“For unto You is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
Do you believe Jesus Christ is Lord? If you do, then may I ask, “Is He your Lord?” Now, don’t answer easily. I want you to think about it. It’s one thing to say, “Yes, I believe Jesus Christ is Lord.” But Is He Lord of your tongue? Is He Lord of your time? Is He Lord of your treasure? Is He Lord of your talents? Is He Lord of your testimony? Is He truly Lord? It’s one thing to sing “Bring forth the royal diadem and crown Him Lord of all.” It’s another thing to mean it.
Every so often someone says, “Well, I decided to make Him Lord.” Too late for that. He already is.
“Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ.” Acts 2:36
Jesus Christ is called “Lord” 747 times in the New Testament—far more than He is called “Savior.” God has already declared Him Lord. If you miss that, you miss the meaning of Christmas. The question is not “will you make Him Lord?” The question is, “will you submit to His Lordship”? You have to take the cradle, the cross, and the crown, and put them together, or you don’t have the true story of Christmas. He is King of kings and Lord of lords.
Can you imagine what it meant to Mary to hear the angel say, “Thou shalt call His name Jesus”? The name means “Jehovah saves.” In the Old Testament, “Jehovah” is translated “Lord” 7,000 times. When a pious Jew came to the word translated “Jehovah” in Scripture, he would bow his head and worship. He held it in such awe, he would never even pronounce it. When a scribe translating the scriptures came to that word, he would put down his old pen and get a new pen just to write that word.
When the angel said “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord,” it could mean only one thing to those Jewish shepherds that night: it meant Jehovah. God Almighty. This baby is the Jehovah that saves. The angel was saying “He is co-equal, co-eternal with the Almighty. His given name is Jehovah saves.” Think of what it meant for the shepherds to bow and worship Him.
And think of what it meant for a Gentile to say, “He is Lord.” Rome held sway over the world at that time. The Emperor was Caesar. More than an emperor, Caesar was a god to these people. To get along in that empire, you had to say “Caesar is Lord.” For a pious Jew or a Gentile to say this baby is Lord was a costly thing. When they said that, they were saying “Caesar is not Lord. There is one Lord, and His name is Jesus.”
They could have gotten along splendidly if they had said, “Jesus is a god.” They could put Him in a little niche in the Pantheon with all of the other gods. But at the cost of their lives they said, “Neither is there salvation in any other. For there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.” That’s the reason so many of them were put to death.
I’m amazed that God sent the message to humble shepherds. Herod the King never did quite get it. The humble shepherds understood. “God has hidden these things from the wise and prudent and has revealed them unto babes” (Luke 11:21).
Do you want to understand who Jesus Christ is? Then lay your intellectual pride in the dust and come to Him and say “Lord, reveal this truth to me.” It is the only way to be saved.
Why did God the Son, the Second Person of the Trinity, step out of heaven’s glory? Why the incarnation? Why the virgin birth? So that He might become a sacrifice upon the cross. And in so doing, He brought Satan’s kingdom crashing down.
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth that Jesus is Lord and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10). What is the confession? That Jesus is Lord.
Listen to these verses:
“For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that He might be Lord both of the dead and living.” Romans 14:9
“As I live, sayeth the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me and every tongue shall confess to God.” Romans 14:11
“God has given Him a name that is above every name. That at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:10-11
The confession of His Lordship secures salvation.
This Christmas I’m not asking, “Do you believe in His Lordship?” but “Is Christ your Lord?” If Christ is not your Lord, you’re not saved. You say, “Well, I accepted Him as Savior.” The Bible never says accept Him as Savior. The Bible says receive Him.
You cannot come to Jesus saying, “ I’ll have a little Saviorhood today but no Lordship, thank you.” It’s not a cafeteria line. You cannot have a “come in, Savior” and a “stay out, Lord” salvation. You cannot receive what Jesus gives—salvation—and refuse who Jesus is, the Lord. The angel said “… a Savior which is Christ the Lord.”
He was born a king. “…the government shall be upon His shoulder…” and “Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever.” Isaiah 9:6-7
This little baby was born a king and He is King. We didn’t elect Him, and friend, we’ll not impeach Him. He is King. He is Lord.
You can receive Him as your Lord. You can bow your knee to Him and say, “O Lord, You are the King. The government is upon Your shoulder. I yield my heart to You.”
