Worship of Jesus- fully human and divine

Theme: Week 1- Jesus as God Incarnate
Theme for 6 Weeks- Who is Jesus and what difference does it make?

Friday:

Read Matthew 2:9-12; 28:16-20

When I think of Jesus being “fully human and fully divine,” along with some other complex realities within faith, I see mistakes that often are made: one, there is an attempt to explain comprehensively what cannot be done; and two, there is a dismissal of tough questions that a friend or someone we know poses. I believe it is a mistake to take either route.

While we can’t explain this entirely and dialogue and engagement must continue when tough questions are raised, I believe the full humanity and divinity of Jesus is a foundation for the church. Greg Boyd speaks to this uniqueness, “The foundation of orthodox Christianity is the belief the Jesus Christ is, as the Chalcedonian Creed puts it, ‘fully God and fully man.’…everything that is unique about Christianity is related to this central truth.” (p. 54, Seeing is Believing).

The earliest Christians, says N.T. Wright, “remained firmly within Jewish monotheism; and yet they said, from very early on, that Jesus was indeed divine.” (p. 117, Simply Christian). This earliest conviction has been carried on throughout history.

One of the outcomes, of which I am giving more thought recently, is worship of Jesus. Not as a separate God, but in the way God has come to us in a human. And, the great outcome of rescue from my self-centered existence and pride, and leading and providing the power to live the life God intended for us. (What we’ll open up to consider and pray about in the weeks ahead regarding Jesus.)

This is intriguing but also significant: when looking at the gospel according to Matthew, we find that at both the beginning and the end that Jesus is worshipped. (Thanks to Willard Swartley for this insight.) The magi worship Jesus when they first see him (Matthew 2:11); right before Jesus commissions his disciples in mission, they worship him (Matthew 28:17). The same Greek word is used for worship- prosekynesan.

Worship is due God alone, for the things that God alone can do. If not, it is idolatry. We worship Jesus, who is fully human and fully divine, for all that God has done through his Son.

Question: What would worship of Jesus include for me this day?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, while I can never fully comprehend all of what it means that you are God Incarnate, I will continue to give thanks that you, the one “in whom all things hold together,” came to earth as the visible expression of God. I worship you. Teach me more of what it means to worship you, Lord Jesus. Amen.