A Proper Response

-

"But the eleven proceeded to Galilee…When they saw Him, they worshiped…" 
                                                                                                              - (Matt. 28:16-17, NSAB)

   Each of the writers of the four gospels shared their account from a unique point of view and purpose. John set out to prove that Jesus was the Son of God. Matthew wrote primarily to the Jews in effort, among others, to show that Jesus was the promised Messiah in the OT.  Therefore we should not be distraught when one account varies some from the others.  Mathew does not record Peter and John at the empty tomb, nor about His showing up in the "locked room" where they were hiding for fear of the Jews. At this point Jesus had been crucified, buried, and had risen from the grave. However, I think it is very significant to point out the reaction of His disciples when they all see Him together: they worshiped. Yes, the verse above does tell us that some doubted, but some Bible scholars point out that this most likely refers to others, possible amend the 500 other followers, that may have accompanied the disciples. Except for Thomas' reaction prior to placing his hands in Jesus' wounds, it is hard to believe that any of the eleven could doubt after all they had seen.
   For approximately three and one-half years the disciples walked with Jesus. They saw the miracles and hearings He performed, they witnessed the massive crowds that followed Jesus almost daily, they saw both the joy and anger of the people towards Him, and they watched Him die. However, there is very little said about them worshiping Him until He rose from the grave. "Worship" in this verse comes from the Greek word *proskyneō* meaning, "to kiss, (like a dog licking his master's hand); to fawn or crouch to, i.e. (literal or figurative) prostrate oneself in homage (do reverence to, adore). Proskyneō is a very visual word in that it depicts a posture of humbling oneself before another. When the disciples saw Jesus, the risen LORD, the only proper response was to worship.
   Most people in this world have at least heard of Jesus. Some have heard a genuine gospel presentation, some have heard His name mentioned in reference to religion, some have even heard His name used as obscenity. However, when we move from hearing of Jesus, to knowing and seeing the risen LORD, the One who died for our sin, the only proper action is to worship. In your life, are you worshiping Him in the same manner the disciples did? Are you humbling yourself before Him each and every day, submitting your life to His will? Do you recognize Him as the LORD, the only true God, worthy of all praise and honor? Why not take some time and give Him what is due?

Magnify the LORD and praise His name!


*James Strong, Strong's Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary, (Austin, TX: WORDsearch Corp., 2007), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: "4352".

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Don't Waste Your Pain

-
Image
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction... - 2 Corinthians 1:3-9    Affliction (pain and suffering) is an inevitable, unavoidable, and repeatable part of life. None of us are exempt. While  we would all like to avoid affliction, the truth is that pain and affliction  serve a greater purpose , whether it comes from our own choices, the ordinary course of life, an attack of spiritual forces, or from God Himself.  Richard Cecil is noted as saying, "God's way of answering the Christian's prayer for more patience, experience, hope, and love often is to put him into the furnace of affliction.” Even  though we cannot avoid affliction, we can use it for the glory of God. That’s right. Your pain can be used to glorify God. How do we do this?    First, we need to learn to receive God's comfort. Much like in life, some folks are better at letting ot...
Read more

Dependent Upon God

-
Image
Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Tell the sons of Israel to turn back and camp..." Exodus 14:1    Have you ever stopped and considered why God led the Israelites to freedom by taking them through the desert? Really, think about the process for a moment. He led them out of the slavery for a day or two, then told them to turn back towards the city of their captivity, next to the sea, and make camp. This lead to their being trapped. Then He led them to a place with with plenty of water, but it was undrinkable. Not too long after that, when all their food provisions were depleted, He led them to a place where there was no food or water for themselves or their livestock. Why would God be so cruel? Well, if you know the rest of the story, then you may already know the answer. They were never trapped, for God parted the waters, allowing them safe passage through the sea and drowning their enemies. The undrinkable water was made drinkable, and they were provided food ...
Read more

Biblical Apprenticeship

-
Image
"...Go therefore and make disciples... ” - (Matt. 28:18-20)   The Greek word mathetai is the term we usually translate as disciple, and it expresses the idea of "student" or "pupil". To me, the best understanding today of the biblical principle of disciples is apprentices. Think about it, in a typical apprenticeship a new generation of practitioners are prepared with on-the-job training and often some accompanying classroom work and reading.  Apprenticeships typically last 3 to 6 years, and generally involve four steps:     (1)  Commitment - At this level the apprentice makes the commitment to stay the course by receiving the education and training necessary to become the “journeyman”.       (2) Classroom - At this phase, the apprentice receives the information necessary to understand and work within the sphere of labor.      (3) Training - At this phase, the apprentice begins to put the informat...
Read more