Jesus is Lord
Romans 9:9-10
September 15, 2013
National Back to Church Sunday
Morning Service
Have you ever thought about why Jesus was crucified? Why Jesus died?
We don’t often like to think about such things, even in church. We are far more likely to make celebration of Easter than we are of Good Friday. We forget that there can be no resurrection without a crucifixion. Jesus first had to die before God could raise Him from the dead.
Jesus did nothing wrong, He was beyond a doubt, innocent. Crucifixion was a death reserved for criminals. He committed no crime; there was nothing He was guilty of. Still Jesus died a criminal’s death. Crucifixion was a slow, miserable death by suffocation. The process was meant to create the maximum amount of pain for the longest period of time.
The cross is a symbol of death. There was no worse method of execution in Roman history than crucifixion. The Romans devised a new word to describe the extreme agony of the cross: excruciating. The word literally means out of the cross. The description was for a pain so extreme that nothing else on earth could compare to it.
The cross is a symbol of suffering, death and humiliation. It is also a symbol of limitless hope. It is because of the cross that we can experience genuine life. It is because of the cross that we can see our lives in a new light.
Jesus carries all of our pain, our hardships and our turmoil to the hill of Calvary. All of those things have been nailed to the cross and we no longer bear them. Why was Jesus crucified? He was crucified because we needed it. Our hardships and difficulties are temporary in the light of eternity.
If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. Romans 10:9-10
The message of Christianity can be summed up in a simple statement. Jesus died to be your savior and lives to be your Lord.
Why do we need to be saved?
We all are in need of a savior. We may not want to admit and we certainly don’t like to admit it but the reality is that we all have blown it at some point or another. Our need come to an issue that many don’t like and that is sin. There are a lot of misconceptions about sin and misunderstandings about sin. The most common word in the New Testament for sin means to miss the mark. In other words, we have all gotten off target with God.
There are many that think: I’m a good person and I’m not a sinner. Everyone has told someone something that is not entirely true. Everyone has taken something that did not belong to them and yes keeping money from the government counts. If you have said something that is not true it makes you a liar. If you have taken something that was not yours, it makes you a thief. The fact is that almost all of us are thieves and liars. So much for us being good people.
The problem is that sin is universal to the human race. We are all in the same boat, no exceptions. Paul said that the wages of sin is death. The meaning is that the result of sin is a life that leads to death. We are all on the same boat and its sinking like the Titanic.
Even though we are imperfect and we mess things up, God still loves. In fact, God loves us so much that He sent Jesus to die for us. The penalty of sin is death and that is why Jesus went to the cross. He died in our place for the sins we committed.
Jesus died to provide a living demonstration of the boundless love of God. The message of the cross is that Jesus would rather die than be without you. Jesus gave His life so we would have eternal life. Jesus died on the cross to be your savior. God raised Him from the grave to be your Lord
Jesus is Lord
The issue that Paul raises here is the fact that Jesus was indeed Lord. Jewish tradition would have associated the term LORD with God and only God. To a Jewish person, believing Jesus was Lord is to say that He is God. Non-Jews looked at the term Lord differently. In the Roman government, Lord was used to describe the emperor and meant to swear loyalty and allegiance.
The implications that Paul brings with the use of Lord are complex. Jesus is Lord because He is God. He is divine and human in the same person. The heart of heaven was beating in the chest of a human being. Jesus also requires a total commitment. He wants to be the Lord of all of your life, not just part of it.
What must happen to be saved?
1. Confess
The word confess means to make a declaration or to give evidence of commitment. Paul uses the word confess to symbolize the moving of the heart. Confessing Jesus means that the heart has been moved to make a declaration of acceptance.
2. Believe that Jesus is alive
The resurrection is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. Not only did Jesus die on the cross but God raised Him from the dead and left an empty tomb to prove it. Without the resurrection, there is no reason for faith. Without the resurrection, there is no eternity. Without the resurrection, there is no forgiveness for sins. We are called to believe that Jesus died on the cross and was raised from the dead. It is the work of the cross that pays the price for sin and the resurrection brings new life.
The results of the resurrection
When we confess that Jesus is Lord, we make our commitment to follow Him and we believe that God raised Him from the dead, we gain the benefits of the resurrection. We become justified with God. The term justified comes from a legal term that meant to be made right or to have a legal matter settled. In our case, we had a debt with God but through the cross the debt has been paid.
It is finished
The final words of Jesus on the cross were a proclamation that everything that God required was completed. The work to provide our need was done. There is nothing more needed and nothing more required. Jesus declares the debt is paid. The record of wrongs has been expunged. The work of salvation had been completed.
“With Jesus’ last breath on the cross, He declared the debt of sin cancelled, completely satisfied, nothing else was required. Not good deeds, not generous donations, not penance or confession or baptism. The penalty for sin is death, and we were all born hopelessly in debt. He paid our debt in full by giving His life so that we might live forever. – Chuck Swindoll
Names of Jesus
King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Messiah, Savior, Christ, Alpha and Omega, beginning and the end, first and the last
Great I Am, bread of life, the true vine, way the truth and the life, Door to life, resurrection and the life. light of the world and the bright morning star
Author of our salvation, Great Amen, True and Faithful witness, Good shepherd the great shepherd and the chief shepherd.
Son of God, Son of David, Son of Man, Lamb of God and the Lion of Judah
Chief cornerstone, capstone that was rejected, one who was and is and is to come,
He is the wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting father and the prince of peace, Emanuel – God with us.
He is all of these things and so much but is Jesus the Lord of your life?
Conclusion
Saint Augustine once said: Jesus is not valued at all until is valued above all
This morning you have a choice, a choice to accept the greatest gift ever offered. You have an opportunity to choose to accept Jesus Christ as your savior.
Admit that you have sinned
Believe that Jesus died and rose again
Confess Him as your savior and Lord
