10).
Jesus is Lord - Excerpts from "One Solitary Life" (author unknown)
Jesus is Lord, yet He declares His Lordship through the power of humility and grace…

"Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village. He worked in a
carpenter shop until He was thirty and then for three years was an itinerant preacher. He never owned a home. He never wrote a
book. He never held an office. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put his foot inside a big city. He never
traveled more than two hundred miles from the place where He was born. He never did one of those things that usually accompany
greatness. He had no credentials but himself….

"While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was
turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed on a cross between two thieves. While he was
dying his executors gambled for the only piece of property he had on earth - His coat. When he was dead, He was taken down and
laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.

"Nineteen long centuries have come and gone and today He is the centerpiece of the human race and the leader of the column of
progress. I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever were built, all the
parliaments that ever sat, and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as
powerfully as has that one solitary life."

Jesus is Lord - Quotes from Joseph Parker (1830-1902)

Jesus is Lord, yet He allows men to crucify Him…

"There are other men who do not come to worship Christ; who simply come to speculate upon him… The patronage they offer the
Son of God! It makes me sad to hear how they damn Him with faint praise. What I dread among you is not that you will destroy
Christ, but that you will patronize Him. Jesus Christ is nothing to me if He is not the Savior of the world… You will know what
Jesus Christ is most and best when you are in greatest need of such service as He can render.

No man can entertain an opinion of indifference regarding Jesus. If he has considered the subject at all, he must worship Christ or
crucify Him. Where there is earnestness in the inquiry or the criticism, that earnestness ends in homage or in crucifixion."

Jesus is Lord - Excerpt from "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis (1898-1963)

Jesus is Lord, yet mankind insists on calling Him everything else…

"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a
great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man
and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on the level with the man
who says he is a poached egg - or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the
Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon;
or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great
human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."

Jesus is Lord - "Strong Words" from Bill Bright (founder of Campus Crusade for Christ)
Questioning whether Jesus is Lord of our lives…

"One day I was talking to a young man who was somewhat of a prodigal. I said to him, "Do you believe in Jesus?"
"Yes."
"Do you believe He died for your sins?"
"Yes."
He had grown up in the church and even gone to Christian schools, but he had turned his back on the Lord. I replied, "What is
going to happen to you when you die?"
He said, "I'll go to heaven."
I said, "Are you sure?"
"Absolutely sure."
And I said, "Are you willing to do God's will and surrender your own will to His will?"
Quite bluntly, he answered, "No."
I had to be totally honest with him, and replied, "Then you are not a Christian."
He said, "That's your opinion against mine."
I said, "No, that is what God's word says." I explained to him that if anyone is not willing to do God's will, he had better take
inventory because the Scripture clearly teaches: "And how can we be sure that we belong to him? By looking within ourselves: are
we really trying to do what he wants us to? Someone may say, 'I am a Christian; I am on my way to heaven; I belong to Christ.' But
if he doesn't do what Christ tells him to, he is a liar. But those who do what Christ tells them to will learn to love God more and
more. That is the way to know whether or not you are a Christian. Anyone who says he is a Christian should live as Christ did"
(1John 2:3-6).
"That was strong language, but that is the holy, inspired word of God. If you are not able to make the Bible the basis of your
standards, what are the alternatives?"

Jesus is Lord - Unavoidable Truth for Christians

Jesus is not merely our Savior, Jesus is Lord…

"Don't get me wrong. I believe more strongly than most people that salvation is a free gift of God by grace through faith alone, not
a result of works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). And only God truly knows who are His and who are not. But the
Scriptures give us strong words that we can use for self-examination. "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test
yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you -- unless, of course, you fail the test? And I trust that you will discover
that we have not failed the test" (2 Corinthians 13:5-6).

This does not mean that every time we fail God, we lose our salvation. Far from it. But it does mean we should stay on our spiritual
toes to please, obey and serve God. Our good works confirm our salvation but do not contribute to our salvation."

Jesús es el Señor - Extractos de "One Solitary Life" (autor desconocido)

Jesús es el Señor, aunque Él declara su Señorío a través del poder de la humildad y de la gracia...

"He aquí a un hombre que nació en una aldea desconocida, el hijo de una campesina. Creció en otra aldea. Trabajó en un
taller de carpintería hasta que tuvo treinta años y luego, por tres años, fue un predicador ambulante. Nunca fue propietario
de una casa. Nunca escribió un libro. Nunca ocupó un puesto. Nunca tuvo familia. Nunca fue a la universidad. Nunca puso
un pie en una gran ciudad. Nunca viajó más de trescientos kilómetros del lugar donde nació. Nunca hizo una de esas cosas
que usualmente acompañan la grandeza. No tuvo credenciales aparte de Sí mismo....

"Siendo joven todavía, la corriente de opinión popular se volvió contra él. Sus amigos se apartaron. Uno de ellos lo negó.
Fue entregado a Sus enemigos. Atravesó la burla de un juicio. Fue clavado en una cruz entre dos ladrones. Mientras moría,
Sus ejecutores echaron suertes por la única propiedad que tenía en la tierra - Su vestido. Cuando murió, fue descolgado y
puesto en una tumba prestada por la piedad de un amigo.

"Diecinueve largos siglos han ido y venido, y hoy Él es el centro de la raza humana y el líder de la columna del progreso. No
exagero cuando digo que todos los ejércitos que han marchado alguna vez, todas las naves que han sido construidas, todos
los parlamentos que han sesionado, y todos los reyes que han reinado, juntándolos a todos, no han afectado la vida del
hombre en esta tierra tan poderosamente como lo ha hecho esa sola vida solitaria."

