Jesus called himself the Son of Man. It’s the church’s responsibility to confess him as Lord. That confession can’t wait for the future. It must shape our preaching, praying, and worship. Now. That’s the simple point of this article: we must call Jesus Lord. Why? There are many reasons, some of which I’ll get into below. But perhaps one of the biggest reasons we need to proclaim Christ’s lordship is that most of us want the comfort Jesus provides, but resist his commands.
Too often I treat Jesus as my helper but not my Lord.
For example I often catch myself praying: “Jesus, help me with this exam. Calm my nerves before I preach. Fix the situations I can’t control.” And in those moments, I realise something is missing. Too often, I treat him as my helper but not my Lord. I want his comfort, but not always his commands. And I don’t think I’m alone. Increasingly, our churches sing about Jesus as healer, friend, and guide—all true and precious realities—but rarely as Lord. We preach his nearness but forget his authority.
If this is the Jesus we hand to the next generation, what kind of disciples will they become?
Jesus’ Title and Our Own
In the Gospels, Jesus refers to himself as the Son of Man nearly 90 times. It’s a title drawn from the Old Testament, where “one like a son of man” is given everlasting dominion (Daniel 7:13-14). Elsewhere, however, “son of man” simply means “human being” (Ezekiel 2:1; Psalm 8:4), which highlights the humanity of the title even as Daniel 7 reveals its glory.
Jesus chose humility. The church must choose confession.
Turning back to the New Testament, Peter declared Jesus to be the Christ, the son of the living God (Matthew 16:16). Paul insisted that salvation requires us to “confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord” (Romans 10:9); and that God has exalted Jesus so that every tongue will confess that he is Lord (Philippians 2:11). Jesus identifies with us in our humanity, even as he reveals himself as the divine ruler to whom every kingdom will bow.
But notice this: Jesus rarely called himself “Lord.” It’s almost as if that title is reserved for the confession of his followers. Jesus chose humility. The church must choose confession.
Why “Lord” Matters
To call Jesus Lord isn’t optional. It means recognising his authority. His kingship. His ownership of our lives. It means obedience to his Word (John 14:15), surrendering our rights (Romans 14:8-9), and worshipping him as God (Acts 2:36). When the church preaches Christ without Lordship, we trade discipleship for therapy. We comfort people but never call them to obedience. We present Jesus as an accessory to our lives, rather than the king who rules over them.
A Jesus who only heals and never reigns is no saviour at all.
In my own context Jesus is often preached as healer or problem-solver; true roles, but incomplete without the title the Father has given him. “Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow…and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” (Philippians 2:9-11). A Jesus who only heals and never reigns is no Saviour at all. If that’s the Christ we preach, we are discipling others into despair.
A Lesson from Nicaea
Recently, I had the privilege of attending the Africa’s Gift to Nicaea conference in Cape Town. As I listened to the presentations, I was struck by how urgent this matter truly is, especially for the African church today.
Just as Nicaea refused to diminish Christ’s identity, we must refuse to diminish his authority.
At the original Council of Nicaea (AD 325), the Church gathered to settle a single question: was Jesus truly God, or merely like God? The debate came down to one Greek letter, but the implications were eternal. If Jesus wasn’t fully divine, then he could not be Lord. The early church didn’t compromise. They confessed Christ as of the same substance with the Father, and their boldness secured the gospel for generations.
Our battle looks different. But it is just as urgent. Though we aren’t fighting over Greek letters, we’re tempted to strip Jesus of his crown by softening or silencing his lordship. Just as Nicaea refused to diminish Christ’s identity, we must refuse to diminish his authority.
And that raises the question: what would it look like to defend Christ’s lordship today, in our churches, right now?
Five Steps Our Churches Can Take
Here are five practices every congregation can adopt immediately to put the crown back on Christ’s head.
1. Preach His Authority
Don’t just preach Jesus as comforter. Preach him as the cosmic king whose word demands obedience. “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:46).
2. Sing His Lordship
Worship shapes theology. Choose at least one song this coming Sunday that explicitly confesses Jesus as Lord. “Address one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs…singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart” (Ephesians 5:19).
3. Pray His Lordship
Teach prayers that begin with “your will be done” before “bless my plans.” In small groups, open in prayer by declaring Jesus as lord over your lives. “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).
4. Confess His Lordship in Community
Make space in your gathering for corporate confession as well as public profession. “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).
5. Model His Lordship at Home
Parents and leaders must show daily surrender. Around the dinner table or before bed, say aloud with your children: “Jesus, you are lord of our family.” “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord God” (Joshua 24:15).
Consider the Next Generation
This cannot wait. If we delay, we disciple believers into a hollow Christianity. Every sermon without “Lord” trains ears to resist his authority. Devotions without “Lord” shapes hearts to follow feelings. Even prayers can disciple people into treating God as their servant, rather than the sovereign Lord, if we fail to call him “Lord.”
We owe those who follow us more than a safe, sentimental Jesus.
We owe those who follow us more than a safe, sentimental Jesus. If we fail to confess Christ as Lord now, we rob future generations of hope, authority, and truth.
The Call
Jesus humbled himself as the Son of Man. But God has exalted him as Lord of all. Our part is simple yet urgent: to put the crown back where it belongs—in our sermons, our prayers, our worship, our homes, and our hearts. Not tomorrow; not when it’s easier; not when the culture shifts. Today. For the sake of our children, the hope of generations, and the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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