Why We Should Say ‘Jesus is Lord’ A Lot More
Paul wants his readers to understand the intimacy of Christ. And one of the ways we cultivate our awareness of how close we are with the Lord is through the simple statement, “Jesus is Lord!” He says in Romans 10:8-9,
“But what does it say? ‘The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
These are not magic words. They are not some magical incantation. Nevertheless saying that Jesus is Lord is powerful. We nuture a closeness with Christ by saying, speaking, articulating, acknowledging, confessing who he is. But what exactly does it mean? What are we saying when we say Jesus is Lord?
Well, Jesus is Lord is an announcement.
In the ancient world the good news was that Caesar is Lord. It was a common mantra of the day that centered the people of the Greco-Roman world on the power, sufficiency, authority, and supposed divinity of Caesar. In other words, saying Caesar is Lord was short-hand for communicating your political affiliation and social allegiance. Christians come along, in particular the Apostle Paul who coins a phrase which was in direct opposition to the good news of the day. It's impossible for us to fathom the weight and boldness of this statement. To say that Jesus is Lord is to unhitch from earthly affiliations as your primary source of identity. To say that Jesus is Lord is to decouple yourself from worldly allegiances as your primary source of safety. To say that Jesus is Lord was to say that Caesar was not. To say that Jesus is Lord is to say a thousand things at the same time. That's why there is so much power in these words. In the Christian imagination, to utter the words Jesus is Lord is to convey the power, sufficiency, authority, and divinity of Jesus Christ ... and no one else.
That is what we are announcing. But it’s more than an announcement that center us on reality. Paul says we are saved by these words. How could that be? Well, because in doing so we are saying we are no longer alleged to sin, we are no longer aligned with shame, we are no longer in league with Satan, sin, and death.
Paul says, to confess Jesus is Lord is to find salvation. However confessing Jesus' lordship is not just how we become a Christian but what it means to be a Christian. You see, even as Christians we are drawn to earthly powers and enticed to confess the lordship of money ... or power ... or sex … or self. How often do we face a problem and believe more money would be the solution? How often do we look to those in positions of power and think we could do better or are more fit for their role? How often do we face loneliness and pride and look to sexual gratification as the pleasure that will make us whole? You see, even as Christians we say Caesar is Lord.
I think we do that because we think if God is distant ... at least I can enjoy the good life. Instead of closing the perceived gap between us and God, we close the gap between us and our desires. But God nor the good life is brought close by giving in to earthly powers. In the face of these temptations and longings we must say ... to ourselves ... to each other ... Jesus is Lord!
