Jesus is Lord
—No one else will do
Jesus is not just one of many good teachers, or just one of many great Lights. He is the one Lord and Christ, and he made the only sacrifice that can take away sins. No one else will do, none but Jesus, crucified and risen (Acts 2:36).
According to the quote below, Peter (on the Day of Pentecost following the resurrection and ascension of Jesus) preached in Jerusalem that God has made Jesus Lord (Acts 2:36).
Acts 2:36
“36Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” (Acts 2:36 NKJV).
1 Jesus is Lord of All
The question is, how far or high does it go, this lordship of Jesus? There are men called lords as merely a title of respect. On the other end of the scale, there is almighty God whom Jesus called "Father, Lord of heaven and earth". This was an acknowledgement of his Father’s highest authority (Matthew 11:25).
Now Jesus, after his resurrection, made a huge claim. He said, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth" (Matthew 28:18 NKJV).
Jesus claimed to have been given the same authority in heaven and earth as he attributes to his heavenly Father. And Peter in his sermon did not announce Jesus as a lesser Lord, but as one granted the Lordship of God his Father.
The Throne of God
This absolute Lordship is confirmed by another claim, one that Jesus made after his ascension. He said, "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne." (Revelation 3:21 NKJV).
In his sermon, Peter said that Jesus was "exalted to the right hand of God" (Acts 2:33 NKJV).
Notice from those verses that Jesus’s throne is not a second minor throne at the right hand of God’s throne. It is the very throne of God and Jesus sits there with his Father.
Jesus sits on his Father’s throne not only as a guest, but also endowed with the full authority of that throne. Nor is Jesus a usurper. He is in full subjection to his Father’s will.
Jesus is not a lesser lord. He is "King of kings and Lord of lords" (Revelation 19:13-16NKJV).
Among the marvels of his enthroning was that he combined the roles of King and Priest. "He shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both" (Zechariah 6:13 NKJV).
2 Jesus is the Christ
Peter said that Jesus was made not only Lord, but also Christ. "God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ" (Acts 2:36 NKJV).
The title Christ is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word Messiah. The woman at the well said to Jesus, "I know that Messiah is coming, who is called Christ. When he is come, he will tell us all things." Jesus answered, "I who speak to you am He" (John 4:25-26).
The Anointed One
Both words, Christ and Messiah mean Anointed One. At the synagogue in Nazareth, Jesus read to the congregation from Isaiah 61, and claimed to fulfil it. The first words are "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor..." (Isaiah 61:1-3, Luke 4:16-21 NKJV).
Peter proclaimed to Cornelius and his household, "Jesus Christ —He is Lord of all... God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him." (Acts 10:36-38 NKJV).
Now before we end this lesson, there is something more to add about Jesus...
3 Jesus is Our Saviour
Peter proclaimed Jesus as "Lord and Christ". Then he added, "...this Jesus whom you crucified" (Acts 2:36). Jesus died to save us from the punishment we deserve on account of our sins.
An angel proclaimed to shepherds, "There is born to you this day in the city of David, a Saviour who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:8-11 NKJV).
The angel added something to Jesus being Christ the Lord —Jesus is also Saviour. He is not a would-be saviour among many false saviours. He is a Saviour who is Christ the Lord! And there's only one of those.
The name Jesus itself means Saviour. The angel said to Joseph, "And [Mary] will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." (Matthew 1:21 NKJV).
Jesus Rescues and Forgives
Jesus made forgiveness possible so that we can escape our sins and their consequences. He is "Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth...who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood" (Revelation 1:4-6 NKJV).
May this lesson help you to appreciate all the more the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.