Jesus Christ is Lord- - TAMIL Christian Bible Study
Romans 1:3-5
Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 1:3-5, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. 5 Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name,
We have been studying concerning the character, the nature, of this gospel of God. Gospel, concerning His Son. Made of the seed of David in the flesh, Declared to be the Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Gospel is about the Son of God then ultimately Jesus Christ our Lord.
Paul summing up of everything he has been telling us about Him in these two great statements: It is because they are true of Him that He is Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus Christ is our Lord is the great, and the favorite name, that the New Testament writers applied to our Lord.
Over 10 times in this letter to the Romans the Apostle Paul refers to Him. Either as Jesus Christ our Lord, or the Lord Jesus Christ. Early Christians delighted in this name, and this designation. They liked to use it because in and of itself this name reminded them of the things that were vital to their faith and to their whole position. Therefore, it is not a surprising that the Apostle Paul, from the beginning of his letter, is not content merely with stating these great facts. He brings out the name because that the whole of the Christian faith depends upon the recognition of this and this is what really makes one a Christian.
As we are aware this was the biggest thing in the life and experience of those early Christians. They were constantly arrested because they said, 'Jesus is Lord'. The authorities of Rome tried to get them to say, 'Caesar is Lord'. They had to decide which of the two they were going to hold on to, and if they persisted in saying, 'Jesus is Lord', they were thrown to the lions in the arena and they were put to death.
So, this was something which to them was central and pivotal. For the first three centuries many people lost their lives, killed, tortured, burned alive, sown into pieces, thrown into lions’ den, burnt alive etc. This was the great matter that occupied the attention of the Christian church. Heresies came in, some denying our Lord's deity, some denying His humanity, and the church had to fight for her life.
Councils were held, and arguments and disputations took place. Definitions were brought out, and they were incorporated in great confessions and creeds. The fathers in the early church were given to see clearly and rightly, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, that if there was any question about the lordship of Jesus, the whole of the Christian position collapsed.
Our Lord Himself was concerned to teach and to emphasize exactly the same thing. The Jews were holding the view that the Messiah, when He came, would be of the seed of David. But unfortunately, with their materialistic ideas, they had come to think of Him only as a man.
So, our Lord puts that question to them.
Matthew 22:41-45, While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?” They said to Him, “The Son of David.” 43 He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying: 44 ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool” ’? 45 If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his Son?” 46 And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore. Jesus was quoting Psalms 110. Our Lord's way of teaching that the Messiah is at one and the same time Son of David and also Lord-Son of God, eternal Son of God. That was the claim that He made for Himself, and these Pharisees were not able to answer Him a word.
The Pharisees could not expound their own Scriptures. They were blinded! Now the Apostle here goes on putting it in these various forms because the whole argument that he is going to develop in the letter depends upon the fact that they should be perfectly clear and certain in their minds that Jesus of Nazareth is indeed the Christ and the Son of God.
He sums it all up, then, by bringing out this great title, the most glorious title of all, 'Jesus Christ our Lord'.
What does this mean? He is Jesus. He is truly man. He was born of the Virgin Mary. He did not have a phantom body but a true body. Indeed, He is called the Son of man. When His birth was announced to Joseph, the angel said He would be called Jesus because He 'shall save his people from their sins'. The very name, Jesus, includes that idea of One who saves. It is the same name as that of the Old Testament Joshua.
He is the Saviour. As Joshua used to lead the people into the promised land into salvation in that material sense, so He shall be called Jesus because He shall save His people from their sins. But He is not only Jesus, also Christ.
Acts 17:2-3, Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.”
Paul emphasis on two things. 1. Christ must suffer. 2. Jesus is the Christ. Christ means anointed in Hebrew it is called Messiah. Also, throughout the Old Testament it was prophesied that Messiah would hold all the three offices in which God used to govern the people.
1. Prophet 2. Priest 3. King For someone to hold these offices they need to be anointed by the oil. To imply that when the oil is been poured out the Holy Spirit will come upon them and equip them for the work they have been called to.
