Is it right to worship Jesus, or only God?
The Bible's own worship practice answers the question. Angels and apostles refuse worship with horror, yet Jesus accepts it freely, and at history's high point every created thing worships the One on the throne and the Lamb in the same breath. Worship is the Bible's most practical doctrine of who Jesus is: He receives what no creature may take.
This question arose from studying If God is a consuming fire, how can anyone approach Him? and What is worship, really?.
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Not a summary of these passages: the passages themselves. Read them, then come back to the study below.
The study
What the Scripture says
Every creature may not be worshiped
Twice in Revelation, John falls at an angel's feet and twice he is stopped: 'Look! Don't do it! I am a fellow bondservant with you... Worship God.' Peter has the same reflex when Cornelius kneels: 'Stand up! I myself am also a man.' The rule could not be clearer, and it runs through the whole Bible: worship belongs to God alone, and every faithful servant of God refuses it.
I fell down before his feet to worship him. He said to me, “Look! Don’t do it! I am a fellow bondservant with you and with your brothers who hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God, for the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy.”And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
When Peter entered, Cornelius met him, fell down at his feet, and worshiped him. But Peter raised him up, saying, “Stand up! I myself am also a man.”And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him. But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man.
Jesus received worship without correction
Against that backdrop, notice what Jesus does when people worship Him. The disciples in the sinking boat worship Him, saying, 'You are truly the Son of God!' Thomas falls before the risen Christ with the highest confession in the Gospels: 'My Lord and my God!' No angel voice stops him; no apostle corrects him; Jesus affirms instead of refusing. The one person in Scripture who never declines worship is the one who shares the Father's nature.
Those who were in the boat came and worshiped him, saying, “You are truly the Son of God!”Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.
Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
Heaven worships the Throne and the Lamb together
The climax of Revelation 5 is a single hymn to two persons: 'To him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb be the blessing, the honor, the glory, and the dominion, forever and ever! Amen!' Then 'the elders fell down and worshiped.' If worshiping anyone but God were idolatry, this scene would be heaven committing it in unison. Instead, worshiping the Lamb precisely because He was slain is the definition of true worship.
I heard every created thing which is in heaven, on the earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb be the blessing, the honor, the glory, and the dominion, forever and ever! Amen!” The four living creatures said, “Amen!” The elders fell down and worshiped.And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.
saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who has been killed to receive the power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessing!”Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
So the question turns back on us
Jesus said that true worshipers worship the Father in spirit and truth, and truth includes everything the Father says about the Son: all things made through Him, the exact representation of God's nature, the name above every name. To admire Jesus while withholding the worship angels are forbidden to receive is not humility toward God; it is disobedience of heaven's clearest instinct. The question is not whether we may worship Jesus, but whether we will.
But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to be his worshipers.But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who has been killed to receive the power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessing!”Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
As you read, you may wonder…
Scripture raises the next question
Studying the Word naturally opens more of it. Follow what you just read: it leads somewhere.
Continue this trail
What are God's people supposed to do when they gather?→“They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer.And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”Why does the Bible command singing? And what if I don't feel like it?→“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord.Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”What is the Spirit's role when the church gathers?→“What is it then, brothers? When you come together, each one of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has another language, has an interpretation. Let all things be done to build each other up.How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.”Is all of life worship, or only what happens on Sunday?→“Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service.I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”What will worship be like in the new creation?→“I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple.And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.”What is Paul saying about men and women in the church?→“But I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God.But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.”Explore further
Is Jesus really God?→Jesus Christ trail“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”Hold onto these
Verses to meditate on
I heard every created thing which is in heaven, on the earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb be the blessing, the honor, the glory, and the dominion, forever and ever! Amen!”And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
I fell down before his feet to worship him. He said to me, “Look! Don’t do it! I am a fellow bondservant with you and with your brothers who hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God, for the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy.”And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
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