Believe and Speak--We Believe in One Lord, Jesus Christ

 

    1 Corinthians 15:3-7

Romans 10:9

1 Corinthians 8:6

2 Corinthians 1:9

Ephesians 1:3

Philippians 2:9-11

1 Timothy 2:5-6

Hebrews 13:8

1 Peter 3:15

Revelation 19:16

2 Corinthians 4:13

I am up early, watching the funeral of Queen Elizabeth.  I've always been a royal watcher, starting 2 days after my 11th birthday--Charles and Diana's wedding.  I was up early for their wedding, William and Kate's wedding, Harry and Meghan's wedding, and Princess Diana's funeral.  I love the pageantry of it all.  As the people file in for the funeral, the reporters are introducing all of the titled guests.  "King and Queen"; "Prince and Princess"; "Duke and Duchess"; "Lord and Lady".  What a perfect day to be studying why "we believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ" is not like these. 

 

Lord can mean someone with authority,  influence, power.  It can identify someone as a property owner, a titled nobleman.  In Jesus' day, lord was used as a title to show respect.  But, doubting Thomas said it first after Jesus' resurrection "My Lord and my God!"   (John 20:28) That declaration was the catalyst for the disciples moving forward.  On our second day, we learned that LORD in the Old Testament is Yahweh.  We see  Jesus being this same God, in the form of the Son, when we draw a line between Psalm 34:8 and 1 Peter 2:13; Isaiah 8:13 and 1 Peter 3:15.  

This funeral is full of people whose titles were bestowed upon them by various circumstances.  They can change with the death of the one ahead of you in the royal line, (ie Prince of Wales, now King Charles after the death of his mother).  But the title of Lord Jesus, cannot be taken away or transferred to another.  No one can say "Jesus is Lord", except by the Holy Spirit.  (1 Corinthians 12:3) "God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."  Since we have this statement of faith, we believe and so we also speak.