✓ If you were a king in the theocratic kingdom of Israel, it was because God appointed you a king. ✓ If you were a priest, it was because God had appointed you a priest. ✓ If you were a prophet, it was because God had appointed you a prophet.
- A king to rule.
- A priest to intercede and mediate, and
- A prophet to proclaim truth.
Divine Selection
No king, no priest, and no prophet could legitimately be self- appointed. This is not a volunteer operation. This was by divine calling.
Divine Authority
You became an agent of God. You became a servant of the theocratic king who is God Himself. So, you had honour and consecration with authority, with authority.
Divine Empowerment
They were empowered for service. And I will not break out all the texts on this, because it is obvious to you. Kings, prophets, and priests were endowed with power from on high. What that means is the Spirit of the Lord came upon them.
Jesus had fulfilled all of these.
At the Baptism
At River Jordan the Holy Spirit descended upon Him like a dove.
Matthew 3:16-17, When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Jesus was anointed to do work of God.
John 6:27, Do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.” Father God sealed Him publicly with Holy Spirit to do the work. Jesus is the anointed One.
When we read all the four Gospels, we understand fully well that Jesus fulfilled all the three offices. ➢ He was divinely chosen. ➢ He was sent by His Father. ➢ He possessed all authority in heaven and earth. ➢ He was endowed with all divine power by the Holy Spirit.
He is then the Messiah. He is the perfection of all those messianic characteristics. ✓ Jesus mediates as King, the rule of God on earth.
✓ Jesus mediates as Priest, man to God in reconciliation. ✓ Jesus mediates as Prophet, the revelation of God to man.
Jesus – Divinely Chosen
When Jesus is born, He is identified as the Messiah, the Christ! ✓ He is identified as the Son of God. ✓ He is identified as Emmanuel, God with us. ✓ He is identified as the King. ✓ He is identified as the Saviour. ✓ His name is Jesus, “because He will save His people from their sins.”
All those identifications come at His birth. He was chosen by God. He says Himself that He was sent by God.
John 6:36-38, But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. God’s chosen, anointed King. Jesus prays the High Priestly prayer in John 17.
John 17:3, And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. He was sent by God.
Jesus – Divine Authority
He also bears the authority of God. In
John 17:2, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. That is a messianic privilege to have delegated authority. Our Lord has authority over all flesh!
Matthew 28:18, And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. And, thirdly, chosen by God, granted authority. Thirdly,
Jesus- Divine empowerment
Jesus was empowered by the Holy Spirit.
At the Baptism
Luke 3:22, And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”
At His ministry
Luke 4:14, Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region.
Luke 4:18, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, Jesus fits all those messianic expectations. Chosen by God, Granted divine authority, and Given the Holy Spirit in full power.
When Apostle Paul says that Jesus is Lord, he had this in his mind.
Matthew 28:18-20, And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. So, Jesus had every authority on the earth and heaven!
Paul makes this abundantly clear in his letter to Ephesians.
Ephesians 1:19-23, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. 22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
Again, when Paul wrote to the church at Philippi, he said the similar thing.
Philippians 2:9-11, Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Jesus is the Lord of the universe! Exalted above every power, Exalted over every Authority, Exalted above every name. Seated on the High place.
What a wonderful name! What great designation!!
Acts 4:12, Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Let us go with the thought of apostle Paul. Jesus was made as son of David in the Flesh. Declared to be Son of God by His resurrection by the Spirit of Holiness. Jesus Christ our Lord! That Lord belongs to us! Because we belonged to Him!! People of the world do not know Him as Lord they think of Him as a son of man and they do not realise He is Lord. They think of him as a carpenter from Nazareth. Their eyes were blinded. Paul says that their eyes were blinded.
1 Corinthians 2:8, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. For us He is Lord! Since He had brought us to Him. He is our Lord since He bought us.
