Lordship of Christ Jesus

Christ the Lord and Savior: The foundational truth upon which our faith stands is that Jesus Christ is both Lord and Savior. As prophesied in Isaiah 9:6, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” When Jesus walked this earth, He demonstrated His lordship through teachings that astounded the people (Matthew 7:28–29). He displayed authority over sickness, nature, evil spirits and even death itself. After willingly laying down His life on the cross to atone for our sins, Christ proved His supremacy as Savior and Lord through the resurrection. Jesus lovingly calls those who follow Him not merely believers, but friends (John 15:15). Yet we must not lose sight that He is King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16). As Savior, Jesus bestows the gift of salvation upon all who call upon His name. As Lord, He rules our lives and demands our unwavering allegiance. Christ alone must occupy the throne room of our hearts. As Ephesians 1:21–23 proclaims, “Far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” Therefore, when preaching the Good News, it is vital we communicate that Jesus is Lord, possessing supreme authority over all, and has accomplished the redemptive work required for our salvation. As sinful human beings, we were all under the righteous wrath of God. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Yet Isaiah 12:1–6 foretold the coming promise of salvation: “In that day you will say: “I will praise you, Lord. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.” With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. In that day you will say: “Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world.” Christ alone fulfilled this prophetic passage. Despite the Father’s righteous anger towards mankind’s rebellion and sin, He extended mercy by sending His Son Jesus to rescue us. Jesus died in our rightful place and rose again in victory, defeating the powers of sin and death. He alone is worthy of our praise because He alone is both Savior and Lord. Every knee shall bow to Him one day (Philippians 2:10). As believers, may we choose to bend our knees daily in humble reverence, surrendering our lives to the loving lordship of the One who rescued us. Yet we must never presume upon His grace. Our lives belong wholly to the Lord Jesus Christ who ordains all our steps. May we walk worthy of His supreme authority and remarkable salvation.

Christ the Lord of the Angels: Not only is Jesus Christ Lord over believing hearts on earth, He is also supreme over the vast realm of angels — magnificent heavenly beings wielding remarkable supernatural power as God’s servants. As Scripture attests, angels possess enough strength to kill 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in a night (2 Kings 19:35). They can bring cities and mighty walls crumbling to dust (Joshua 6). Angels rescue souls from maximum security prisons with stunning displays of might (Acts 12:6–10). They have authority to restrain entire oceans and hold back whirlwind storms (Revelation 7:1–3). Angelic hosts will pour out the judgments of God’s coming wrath that shake the earth (Revelation 8–9). Truly, the dazzling exploits of angels reveal the awesome authority our God holds over the seen and unseen realms. Yet even these impressive ministering spirits bow low in worship before the magnificence of Jesus Christ the reigning Lord. We must never lose sight that Jesus Christ has been given supreme authority and power far above all other thrones, dominions and angelic hosts (Ephesians 1:20–22). He is King of kings leading the angel armies of heaven (Revelation 19:14–16). When one takes time to properly contemplate this, it is truly astonishing. Unfortunately, few Christians contemplate the wonders and supernatural realms that exist under Christ’s divine authority. The world tries to consume our focus with worthless distractions, but as we meditate upon the grandeur of Jesus Christ’s lordship and the sheer vastness of His authority, it rightfully provokes a far different outlook and conduct in life. Proper biblical contemplation of Christ’s preeminence over the angelic hosts should foster reverent fear and awe of the Lord in our hearts. It reminds us we serve the same exalted King that heavenly angels worship night and day.

Christ the Lord Over the Nations: As the prophetic Scriptures foretold, Jesus Christ reigns as sovereign Lord, not only over individual believers and angelic hosts, but over the destinies of every nation on earth. Isaiah 9:7 declares of Jesus, “Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.” As a direct descendant of King David, Christ rules with supreme authority over a Kingdom that swallows up all other kingdoms. Throughout history we have seen the rise and fall of nations under the directive of the Lord’s mighty hand. King Nebuchadnezzar was stricken to live like a wild beast until acknowledging God’s sovereignty over all earthly rule (Daniel 4:28–37). The Babylonian empire fell. Nations like Syria, Egypt and Persia rose to power through divine ordinance. Despite rampant sin and godlessness thriving today, Scripture promises that ultimately, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever” — Revelation 11:15. While we await the fullness of Christ’s reign in the age to come, believers must recognize that God actively installs and removes earthly rulers according to His perfect will. As Psalm 47:7–8 proclaims, “For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise. God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne.” May the nations bow in humble reverence before Jesus Christ the Lord who actively directs all the epochs and times toward the final age of this world and ushers us into the one to come. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!

In Him,

Tim and Will