The Attributes of Jesus: Worthy to be Worshiped
“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Philippians 2:9-11
As I write today, my heart is smiling. Praising Jesus is one of the easiest and most natural things I do. It is so natural and easy because we were made to worship our Creator. In the same way a child loves and sings the praises of his parents, we sing the praises of our Lord and Father. It is a natural and expected reaction to Jesus Christ.
We have spent the past month in advent, anticipating the arrival of Jesus, our King. Christmas is over and now we can sit in worship of His arrival and who He is. He is God in the flesh, the Almighty, Prince of Peace, All-knowing, All-powerful, Light of the World, and our Savior.
No other creature, not even angels, is worthy of our worship, only God alone. Philippians 2 says that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Notice it says everyone and everything in heaven, on earth, and under the earth will do this. Everything and everyone, despite the choices they have made, will still acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord of Lords and King of Kings. Jesus’ deity will not be mistaken by any creature.
In heaven - “When God brings his firstborn into the world, He says, ‘Let all God’s angels worship him.’” Hebrews 1:6
On earth - “He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him.” Daniel 7:14
Under the earth - “‘What do you want with us (demons), Son of God?’, they shouted. ‘Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?’” Matthew 8:29 The demons acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God.
What an amazing and glorious picture that is. All creatures, even those who deny Jesus Christ will bow down in His presence. When Jesus’ glory is revealed, everything will be made known. There will be no more questioning, confusion, doubting, or denying. Jesus’ true reign will be seen by all and at that time it will be too late to change your decision. Jesus wants our loyalty from the beginning not only when we see Him face to face.
John, the author of Revelation, was blessed with a glimpse of what this all-encompassing worship will look like. It will be a sight to behold and one that we should live in anticipation of seeing for ourselves.
John says in Revelation 5:11-13, “Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and elders. In a loud voice they were saying:
‘Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!’
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:
‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power for ever and ever!’”
What a beautiful sight that will be. When we are all joined together as God’s family in worship to our King.
As we approach the new year, how can we get our mind set on a year full of worship? Just because Christmas 2021 is in the past does not mean we can set it aside and forget about our anticipation of the coming Messiah. Worship is important to God, and He planted that importance in our hearts. I ask myself, “Is there an area of my life where I squash Jesus’ worship?” Are there areas that I try to hide from Jesus? If we are hiding areas of our life from Jesus, we cannot be open to worshipping Him at all times. When we worship Jesus, we are reverently worshipping and paying homage to Him. As I evaluate the television shows I watch, the decisions I make in weak moments, the words that come out of my mouth, or the confusion I allow to seep into my thoughts, I see they cannot co-mingle with my reverence for God.
Now, let’s look at this practically because I think this can be taken overboard. This world will not allow us to sit all day every day singing praise songs, on our knees in deep conversational prayer 24/7, or reading the Bible all day. But we can be more intentional in noticing if what we are doing is reverent to God. Is what I’m doing at this moment something God would be proud of?
If we live this next year practicing that mindset, that lifestyle will become natural. Our regrets will become fewer and our worship will become greater.
Digging Deeper:
What is your favorite way to worship Jesus?
Does worshipping Jesus help you to feel more connected to Him?
Is there something in your life that cannot co-mingle with your worship to Jesus?