Lord of All

 

"Later, as Jesus was teaching the people in the Temple, he asked, 'Why do the teachers of religious law claim that the Messiah will be the son of David?  For David himself, speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, said, 'The Lord said to my Lord, sit in honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies beneath your feet.'  'Since David himself called him Lord, how can he be his son at the same time?'  And the crowd listened to him with great interest' " Mark 12:35-37 (NLT).

 

Just today we heard that yet another American has been beheaded in Iraq.  Jack Hensley from Marietta, Georgia was murdered in a horrific way as his head was sawn off with a knife.

 

Every time I hear something like this, it makes me mad enough to spit!  This is so evil, so wrong, and so utterly demonic.  The executioners who hide behind black masks are cowards and servants of darkness.  No one will ever convince me that they aren't serving Satan and all the powers of hell in these bloody murders.  Thank God that as I think about these horrors committed by demonized serial killers, I find a bright spot in the midst of the darkness.

 

Jesus is Lord. 

 

That's what Jesus says the Old Testament said about him.  David said that the Messiah would be called "Lord.'  Of course, Jesus' theological point was that Hebrew fathers never called their children Lord.  This would be improper.  It would always be the son who called his father lord, showing that his father had authority over him as the son.  So, then, Jesus asks, how can the Messiah be David's son (descendant) if David, the father, calls him lord.  The answer is obvious: The Messiah would have to be God in a human body for David to call him Lord despite the fact that he was his father.  So Jesus is saying that Messiah is God in a human body, not just an ordinary human - a fact that the religious leaders of his day denied.

 

Still, what sticks out in my mind is verse 36 which says that God calls Jesus Lord and tells him to sit at his right hand until he humbles his enemies beneath his feet.

 

Now that's powerful!

 

There is not a servant of darkness or an enemy of the cross that will not be defeated by Jesus in the end.  Right now, the powers of darkness may seem to be winning, but in the end, they will lose.  Now, they may be sawing off heads, but on Judgment Day, their own heads will lie beneath Jesus' feet.  Today, they may be causing God's children pain and suffering, but one day they will face more pain and suffering than they ever caused anyone when they are thrown into the torment of hell.

 

Why?  Because Jesus is Lord of all. 

 

You may be facing some of the darkest of times in your life.  You may be wondering how you will ever make it through another hour, much less another day.  You may be thinking that you can't go on and that it would be better to end it all.  Your life may be in turmoil right now.  You may be depressed by all the violence and evil and oppression that is daily reported in the media.  But no matter how dark it gets or black it becomes, you can rejoice in the fact of all facts and the truth of all truths: Jesus is Lord of all.

 

One day he will bring justice to the earth.  On that day, lies will no longer work; deception will no longer succeed; murderers will no longer go unpunished and there will be nowhere on earth they can hide from Lord Jesus.  He will find them, and bring retribution on them - if they don't repent and turn to him for salvation now.

 

He is Lord of all. 

 

No one can fight him and win!  No one can come against him and prevail!  No one can oppose him and stand!  He is Lord of all!  This means that he is and will be the undisputed, undefeated, unbeatable, unassailable, indomitable, invincible Conqueror and Master of all!

 

Terrorists may set off their murderous bombs; they may blow up planes and cars and buildings; they may shoot innocent children in schools; they may spew venomous hatred and perpetrate hellish violence, but in the end, they will answer to Lord Jesus.  He will bring retribution on them for all they have done.  It may seem that they are getting away with it now, but they are not.  Jesus sees it all and he will remember.  One day, he will crush them under his feet along with all the other forces of hell that will pay for their evil for all eternity.  Jesus will make them pay.

 

He is Lord of all.

 

The next time you see Satan at work, just whisper to yourself "His days are numbered; his victories temporary; his power puny; his fate certain; his punishment assured " because Jesus is Lord of all and that includes Satan and all his demonic hoards.  It also includes murderers who saw off people's heads.

 

Thank God Jesus is Lord of all.