Getting Job-ed
O Come let us Adore Him… – O Come All Ye Faithful, 1751, John Francis Wade
Christ is the Lord, then ever! ever praise we! His power and glory, evermore proclaim!- O Holy Night, 1843, Placide Cappeau and Adolphe Adam
Christmas is about worship. We worship and admire anything and everything, even the most ridiculous of things. God, the Creator of the universe and of all existence, came as a human being. This was not just a prophet: This was God Himself. Truly God, truly man. Jesus shows up in the 1st century with the weight and authority of Yahweh in the Old Testament (see our article on Who is God: Jesus). He deserves our absolute praise, honor, and devotion that makes everything else we hold dear look minute in comparison. Have you ever pondered your existence? This is why you exist: to praise God’s glorious grace (Ephesians 1:4-14).
Worship
As mentioned, we worship anything and everything. We are like fish attracted to fishing lures: anything flashy catches us and we are drawn to it. This says much about the condition of our fickle hearts, especially when there is a Being that exists that is of infinite worth and value. His attributes are limitless: infinite holiness, infinite love, infinite beauty, infinite knowledge, infinite power, infinite wisdom, infinite justice. This is something we can only begin to scratch the surface of. He, indeed, is worthy of all of our praise and honor.
When God came to us as a human in the person of Jesus, He is worshipped even as just a little baby and child. The wise men come to worship in Matthew 2:1-12, the angels and the shepherds praise the baby in Luke 2:8-20, Simeon picks the child up and worshipped Him in Luke 2:25-35, and Anna praises Jesus in Luke 2:36-38. This is not just a normal child that has come, this is God in the flesh- Immanuel, which means ‘God with us’ (Matthew 1:23).
Worshipped for All Time
Jesus is worshipped for all time. It’s so easy to leave the story of Christmas to Jesus as a baby. Jesus came with a purpose. Let’s fast forward to Revelation 5:9-10, 12-14 ESV:
And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth…”
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!”
And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”
And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
Conclusion
We’re coming to a close of the advent season. Advent is a time for us to refocus our lens on the only One that is truly worth focusing on. It’s a time to turn from everything that had us focused on such inferior joys and pleasures that can never truly satisfy our souls. Christmas is a time to worship the only One that is truly worthy of worship. Advent should call us to bend our life to 1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” We will always worship something. There is a lot in the world that is demanding our worship, that which is so incredibly inferior.
-Austin
