Jesus Christ is Lord

Jesus Christ is Lord. 

This one sentence, made up of just four words, has changed the hearts of millions of people over two thousand years.   What is so special about them?   They are a summary of the entire message of Christianity, and that message is just as exciting today as it was in Paul’s time.   Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, is alive and wants to rule us as the merciful, powerful, loving, and patient Lord that he is.

Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, the preacher to the papal household, has said that when this message is proclaimed simply and clearly, it puts people  “in direct contact with Christ and makes them experience the power of his Spirit.”   It gives them the opportunity “to renew their own baptism, consciously choose Christ as their own personal Lord and Savior, and commit themselves actively in the life of the Church” (Advent Sermon, December 2, 2005).

Most of us were baptized as infants and received our first sacraments as children.   We may have never heard the message of Christianity proclaimed in a way that asked us for a mature, adult response.   But that’s the whole purpose for the proclamation of the gospel—to invite us to embrace it.

Even if you have been following the Lord for years, this message still has the power to move your heart and help you commit your life to the Lord in a new way.   So spend some time reflecting on what God has done for you through Jesus.   Here is a very brief summary of that message:

God, who created us in love, continued to love us even when we had fallen into sin.   Rather than leaving us enslaved to sin, he decided to save us.   So he sent Jesus to rescue us by freely sacrificing himself on the cross.   Now risen from the dead, he offers us the opportunity to let him rule us as Lord.   He invites us into a relationship of love, in which his Spirit continues to set us free.

Dwell on these truths today.   Tell Jesus that you want him to be Lord in your life.   You might even want to write out your commitment as a pledge to him.

Each day, we are faced with a choice:  will I live under the reign of Jesus?   May we always respond with a resounding yes!

Word Among Us