Jesus Christ Is Lord Ken Canedo

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Lyrics

Refrain
Jesus Christ is Lord.
Jesus Christ is Lord.
1. He did not hold to his equality with God,
for he did empty himself
to be as one of us,
to be as one of us.
2. He chose the will of God
through death upon a cross,
and God did raise him up,
exalting him on high,
exalting him on high.
3. And so God gave to him
a name above all names.
May all in heaven and earth
proclaim him now as Lord,
proclaim him now as Lord.

Text: Based on Philippians 2:6-11, Ken Canedo, © 1998, 2004, spiritandsong.com®, a division of OCP. All rights reserved. Music © 2004, Ken Canedo. Published by spiritandsong.com®, a division of OCP. All rights reserved.

Artist Reflection

"One of the earliest known hymns of the Christian community is based on Philippians 2:6-11. Also known as 'The Christ Hymn' by biblical scholars, this passage is prayed weekly in the Liturgy of the Hours. It serves as the second reading for Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion, underscoring Jesus' passion, death and resurrection within the context of God's overall plan for salvation."

The above paragraph is the technical and scholarly background of this song, as quoted from the published sheet music octavo. On a personal level, I think every Christian needs to answer the question: What does the phrase "Jesus Christ is Lord" mean to me?

I think about St. Paul and his complete turnaround from Christian persecutor to Christ's greatest promoter and advocate. What could cause a person to change his life and his mission so completely? The answer, of course, is Paul's personal relationship with Jesus that began with an unexpected encounter on the road to Damascus (see Acts 9:1-19). But this was more than just a friendship between two people. When the Great Apostle writes "Jesus Christ is Lord," he is expressing the dual nature of Christ who "emptied himself" of his divinity to "become as one of us." And in his humanity, Jesus fully obeyed his Father's will to embrace his death upon the cross.

Pope Benedict dedicated 2009 as the Year of St. Paul who, in his great volume of writings, continually challenges me to dedicate myself anew to Christ. Yes, Jesus is my friend and my brother who inspires me with his message of love. But he is also my Lord and God, who calls me to take up my cross as he did. Only then can I enter into his glory.

- Ken Canedo