3. Marc Mueller, "Jesus Is Lord," Grace Today (August 1981), 6.
Jesus Explains His Gospel
Him (v. 18). When Jesus encountered opposition like that, He never engaged obstinate unbelievers in dialogue. He did not bother to try to argue theology with them. He simply appealed again to His own inherent authority as God (vv. 19 – 47; cf. John 10:22 – 42).
The fact that the Jewish leaders could not kill Him before His time was further proof of His sovereignty: "I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again" (John 10:17 – 18). The influence of His authority extends to every person. In fact, all judgment has been committed to Him: "For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son" (John 5:22). Notice the reason for this: "in order that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father" (v. 23, emphasis added). Likewise, those who dishonor the Son by rejecting His right to be sovereign also dishonor the Father.
In the final judgment, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess Christ as Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:11 – 12). That does not mean, of course, that all will be saved, but that even those who die in unbelief will be forced to confess the lordship of Jesus. His sovereignty is limitless. Marc Mueller has expressed the breadth of Jesus' sovereignty with these words: "He is the Almighty God, the Matchless Cosmic Sovereign, who as Creator and Redeemer (Jn. 1:9 – 13) has the right and power to demand compliance and submission to His imperial, veracious authority."3
Jesus Is Savior
Although He is sovereign God, Jesus took on Himself the limitations of human flesh and dwelt personally among sinful men and women (John 1:14). While on earth, He experienced all the sorrows and tribulations of humanity — except that He never sinned (Heb. 4:15). He walked on earth, showed His love, demonstrated His power, and revealed in His behavior the righ teous ness of God. Yet His demeanor was that of a servant. Scripture says He "emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross" (Phil. 2:7 – 8).
In other words, though He is sovereign Lord of all, He surrendered everything, even to the point where He willingly died the most painful, humiliating death known to mankind. He did it on our behalf. Though He was sinless, and
3. Marc Mueller, "Jesus Is Lord," Grace Today (August 1981), 6.