Preaching Jesus as Lord
By Rev. Kyle Norman
“For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.” - 2 Corinthians 4:5
I once had a new parishioner invite me for a walk. As we strolled along, she turned to me and asked, “So you are very into Jesus, aren’t you?” What followed was a wonderful conversation about why Jesus is central to our faith. But that conversation has always struck me as odd. Why is it, at least for this person, that a priest being into Jesus seemed strange? What had her understanding of Christian faith been prior to our engagement? Whether you are an ordained clergy person or someone who sits in the congregation, Jesus is central to our faith and our Christian life. As Paul writes, we proclaim not ourselves, nor our personal improvement, or our allegiance to ethics and virtue. No, we preach a singular message. Jesus is Lord.
The language of “Lordship” has fallen out of favor these days. We don’t like such regal or authoritarian language. Lordship seems so domineering – so over the top. Human lords are self-aggrandizing, self-serving, and pompous. And, let’s be honest, when it comes to who the boss is of our lives… well, I want that to be me! I want to be the person who calls the shots. I want to decide what I will do, when I will do it, and just how it will be done. So, when it comes to Jesus, well, we prefer the language of “friend” or “brother,” don’t we? Jesus is a friend of mine, someone who walks beside me but doesn’t challenge me too much.
But that is not who Jesus is. Jesus is the one to whom we are called to turn, the one to whom every knee in heaven and earth will bow. On the mount of Transfiguration, as Jesus illumined the brilliant majesty of his divine presence, the voice from heaven declared, “This is my son the beloved. Listen to him” (Mark 9:7). The lordship of Jesus means that he is the one we will look to and listen to.
Jesus is not just some bygone sage of long ago – he isn’t just a character in a story. Jesus is the image of God. Image doesn’t mean copy or facsimile but the fullness of representation. Jesus is the full presence of the God of heaven on earth. God shows God’s self in Jesus and, therefore, calls us to live with and look to him.
Intersecting Faith and Life:
When we consider the grace and love that emanates from him, why would we want to listen to anyone else? Jesus is the one who shows us that there is no time in our lives where the love of God will not reach down and claim us. Just consider the people that Jesus interacted with. Jesus touched the people who the world said were worthless, Jesus spent time with people everyone said should be avoided. When people rejected him, spat upon him, struck him, and crucified him – his only response was an expression of audacious forgiveness. Jesus shows us that no matter who we are, no matter what situation we find ourselves in, no matter how many sins or mistakes, guilts or shames that we pile up in our lives, he is there to embrace us. Whether we accept it or not, whether we recognize it or not, whether we embrace it or run away from it, the light of Jesus always shines upon us.
To preach the Lordship of Jesus is to declare the constancy of his loving presence. It is to make known the truth that God is with us and that we are invited to live within Jesus’s love every single day of our lives. His death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead declares his victory over every sinful, negative, soul-destroying thing in this life. We are free to know his love, to feel his grace, and to lie with him for eternity. Paul says that the very God who has said, “Let the light shine out the dark” of creation has now made Christ’s light shine in our hearts.
Jesus is Lord, not because he is the boss. He is Lord, not because he is the biggest being on the playground, the one who calls the shots and demands our fealty and devotion. He is Lord because he is the one who constantly shines his love in our lives. He is the one to whom we can turn when we find ourselves lost, or confused, or laden with burdens or shame. He is the Lord because, in the end, he goes to hell and back just so we can know that nothing will separate us from the love of God that shines in the face of Jesus Christ.
This is the gospel. This is the good news. This is the message of new life that is proclaimed to us all.
For Further Reading:
Philippians 2:5-11
Mark 9:2-9
10 Things You Should Know about the Lordship of Christ
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/ollinka
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