The Bible teaches that there is only one Lord God. He is our creator, and to Him we owe our lives. The Bible reveals and demonstrates that Jesus is that one Lord God. Jesus also identifies Himself to be the Lord.
Numerous verses and passages could be listed that declare the Lordship of Jesus. Here are just three:
- Acts 10:36 The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all).
- 1 Corinthians 8:6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.
- Philippians 2:10-11 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Jesus Testifies
Early on in His ministry, Jesus connected Himself to the title, ‘Lord’. In Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus says,
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’”1
In this passage in Matthew, Jesus identified Himself as the Lord. Those desiring to enter the kingdom of heaven are beseeching Him, calling Him Lord. Jesus responds to them saying, ‘I never knew you,’ showing His position as judge.
Bible teacher David Guzik comments. “It is staggering that Jesus claimed He is the one that people must stand before on that final day of judgment, and He is the one rightly called Lord.”2
The Language Testifies
The Greek word for Lord is kurios (alternately spelled kyrios). The word appears in the New Testament (NT) 748 times in various forms.
“Lord, Lordship: properly an adjective, signifying “having power” (kuros) or “authority,” is used as a noun, variously translated in the NT, ‘Lord,’ ‘master,’ ‘Master,’ ‘owner,’ ‘Sir,’ a title of wide significance, occurring in each book of the NT save Titus and the Epistles of John.”3
Kurios is used in the Septuagint4 and in the NT for the Hebrew word for Jehovah (‘Lord’ in Eng. Versions.) ‘Lord’ occurs 7,377 times in 6,076 verses in the Septuagint.
NT usage follows two main lines:
- Customary and general; Lord, master, owner, Sir. Titles of courtesy and respect. During the NT era, the Romans would say that Caesar is Lord.
- The second usage is peculiar to the Jews, and drawn from the Greek translation of the Old Testament (OT). (This special Jewish usage is seen in the rest of the paper.)
Thomas Testifies
Three days after Jesus death on the cross, He resurrected from the dead. Jesus then started appearing as a risen Savior to individuals, groups of people, and the disciples.
The first time Jesus appeared to His disciples, Thomas, one of the twelve, was not present. Then, eight days later, all of the disciples were together, including Thomas.
John 20:26-28 relates the incident,“After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!””
Vine’s says, “His purpose did not become clear to the disciples until after His resurrection, and the revelation of His Deity consequent thereon. Thomas, when he realized the significance of the presence of a mortal wound in the body of a living man, immediately joined with it the absolute title of Deity, saying, ‘My Lord and my God,’ Jhn 20:28. Thereafter, except in Acts 10:4; Rev 7:14, there is no record that kurios was ever again used by believers in addressing any save God and the Lord Jesus.”5
Israel Testifies
The Jews (Israel) were unique in the world due to their devotion to one God. God had promised them that one day a deliverer would come. The Israelites had been looking forward to this coming Messiah for hundreds of years.
Finally, at the right time, Jesus was born as the Messiah. The NT era brought to the Jews the full realization that the Messiah was not just a deliverer, but God the Son, and their Creator and Lord.
“The full significance of this association of Jesus with God under the one appellation, ‘Lord,’ is seen when it is remembered that these men [Jesus’ disciples] belonged to the only monotheistic race in the world. To associate with the Creator one known to be a creature, however exalted, though possible to Pagan philosophers, was quite impossible to a Jew.”6
The OT Testifies
Also, we can see Jesus as Lord connected with God working in the OT. For example, in the book of James, he recounts how God worked in the life of Job. James does not make a distinction between God and the Lord, simply saying it was ‘the Lord’s dealings.’ James 5:11 says,“We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.”
Paul Testifies
In 2 Timothy 4:1-2, and again in verse 8, the Apostle Paul also testifies to Jesus’ role as Lord and Judge. Paul says in 1-2,
“I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.”
And then in verse 8,
“in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
Paul motivates Timothy to act in light of the presence of God (the Father) and the Son, Christ Jesus. Almost offhandedly, Paul mentions that Jesus will judge the living and the dead. Who is qualified to do that except the Lord?
In verse eight, Paul says that he is ready to receive the ‘crown of righteousness’ from the Judge. Jesus is worthy to bestow the crown as Judge, since He is the Lord.
Conclusion
It is very clear that the Bible declares Jesus to be the One true Lord. Jesus is the Divine, manifested in human form, and will be the righteous Judge of us all.
I explore more on the topic of the Lordship of Jesus in the post, Jesus is the Kyrios (Lord).
1 All caps in the New Testament indicate an Old Testament quote.
2 David Guzik’s Bible Commentary
3 Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words. (This section of the paper draws heavily from, and quotes, Vine’s work.)
4 The Septuagint is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament. It is commonly referred to in Roman Numerals, LXX, due to the tradition of 70 or 72 scholars doing the translation.
5 Ibid, Vine’s
6 From Notes on Thessalonians, by Hogg and Vine, p. 25.