He is our Lord since he purchased us.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. He paid the ransom for us in the slave market. Paul understood that that is why he said he is the bond slave of Jesus Christ. Since He is our Lord, we are obedient to Him. Here is the problem with modern day Christendom. People were quick to accept Jesus as their Saviour who forgives their sins. Some cases they do not ever believe they can be delivered from their bondage to sin. But then they call themselves as Christians. One cannot say that they are Christians unless they are obedient to His commands by accepting Him as their Lord.
This cannot be done like piece meal. Like one day I will accept Him as my Saviour and then I will accept Him as my lord over a period.
The reason is Christ is not divisible. He is indivisible. He is one Person Lord Jesus Christ.
Colossians 2:6, As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, If someone says I am Christian and yet they have not subjected Him as their Lord, then we can very well question their faith. If you accept that He has purchased, you by the blood He had shed on the calvary then you accept Him as your Lord then you can proclaim you are a Christian. Greatest danger we face in this 21st century is that you are being justified without sanctified. You cannot be in relationship with Lord Jesus unless you take Him as your Lord and Saviour. Take a moment and check your life and make corrective actions.
What does it mean to take Him as your Lord?
Titus 2:14, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.
You cannot believe Him unless you truly accept Him as your Lord. I am sure you must have noticed that whenever I say always use the full title for our Lord. V 5, Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, Paul builds further.
1. Grace 2. Purpose
1. Grace
Paul says I am what I am because of the grace. As an Apostle I am writing this letter to the Christians in Rome. This is amazing since Saul of Tarsus, a blasphemer and persecutor of the church.
1 Timothy 1:12-13, And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, 13 although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
This is all because of the grace of God.
1 Corinthians 15:10, But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. So, it is the grace of God made him to be the who he is. Another word Apostle Paul uses that is he received apostleship. He wrote about this in the first verse itself which we looked at in great detail. He was on his way to Damascus to persecute the Christians and Christ met him on his way and revealed to Him.
Acts 26:17-18, I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, 18 to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’ Paul says this all because of His grace.
2. Purpose
What is Paul’s calling?
What is his task? V 5, Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, Through His name bring obedience to all nations. Paul speaks of obedience in the beginning and as well as in the end too.
Romans 16:26, but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith—
The whole thing is obedience of faith. Apostle Paul wants to stress that his purpose is to preach about Lord Jesus Christ. That the people will put their faith in Him as their Lord. Then they will put their faith in to practice by which they will obey the truth.
Obedience of faith.
What is sin?
Sin is not just what we do wrong. Sin is not spoiling your happiness and peace. People think that way that is why they were looking for someone who will get rid of the unhappiness, guilt, and peace. There is a great danger when we think Jesus is the person who will fix all these problems and he will get rid of all your problems in this life. Thought He does them but that is not the primary thing.
Sin is the transgression of Law of God. Sin is the rebellion against God. Sin is refusal to obey God.
What was the original sin? Adam refused to listen to the voice of God.
Satan came and told him, did God say? Adam stopped obeying God.
Romans 8:7, Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. Sin is disobedience then what should be our preaching? Obedience!
This is why apostle Paul keep repeating this in this letter to.
Romans 6:17, But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.
This is what makes you a Christian. You obeyed the voice of God from your heart.
Romans 9:2-3, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh,
Why?
Romans 10:2-3, For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.
Romans 10:16, But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” Obeying the Gospel means, Believing it, Accepting it, and Submitting it.
Acts 17:30, Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, Why should you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ?
God commands you! It is a commandment from God for us repent and believe in the Gospel.
John 6:28-29, Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”
Do you want to know how to be obedient? Believe on Him!
1 John 3:23, And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.
God commands us to believe on His Son. If you do not believe then you are disobedient.
1 John 5:10, He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar,
because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. In a nutshell we preach the Gospel and commanding people to obey to God by believing in His Son. If not, they are disobedient and they have no excuse to tell God.
1 Corinthians 16:22, If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord, come! Paul writing to them that they have received the word of God and they have believed it and they need to go to obey the word of God in every aspect of it.