Good Wednesday to you my ‘Walking with Jesus’ friends,
We live in a world where TITLES are important. In politics, business, government, and almost every segment of every society, TITLES get people’s attention, isn’t that true? As you reflect back over your life I wonder how many different titles have been associated with your name. Have you ever found yourself having a title but not having the authority needed to accomplish the role of your title?
Yesterday we were standing in a huge crowd of people in Jerusalem, during the Shavuot/Pentecost festival, about 2000 years ago. The crowd was in a frenzy! Why? Acts 2:1-13 describes the miraculous arrival of the Holy Spirit with wind and fire. The disciples of Jesus were praising God in languages they had never spoken before! Can you explain that?
Yesterday we looked closely at Simon Peter’s explanation to this crowd. (Acts 2:14-35) Peter brought his stunning message to a shocking conclusion with this radical statement, which shook every person who heard it right to the core of their being: “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” (Acts 2:36) Do you hear TWO Titles Peter said God Himself attributed to Jesus? Nothing Peter could have said that day would have stunned these Shavuot/Pentecost pilgrims more!
In fact, Dr. Luke tells us how the crowd responded: “When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles: ‘Brothers, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37) The word “brothers” is an acknowledgment that the Jews of Jerusalem recognized Peter and the other disciples as Jewish men, but they also knew Peter had spent several months with Jesus. Peter had both a spiritual understanding and spiritual power which they in this Jewish crowd did not have. They were convicted in their hearts that yes, they had been part of the crowd who had called for Jesus’ death. Conviction was moving them to desperation. That’s why they asked Peter what they should DO!
Peter had spoken two very powerful TITLES in his shocking statement about Jesus; do you see them? “Lord” is the first! People in the first century understood that title very well! It was what a slave called his master, for the slave had no rights, and the slave’s entire survival and life purpose was serving & obeying his ‘Lord’, his master! But ‘Lord’ was also the respectful title given to high-ranking nobles and officials when addressed by the common people. ‘Lord’ meant ‘exalted one’, ‘honorable one’, ‘one in authority’, ‘one who rules’. Yes, you could even use the word “king” as a synonym of “Lord”.
So, what did Peter mean when He said: “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” If God was declaring Jesus to be ‘Lord’ what were the implications for everyone in Israel? Could it be that as the Magi had asked King Herod (Matt. 2:1,2) and as Pilate had asked Jesus, (Matt. 27:11) that God viewed Jesus to be King of the Jews!? Can we imagine how shocking that was to these people that day in Jerusalem, only 50 days after they had crucified Jesus?!
The miracles Jesus had performed proved that He was Lord over nature, illness and even death! When Jesus had told His disciples that “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me…” (Matt. 28:18) Jesus was declaring Himself to be Lord and King over everything! In fact, Revelation 19:16 calls Jesus “King of kings and Lord of lords”. Pause. If that is true, what are the implications for you and me today, 2000 years later? Is Jesus Lord, by your declaration? Lord over your life, your family, your business dealings, your finances, your daily choices, my friends?
Both then and now we are very familiar with important, powerful people who have authority because of their TITLE… CEO or President or King or Prince or Emperor. But those are titles which are attributed to a ROLE given to a person by inheritance or election or royal appointment. Peter made it clear, with only a few words, that Almighty God, creator of the universe, had declared Jesus to be Lord over all! Never before had any person held such a title! No Pharaoh, No Caesar could claim that God given title!
Paul, a few years later wrote further explanation about the reverence all humanity will one day pay this Jesus as ‘Lord of all’. Philippians 2:9-11 says: “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 will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil. 2:9-11) Now pause and ponder the powerful significance of that my friends. Is it yet true in your life and mine? Have we bowed our hearts and our lives to Jesus Christ as our King, our Lord?
Do we understand that when resurrected Jesus ascended back to heaven, He resumed His reign as Lord over all when He sat down on His throne at the right hand of the Majesty? (Hebrews 1:3) Everything which happens in our universe is under the watchful eye of all powerful, all knowing, sovereign, Lord Jesus, “so that in all things He might have the supremacy.” (Colossians 1:15-18) But of course you and I both know that while King Jesus IS Lord overall, His Lordship in our lives takes place only when we take action! What action?
We must declare Jesus is Lord over all in our lives as we fully and always SUBMIT to His Lordship in every attitude we have, every thought we think, every word we speak, every choice we make, every action we do! Pause, did you get that? So, Peter’s important statement calls you and me and every person to honest self-analysis. Are you and I living joyful, enthusiastically UNDER the Lordship of Jesus Christ consistently, in every aspect of our lives? Are we daily elevating Jesus to His rightful place as Lord over our lives?
If YES, then HOW are we doing that and what is the daily result? If NO, do we see the dangerous hypocrisy we are living in if we claim to be a Christian?
We need to stop and deeply reflect on the truthfulness of the word ‘Lord’ as applied to the role and authority of Jesus Christ in our lives. One day each of us will in fact bow before Him as Lord either as our Judge or our delighted Lord who is pleased with our faithfulness to His Lordship in our lives! (Matt. 25:31-46)
The “lessons learned” notes will help you dig more deeply into this matter of Jesus as Lord, and a worship song calls us to praise Jesus as Lord, and I’ll be here tomorrow as we’ll look at the second Title Peter says God has placed on Jesus.
Today’s Scripture: Acts 2:36.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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