Jesus, Worthy of our Worship

What if God told you that He wasn’t worthy of your worship just because He was the creator of the Universe, just because He saved you, just because He gives you eternal life, or just because He blesses you? Of course, God is worthy of our worship for all of these reasons and so many more; we could write a litany of reasons that we worship Him! What, though, would you say if God revealed He was worthy of worship because He has suffered too? Have you ever thought about that? For some of us, that hits home, and it hits home hard. For some of us, our life has been full of suffering.

Let’s set the stage, shall we? Many millennia ago, our forefather and foremother were in a lush garden, wanting for nothing, and living in peace with the wild animals. Now fast forward several millennia. We find Jesus in a desolate wilderness with nothing, and subject to the dangers of the wild animals. Although these two scenes, one in the Garden of Eden and the other in the desert, could hardly be any more different, they share something in common: Temptation. The ancient serpent and great tempter, Satan, tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden and tempted Jesus in the desert. Now, temptation is awful. Fighting temptation means fighting our impulses and desires, it means denying ourselves. It’s hard and it can hurt….really hurt. Anyone who has been on a diet and has had to say no to that piece of chocolate cake understands.

Enter Jesus. Our Lord and Savior not only endured forty days without food but met the temptations of the enemy with a strength that we should all hope to emulate. Satan tempted Jesus three times, and each time Jesus overcame. Jesus suffered from all of the negative effects that come from not eating for forty days (some of us get hangry from missing one meal!) and yet He denied the advances of the enemy. Jesus is worthy of our worship because He understands what it means to suffer, and let’s make this clear, He suffered for you. He endured suffering so that you could be reconciled to God and have everlasting life with Him. He is worthy of our worship because of His supremacy as well as His suffering.

Questions to ask yourself:

1. Have I ever thought about all of the ways that Jesus has suffered? Is it easier for me to relate to, and thus worship a God who has suffered like me?

2. What are some other reasons that Jesus is worthy of my worship?

What’s next?

1. Spend time with Jesus and thank Him for who He is and what He has done for you. Allow yourself to drink deeply from the knowledge that Jesus loves you so much He was willing to suffer for you.

2. The next time you spend time in worship, think about all of the ways that Jesus is worthy of your worship!

Pray this prayer

Jesus, you are infinitely worthy of my praise and worship. I come before you in awe of your strength, obedience, and unwavering trust in the Father. Lord, you faced the temptations of the enemy, struggles that aren’t dissimilar to my own, and you overcame them! Allow me to walk the path you have created, strengthen me against the temptations of the enemy, and be with me as I face my own spiritual challenges.