Jesus Lorded

What Did Jesus Do?

…for he is Lord of lords and King of kings.
Revelation 17.14

When you are not merely a lord or king, but Lord of lords and King of kings what else can you do but exercise lordship, sovereignty, authority? And so, Jesus “lorded.” It’s not as if He wasn’t expected, after all, His cousin John, you know, the Baptist, had made it quite clear before Jesus ever went “public” with his ministry, that the time had come to prepare the way of the Lord. And what a Lord!

Jesus astounded those in attendance at the synagogue in Capernaum with lordly teaching, that is: teaching as one with authority. This was remarkable to them because every other teacher they had ever heard had only been able to quote authority; they never had any of their own. (Mark 1.22)

But Jesus was more than a lordly teacher. The people in Capernaum also witnessed the command authority of Jesus, as He ordered unclean spirits about, and they obeyed Him. (Mark 1.27) Folks were used to seeing masters give commands to slaves and servants. And they were quite familiar with Roman Centurions issuing orders to their legionaries. But casting out demons? That was not something they saw every day!

No, Jesus was a truly remarkable Lord. Why, with a word of authority Jesus could speak healing into the ill and injured and infirm. Even the slightest touch from Jesus could dispel the most dreaded of diseases. (Mark 1.40-42) All other lords were mere pretenders, here was a lord who really was Lord, and He lorded in a way no one had ever imagined a lord could lord.

In all honesty, there were other exorcists. And Jesus wasn’t the first healer. But who had ever witnessed a lord issuing orders to the wind and the sea, and they obeyed? (Mark 4.35-41) Now, that’s a Lord! No, let me correct myself, that’s THE Lord!

Perhaps the strangest thing about the way Jesus lorded was that, well, He often acted more like a servant than a master. Who had ever heard of a lord who had come to serve rather than to be served? (Mark 10.45) Lords held many lives for ransom, they didn’t give their life to ransom many. There was no way to compare Jesus to other lords, He was so, lordly, in a way never known before, but truly in a way that people had always hoped lords would lord.

And, in the end, Jesus did something lords simply did not do. You see, lords were always jealous of whatever authority they had, and they would never transfer their authority to others. But Jesus, who did not possess some authority, but rather had received all authority from His Father (Matthew 28.18), willingly transferred his power to his people, and authorized them to go into all the world with His very own command authority and power. (Acts 1.8-9) And Christ’s disciples achieved quite a remarkable record witnessing in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and pretty much to the ends of the earth, for Jesus, by the Holy Spirit, continued to lord even after he had returned to heaven.

But, sadly, many who have followed Jesus, have not followed his example when it comes to lording. Authority has been grasped. Power has been abused. Serving has taken a back seat to being served. All too often we, that is the Church, have lorded like, well, those other lords, and not at all like the Lord. Yet, Jesus can still lord through those willing to take up their cross and follow Him.

Teach with authority. Command spirits. Speak healing. Make whole with a touch. Control the power of the waves and wind. Lead by being a servant to all. Willingly ransom many lives your with one life. That is how to lord. And that’s what Jesus, the Lord of lords, did.

S.D.G.

Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4