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Theological Reflection
This week marks the third week in our celebration of Easter. Christians around the world gather yearly to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This year, Catholics and Protestants celebrate Easter on April 5, while Orthodox Christians celebrate a week later, on April 12. Yet, as one church, we boldly proclaim that Jesus Christ is not dead, but is risen. In the Episcopal Church, during this season, we hear the sonorous responsorial proclamation. The celebrant says, “Alleluia. Christ is risen.” And with loud cheer the congregation responds, “The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia” (Book of Common Prayer, 355).
Peter once denied being associated with Jesus, yet now, he boldly proclaims that Jesus is “Lord and Messiah” to a large crowd (Acts 2:36). Many in the crowd “are cut to the heart” and respond to Peter’s message with repentance, seeking baptism. Miraculously, thousands are added to the fledgling community that would become the Church.
What makes the Easter story compelling is how the resurrection reveals that Jesus is both Lord and Messiah, overturning all expectations of what the Messiah would be. What exactly did it mean to call Jesus “Lord and Messiah”? The title “Lord,” Kyrios in the Greek, is a common address in the New Testament for God, meaning master or ruler. In the Roman Empire, Kyrios was used to address Caesar, the supreme roman ruler. Peter describes the resurrected Jesus as “exalted at the right hand of God,” making his “enemies” his “footstool” (Acts 2:32-35). Peter’s proclamation presents Jesus as Lord over the cosmos, transcending Caesar’s earthly domain. Ultimate allegiance belongs not to earthly powers but to Jesus, who is the true Lord over all.
The second title, “Messiah,” further clarifies the kind of Lord Jesus is. His title of “Christ” derives from the Greek Christos, the Greek rendering of the Hebrew Mashiah (from which comes our English word, Messiah), meaning “the anointed one.” Jewish communities living in Roman-occupied Palestine had long awaited the messianic figure foretold by the prophets: the one who would liberate them from roman rule and restore David’s kingdom. But Jesus did not fit the messianic mold expected by Peter’s audience. Jesus ushers in a religious movement that confronts and subverts the Jewish temple leaders, even as it challenges social and political divisions, signaling that the Kingdom of God is already present and not yet fully realized (see Mark 1:15). Moreover, Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection reveal the upside-down nature of the Kingdom of God, in which life comes from death, and what seemed like the destruction of all hope actually ushers in salvation.
Taken together, the titles “Lord” and “Messiah” work to affirm Jesus’s divinity and sovereignty over creation, reaffirming that Jesus is the long-awaited Jewish Messiah. It is this message and revelation that convicted Peter’s audience to respond in repentance, baptism, and even sharing all they held in common (Acts 2:38, 41-42). The crowd could have chalked the events of Pentecost up to a mysterious supernatural event or mere human folly. Yet instead, many listened to Peter’s sermon and, through it, came to see that Jesus was not merely a man, but Lord and Messiah.
Today, the resurrection still confronts expectations of power and challenges all to take seriously that Jesus is Lord and Messiah, the fulfillment of God’s plan of salvation. Like those who came to follow Jesus after Peter’s preaching, Christians today are called to live out their baptismal vows to continue “in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers” (Book of Common Prayer, 304; Acts 2:42).
Reflection Questions
- How do the titles Lord and Messiah shape who you understand Jesus is? What does it mean to you to worship him?
- Peter proclaims that Jesus is “Lord,” a title also used for Caesar in the Roman Empire. What does it mean today to give ultimate allegiance to Jesus as Lord in a world shaped by many competing loyalties and powers?
- Jesus did not fit the expected mold of the Messiah. How does God challenge our expectations of power, leadership, or success through the example of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection, even today?
Faith in Practice
Peter’s sermon led many to seek baptism in Christ. This week, spend some time reflecting on your own baptismal promises. Read the Baptismal Covenant in the Book of Common Prayer (p. 304–305) and ask where God might be inviting you to renew your commitment to Jesus, Lord and Messiah. Consider one small, concrete way you can live out your baptism this week through prayer, service, reconciliation, or witness.
Milton Gilder is a recent graduate of Berkeley Divinity School at Yale. He originally hails from Long Beach, California. He attended Duke University and lived in Durham, North Carolina, where he worked in education, technology, and youth ministry for several years. Milton enjoys traveling the world, cooking all sorts of creations, and getting outside in nature. He is a postulant discerning Holy Orders at the Episcopal Church in Connecticut.
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