As an American, I had a hard time understanding what it meant to call Jesus the Christ as "My Lord". I guess for a long time I just saw it more of a title than anything else. Yet, it was one of those areas I just thought there was more to it then I was recognizing and I was right.
When you are brought up in a country where you can elect and throw out of office most of your leaders, it is hard to think of someone as having absolute power over you. But absolute power is exactly the beginning to understanding in saying "My Lord" I love how Noah Webster put it:
"1. A master; a person possessing supreme power and authority; a ruler; a governor.
Man over man he made not lord.
But now I was the lord of this fair mansion.
...
7. In scripture, the Supreme Being; Jehovah. When Lord, in the Old Testament, is prints in capitals, it is the translation of JEHOVAH, and so might, with more propriety, be rendered. The word is applied to Christ, Ps. 110. Col. 3. and to the Holy Spirit, 2 Thess. 3. As a title of respect, it is applied to kings, Gen. 40. 2Sam. 19. to princes and nobles, Gen 42. Dan. 4. to a husband, Gen. 18. to a prophet, 1Kings 18. 2Kings 2. and to a respectable person, Gen. 24. Christ is called the Lord of glory, 1Cor. 2. and Lord of lords, Rev. 19." -- Noah Webster's Dictionary 1828
Yes, it is a title, but much more. You see God spoke everything into being. He owns everything! He is Supreme Ruler and All Authority has been given to Jesus the Christ both in heaven and on earth. Yet, as an American I had a hard time seeing any leaders as having absolute power. Until you look onto the Judaical side of our government can you even start to taste what authority really is. Even there we have rights to appeals. But the very idea that someone has the final say on my life seems foreign. And that is where the problem lies. How we see our lives helps to show us how we see ourselves before God. We tend to see ourselves as the final authority, the final power and having the final opinion. In doing so we are placing ourselves above the true authority and rebelling against God. No wonder He considers us children of wrath.
We may thank God and say "Wow, look at all that God created.", but act as if it is ours. It is true that we are stewards and caretakers, but we are not owners. If we start acting like the owner we deceive ourselves and prove we are blind. Good news is someday we will no longer be blind. The bad news is we will not longer be blind.
Calling Jesus the Christ "My Lord" does not surrender ones life over to Him. For to surrender it you first must have owned it. No, the true understanding when saying "My Lord" is the recognizing who He is and who He always has been and always will be. Recognizing is the key. Saying "My Lord" does not mean you understand it. When that recognition changes every aspect of your life then there starts the beginning of wisdom.
The Bible states many places that the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. For years people within the church told me that I should not fear God. He is a loving God. True God is loving! In fact He is the true standard of love. But that is not all of who God is. The Bible as a whole shows us much of Gods character. It shows us He is loving, but He is also just. If he was not just then there would not have been any need for Jesus the Christ to die on the Cross. Jesus death on the cross shows us how important justice and righteousness is to God.
Try to imagine standing before a King in his palace within his kingdom. There are no outside treaties with other countries nor counsels at your side. You are brought before him on charges of high treason. Speaking ill of the King and his authority. The King himself has heard these words from your very mouth. So you can not deny it. Would you approach him as a buddy saying you can't be serious about such a little thing? Or, Would you lie and say you are sorry and you really did not mean it? Where the King would reply, you should be sorry , but I see that you are more sorry that you have been caught then for the words that were spoken! Would you argue the point? What would you do?
I try to imagine myself standing before a King with absolute power. I ask myself. How would I approach such a King? Charges or no charges, how would I approach such a King. No matter how loving, I must be cautious of respecting who he is and who I am.
The same is with God. Yes there is respect for His authority and position, but there is fear understanding he knows EVERYTHING. The best example in the Bible comes from Isaiah 6 where Isaiah finds himself standing before God and he says "Woe is me, for I am ruined!" That word ruined is also phrased as "undone".
I have imagined myself standing before God with ALL my sin exposed before all to see and I am completely absolutely undone. Hopeless and without excuse, a part from Christ I am lost.
I recognize God for who He is and His rights and authority. Yes, when I surrender all. That "all" is not authority over me, but my will over myself. I heard it said well once, "what if you got it wrong and are condemned to the Lake of Fire? Then I'll be praising the holy God for who He is in my suffering!" Now, that is truly understanding who He is and who I am.
I like old movies and some old TV programs. There was a series in the 80's called "Hardcastle and McCormick" starring Brian Keith. He played an retired Judge. In one episode he said "In my 30 some years on the bench, want I found amazing was everyone I sentence to prison not one of them thought they did anything wrong." That pricked my heart when I heard that. It is true we try to excuse any of our behavior. It is like the last verse in the book of Judges says "... and everyone did what was right in their own eyes."
If you are a disciple of Christ, How do you think and live the term "Lord" and have you imagine yourself before God as Isaiah did. Jesus the Christ is Lord over everything!
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