He is Lord of all (Acts 10:36).
We need a very clear understanding of who the Lord Jesus really is, where He is, and what He is doing in this present time—that is, the position He now occupies and the ministry He now fulfills. “God also hath highly exalted Him” (Philippians 2:9). When the world last saw Him He was hanging on a cross of shame—a cross of man’s making. To natural eyes His mission to men seemed to have failed. He was taken down from the cruel cross and buried. That seemed the end. But far from it! God raised Him from the dead, and “highly exalted Him,” and gave Him “a name which is above every name.” As Peter said in the house of Cornelius: “He is Lord of all.”
The Demonstration of His Lordship
We will never understand the value of our Lord’s ministry in heaven until we see that “He is Lord of all.” He is supreme. He is the only One in all the universe who matters to God. He was Lord in eternity past. Before His glorious countenance angels veiled their faces and flew to do His bidding. Abraham rejoiced to see His day. Isaiah saw His glory and worshipped prostrate at His feet. Prophets poured out their hearts and psalmists sung His praises. In His incarnate life here He proved Himself Lord over disease, demons, and death.
Lordship was demonstrated in His resurrection. “God hath made Him both Lord and Christ.” He was already Lord in His divine nature and was now made Lord in His human nature by His rising from the dead. “Thou hast put all things under His feet” (Psalm 8:6). “We see Jesus…crowned with glory and honor” (Hebrews 2:9).
His Lordship was also demonstrated in His ascension. He passed through the visible heavens unchallanged by Satan—already a defeated foe—and ascended “far above all.” As He entered Heaven He was given a Conqueror’s welcome of honor as we see in Psalm 24. None dare challenge Him. He was the Lord of all and of glory.
The Glory of His Lordship
This was the glory of His enthronement—that “[He] is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens” (Hebrews 8:1). He was made a co-occupant with the Father on the throne of heaven, being acclaimed Lord of all by the Father before all heavenly beings, and given “all [authority] … in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:18). We see Him in Revelation 5, “in the midst of the throne” and with all heavenly beings prostrate before Him in profound adoration and exultant praise, crying, “Worthy is the Lamb.”
Think of Hebrews 2:9, “crowned with glory and honor.” Here on earth, facing the Cross, our Lord breathed out the prayer: “Father… I have glorified Thee on the earth … and now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was” (John 17:4, 5). The glory which was never abandoned but laid aside was now taken up as the Son of man. “God … raised Him up from the dead and gave Him glory”—“angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto Him” (1 Peter 1:21; 3:22).
The Re-appearing of His Lordship
This will be seen in His return to earth. “The creature (creation) itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Romans 8:21). In this present age the whole creation is “subject to vanity.” It is in the pangs of pain with the spoilage of thorns and thistles. There is pestilence and violent disruptions of earth’s surface, and in the whole animal kingdom there are base and carnivorous instincts. But our Lord is to re-appear as Lord of creation to put an end to its travail. In that regeneration of all the material universe there will be included the resurrection of our dead natural bodies, that they may be “fashioned like unto His glorious body” (Philippians 3:21).
His Lordship also will be fully manifest in His final victory. Think of Revelation 19:11-16 in His appearing on the white horse as “Faithful and True!” “He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.” He is to come as Lord of all—with all authority in heaven and in earth. He is to come to make war with the godless nations in their final expression of rebellion. This is their cup of iniquity made full—the zenith of man’s infamy. The Lord is to loose the seals of God’s terrible judgments and wind up the government of the Gentile nations. He is come as the Almighty Despot from on high - the Mighty God—and “He shall reign for ever and ever.”
The head that once was crowned with thorns
Is crowned with glory now;
A royal diadem adorns
The mighty Victor’s brow.
The highest place that heaven affords
Is His by sovereign right,
The King of kings, the Lord of lords,
And heaven’s eternal light.
The joy of all who dwell above,
The joy of all below,
To whom He manifests His love,
And grants His name to know.
—Thomas Kelly