Our Lord

9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

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29 “Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. 32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. 33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. 34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,

“‘The Lord said to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand
35 until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet.”’

36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”

After making a weighty statement, it’s good to pause and let the meaning of the words settle in. In a sense, that’s what happens after we say, with the Apostles’ Creed, “I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.” This is a lot to take in.

The word for “lord” in the New Testament comes from the Greek word kyrios. In the Mediterranean world, someone with power and authority over others was called a “lord” or “master.” In the New Testament, Jesus is addressed or referred to as “Lord” more than 700 times.

Jesus is addressed as “Lord” in two ways. First, he is called “Lord” in the same way as he is often called “Rabbi” or “Teacher” when someone asks him a question or requests healing. After Jesus’ death and resurrection, however, calling him “Lord” takes on much greater meaning. It signifies that Jesus is God himself. It signifies that God the Father has given Jesus all authority over heaven and earth. And, ultimately, it looks ahead to the day when “every tongue [will] acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:11).

We rightly pause when we call Jesus “our Lord.” We confess both his true identity and our just response. Then in awe and gratitude we ask and seek out how to serve him.

Jesus, Lord of lords and King of kings, help us to honor and serve you as we await the day when all creation will bow and worship you. Amen.