Jesus as Lord - why is this appealing to so many?

[RoadRunner79]

While I would disagree;   that wasn't the question.  I'm trying to understand what you issue is.

I find absolute rule abhorrent because it eliminates individual agency.  People/souls should have a say in how they live their lives, or, in this case, spend eternity.  For me, there's really no such thing as a beneficial dictatorship, as the state of dictatorship is itself undesirable.  And, I believe, should be undesirable to anyone.

I also have a problem with a god who supposedly values free will, but demands we abandon it as the only path to salvation.  It's incoherent at best.

I don't think that I understand what you mean by individual agency here. How is this different between you and I? How about someone under an earthly kingdom or dictatorship? I am understanding "individual agency" as independent, and capable of choice. However I can't make sense of this in regards to how a dictatorship eliminates this (at least no more than any other form of government). I'm unsure if this part is related, but I don't believe that I have given up my free will either; I do know people who I believe to be saved, and all of them have free will. And I don't have any reason to believe that we will not have free will after sanctification. I think you may be misunderstanding something here.