Thursday September 8

Worshiping at His Feet

Throughout the long years of Christian history, the church has been divided over the issue of Christ’s divinity. Was He truly the eternal God, One with the Father since eternity? Or was He created later, a being who came into existence through the creative power of the Father?
Though early on in our own church some confusion on this matter existed, Ellen G. White made it very clear years ago what her position was—a position that, as a church, we have fully accepted today:
“ ‘His name shall be called Immanuel, . . . God with us.’ ‘The light of the knowledge of the glory of God’ is seen ‘in the face of Jesus Christ.’ From the days of eternity the Lord Jesus Christ was one with the Father; He was ‘the image of God,’ the image of His greatness and majesty, ‘the outshining of His glory.’ It was to manifest this glory that He came to our world. To this sin-darkened earth He came to reveal the light of God’s love,—to be ‘God with us.’ Therefore it was prophesied of Him, ‘His name shall be called Immanuel.’ ”—The Desire of Ages, p. 19.
Read the following texts. What do they tell us about the deity of Christ? Matt. 2:11, 4:10, 9:18, 20:20, Mark 7:7, Luke 24:52, John 9:38.
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Jesus was very clear in His response to Satan (Matt. 4:10) that the Lord alone should be worshiped, which leads to the important point shown in the texts above: Christ never refused their worship. There is no example of Jesus telling the numerous people who worshiped Him, Don’t worship Me, point your worship only toward the Father. In fact, the opposite is the case.
Read Luke 19:37–40. What does Jesus’ response to the Pharisees say about His attitude toward those who worshiped Him?
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The point here is to reiterate a theme seen all this quarter, which is how crucial it is that Jesus be the center and focus of all our worship. Every song, every prayer, every sermon, everything that we do should, in one way or another, ultimately direct our minds toward Christ, the incarnate God who offered Himself as the sacrifice for our sins. Worship that leaves us with a sense of awe, love, and reverence for our Lord is worship that is no doubt pleasing in His sight.