Quick Summary
In the New Testament, the term "Lord" (Greek: Kyrios) evolves from a polite address meaning "Sir" or "Master" to a divine title equating Jesus with Yahweh (the LORD) of the Old Testament. It signifies His absolute authority, resurrection, and right to demand universal obedience.
In its most basic sense, a lord is simply one who exercises control. When the leper approached him in Matthew 8:2, or when the disciples cried out in panic during the storm in Matthew 8:25, the title “Lord” likely expressed reverence toward a potent healer rather than a fully developed theological claim. Even the Canaanite woman’s plea, kneeling before him in Matthew 15:25, functions within this framework as a high honorific rather than a confession of divinity.
The Transition to Theological Confession
The resurrection marked a decisive semantic shift. Following the empty tomb, the address “Lord” ceased to be mere etiquette and became a confession. This transformation is crystallized in the Johannine narrative, where Thomas’s cry, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28), signals that the term has acquired a weight that is central to Christian proclamation.
Peter explicitly argues at Pentecost that God has constituted the crucified Jesus as “both Lord and Messiah” (Acts 2:36). By the time of the Cornelius narrative, this scope has expanded further, presenting Jesus not as the Lord of Israel alone, but as “Lord of all” (Acts 10:36).
Pauline theology anchors this conviction. As Paul argues in Romans 10:9, to confess “Jesus is Lord” is to align oneself with the reality that God has vindicated him over death. The New Testament writers therefore present this lordship as totalizing.
It ranges from the cosmic possession of “all authority in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18) to dominion over sacred time itself, as seen in his lordship over the Sabbath (Luke 6:5). Jude identifies him as the “only Sovereign” (Jude 1:4), a designation intensified into the supreme title, Lord of lords (Revelation 17:14).
This authority is further deepened when the apostles apply to Jesus language reserved for Yahweh. Peter, for instance, applies the Psalmist’s invitation to “taste and see that the LORD is good” (Psalm 34:8) directly to Christ (1 Peter 2:3). Likewise, the prophetic command to sanctify the LORD Almighty (Isaiah 8:13) is echoed in the exhortation to honor “Christ the Lord” as holy (1 Peter 3:15).
The Nature of Sovereignty and Submission
The Gospels portray Jesus accepting this designation without correction, whether in his instruction regarding the colt in Luke 19:31 or in his affirmation to the disciples in John 13:13. The same Lord who claims universal rule describes himself as “gentle and lowly” (Matthew 11:29) and dramatizes his authority by washing feet (John 13:14). In this ethical inversion, the last become first (Matthew 19:30).
This humility does not negate the demand for obedience. As Luke 6:46 bluntly questions, it is incoherent to address him as Lord while ignoring his commands. Lordship implies ownership; therefore, faith is directed not merely toward a savior, but toward the Lord Jesus (Acts 16:31).
Ultimately, the early church understood this confession as a supernatural revelation; no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3). Philippians 2:9–11 envisions a future in which every knee bows and every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord. The title thus functions not as an honorific, but as the final verdict on who Jesus is.
Frequently Asked Questions
Scholarly examination of the primary theological, historical, and biblical inquiries addressed in this guide.
How did the semantic usage of the Greek title Kyrios transition from a conventional social honorific to a divine confession?
In the pre-resurrection Gospel narratives, the Greek term Kyrios (Κύριος) was frequently employed as a polite social honorific meaning "Sir" or "Master," expressing reverence toward a respected rabbi or miracle worker (e.g., Matthew 8:2; Matthew 15:25). However, following the bodily resurrection and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the term underwent a profound theological crystallization. The early church, rooted in the Greek Septuagint (LXX) where Kyrios was the standardized substitute for the unutterable Tetragrammaton (YHWH), began applying Kyrios to Jesus as a direct attribution of divine identity. This transformation culminated in Thomas’s climactic confession, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28), and the apostolic proclamation at Pentecost that God has constituted Jesus "both Lord and Messiah" (Acts 2:36; Romans 10:9).
