Forgotten – “Jesus is Lord”

It seems like a silly question. Maybe that’s why it’s not so silly and needs to be asked. Jesus felt it needed to be asked.

Jesus and His disciples left Galilee and went up to the villages near Caesarea Philippi. As they were walking along, He asked them, "Who do people say I am?" "Well," they replied, "some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other prophets." Then He asked them, "But who do you say I am?" Peter replied, "You are the Messiah." Mark 8:27-29

So, who is Jesus? And what are the answers me might get? God? Savior? Friend? Prophet? Guru? Teacher? Rabbi? Lunatic? Myth? Where would you fall on this scale?

Hirsch argues that under intense persecution, the first Jesus people were forced to simplify their faith, even their Christology (theology of Jesus). In his words, they had to come up with the heart of their faith in “sneezable” form. What was left when everything else was stripped away? “Jesus is Lord!”

This statement was in complete alignment with their understanding of the Hebrew Scriptures. In the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9), they understood that their God, Yahweh, was the God above every god and over every part of life. His dominion knew no limitations. While other gods claimed influence over areas of life, Yahweh was Lord over all. And this Jesus was and is God incarnate.

More than Savior! Certainly God! But, by claiming Him as Lord, they signified the voluntary act of placing oneself under His authority. The question is: Is Jesus our Lord today?

Why ask the question? Well, frankly, we want a Savior, one who will “save us from the mess we find ourselves in.” We even want Him to be God because that means access to His power and riches. But, if He is Lord, well, we might have to demonstrate His sovereignty, not just on Sunday morning, but every moment of every day and in every circumstance.

For Hirsch, coming from his Hebraic background which tends toward a more holistic view of life, the church has strayed too far from this core doctrinal belief and it has led to low commitment to the Lord and to His Kingdom work. It has allowed us to live compartmentalized lives and think dualistically – sacred vs. secular. Yet we claim Him and therefore trust that He claims us. We even claim eternal security in that idea. And the fruit of dualistic thinking? It leads to Christian Hutus slaughtering Christian Tutsis, husbands abusing their wives, both young and old being more worried about social acceptance than standing for what is right. It leads to the worship of other gods, like status, power, pleasure, comfort, mammon, tradition, work, and family. Before you get ticked off at me because I mentioned your favorite god, understand that all of these are “sacred” when brought under the Lordship of Jesus.

So, right out of the gate, how are you doing in this regard? How is your family doing? How about your small group or class? And how are we as a church? Are we firmly rooted in the plain, yet powerful truth that Jesus is Lord?

Future posts will look at the five elements that grow from this foundational truth to create what Hirsch calls “apostolic genius.” Want to talk about this? You know where to find me…