Jesús es el Señor - Citas de Joseph Parker (1830-1902)

Jesús es el Señor, aunque Él le permitió a los hombres que lo crucificaran ...

"Existen otros hombres que no vienen a adorar a Dios; quienes simplemente vienen a especular acerca de él... ¡El patrocinio que le
ofrecen al Hijo de Dios! Me entristece el escuchar cómo lo condenan detrás de halagos desabridos. Lo que más temo entre ustedes
no es que destruyan a Cristo, sino que lo traten con condescendencia. Jesucristo no significa nada para mí si no es el Salvador del
mundo... Ustedes conocerán que Jesucristo es lo máximo y lo mejor, cuando necesiten grandemente del servicio que sólo Él puede
prestar.

Ningún hombre puede ser indiferente en lo que se refiere a Jesús. Si alguna vez ha considerado el tema, tiene que adorar a
Cristo o crucificarlo. Cuando hay seriedad en la investigación o en la crítica, esa seriedad termina en homenaje o en
crucifixión."

Jesús es el Señor - Extractos de "Mere Christianity" de C.S. Lewis (1898-1963)

Jesús es el Señor, aunque la humanidad insista en llamarle cualquier cosa...

"Aquí, estoy tratando de impedir que alguien diga la cosa más tonta que la gente suele decir acerca de Él: 'No tengo problema en
aceptar a Jesús como un gran maestro moral, pero no acepto Su afirmación de ser Dios.' Esa es la única cosa que no debemos decir.
Un hombre, que fue simplemente un hombre y que dijo las cosas que Jesús dijo, no pudo haber sido un gran maestro moral. Habría
sido, o un lunático - al mismo nivel del hombre que se dice ser un huevo escalfado - o de lo contrario sería el Demonio del infierno.
Usted debe hacer su elección. Este hombre, o era, y es, el Hijo de Dios: O de lo contrario un loco, o algo peor. Usted puede
descartarlo como loco, puede escupirlo y matarlo como a un demonio; o puede caer a Sus pies y llamarle Señor y Dios. Pero no
digamos ninguna tontería condescendiente acerca de que fue un gran maestro humano. Él no nos dejó esa salida. No era Su
intención."

Jesús es el Señor - "Palabras Fuertes" de Bill Bright (fundador de Campus Crusade for Christ)
Preguntando si Jesús es el Señor de nuestras vidas...

"Un día estaba hablando con un joven que tenía algo de pródigo. Le pregunté: "¿Crees en Jesús?"
"Sí."
"¿Crees que murió por tus pecados?"
"Sí."
Él había crecido en la iglesia y hasta asistido a escuelas cristianas, pero se había apartado del Señor. Respondí: "¿Qué va a pasarte
cuando mueras?"
Él dijo: "Iré al cielo."
Dije: "¿Estás seguro?"
"Completamente seguro."
Y yo dije: "¿Estás dispuesto a hacer la voluntad de Dios y a someter tu voluntad a la de Él?"
Respondió rotundamente: "No"
Tuve que ser completamente honesto con él, y respondí, "Entonces tú no eres un cristiano."
Él dijo: "Es su opinión contra la mía."
Dije: "No, eso es lo que la Palabra de Dios dice." Le expliqué que si alguien no está dispuesto a hacer la voluntad de Dios debería
examinarse, porque la Escritura claramente enseña: "¿Y cómo podemos estar seguros de que le pertenecemos? Mirando dentro de
nosotros mismos: ¿estamos realmente tratando de hacer lo que él quiere que hagamos? Alguno podrá decir: 'Yo soy cristiano. Voy
a ir al cielo. Le pertenezco a Cristo' Pero si no hace lo que Cristo le dice, es un mentiroso. Pero aquellos que hacen lo que Cristo les
dice, aprenderán a amar a Dios más y más. En esto se sabe si uno es, o no, cristiano. Cualquiera que diga que es cristiano debe vivir
como Cristo lo hizo" (1ra de Juan 2:3-6).
"Esas fueron duras palabras, pero es la Palabra Sagrada, inspirada por Dios. Si usted no es capaz de hacer de la Biblia la base de
sus estándares, ¿cuáles son las alternativas?"

Jesús es el Señor - Inevitable Verdad para los Cristianos

Jesús no es simplemente nuestro Salvador, Jesús es el Señor...

"No me malinterprete. Yo creo más decididamente que la mayoría de la gente que la salvación es un regalo gratis de Dios por
gracia, a través de la fe solamente, no el resultado de obras, para que nadie se gloríe. (Efesios 2:8-9). Y sólo Dios conoce
verdaderamente quiénes son Suyos, y quiénes no. Pero las Escrituras nos dan palabras fuertes que podemos usar para auto-
examinarnos. "Examinaos a vosotros mismos si estáis en la fe; probaos a vosotros mismos. ¿O no os conocéis a vosotros mismos,
que Jesucristo está en vosotros, a menos que estéis reprobados? Más espero que conoceréis que nosotros no estamos reprobados"
(2da de Corintios 13:5-6).

Esto no significa que cada vez que le fallamos a Dios, perdemos nuestra salvación. Lejos de ello. Pero sí significa que debemos
estar alertas espiritualmente, para agradar, obedecer, y servir a Dios. Nuestras buenas obras confirman nuestra salvación, pero no
contribuyen a nuestra salvación."