To Encourage You

Matthew 26:20-25: “When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. And as they were eating, he said, ‘Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.’ And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, ‘Is it I, Lord?’ He answered, ‘He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.’ Judas, who would betray him, answered, ’Is it I, Rabbi?’ He said to him, ‘You have said so.’

Who is Jesus? What do you call Him? Interestingly, in the passage above, the disciples used two different titles. After Jesus had prophesied that one of the 12 would betray Him, they were very sorrowful, and began to say to Him, one after another, “Is it I, Lord.” However, when it got around to Judas, his words to Jesus were “Is it I, Rabbi.” Often, 11 of the 12 apostles addressed Jesus as “Lord.” Here, and in several other places, Judas addresses him as “Rabbi” or “Teacher.” In fact, Judas never addressed Jesus as “Lord” anywhere in the Scriptures. Obviously, Jesus wasn’t the “Lord” of this betrayer. Jesus was no more than a “Teacher” to him. The Pharisees, who hated Jesus, also called Him “Teacher” or “Master,” which means the same thing. But, like Judas, they would never submit to Him as “Lord.”

So again, who is Jesus to you? Is He a teacher, but nothing more? Teachers are a dime a dozen. There is only one Lord, however. So is he your Lord? Is He the One to Whom you submit your entire life, your all. For you see, having a Lord is an all or nothing proposition. Jesus wants all of us, for He gave His all for us. To give Him anything less, then, means He is less than Lord to us.

Yes, Jesus is the greatest teacher that ever lived, but if he is only a teacher to us, we will find ourselves in the same camp as those who hated Him. He is the one and only Lord of all, the Lord of lords. But is He your Lord?

The Bible says that in the end, every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11). Some will do so willingly, out of reverence and devotion to Him. The rest will do so against their will, when it is too late to be of any benefit.