Worship: Jesus Enthroned in Our Hearts

Good morning, Immanuel. Let's bookend our days and our lives with worship.

“When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh” (Matthew 2:10-11).

“So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him” (Matthew 28:8-9).

Photo by Eric Rothermel on Unsplash

Have you ever wondered why there are multiple accounts of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus in our Bible? The four gospels preserved in our Bibles are like the various facets cut into the face of a diamond. These different angles provide more angles for the light to gleam and more opportunities for us to marvel. The beginning and end of Matthew’s gospel give glorious insight into Jesus. 

Only Matthew's gospel records the Magi's visit to our Lord Jesus. In chapter two, the magi travel from the East. Their purpose is singular. They do not travel for a selfie or a souvenir. They come to worship Him. They rejoice exceedingly, fall to their knees, and offer Him their treasures. 

Twenty-six chapters later, in the last chapter of Matthew, the same verb shows up twice.  Worship. In verse 9, the women disciples of Jesus who discovered the empty tomb “took hold of his feet and worshiped Him.” A few verses later, when the eleven disciples saw Him in Galilee, “they worshiped Him.” In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus Christ, God the Son, the Beginning and the End, is to be worshiped from beginning to end. The worship of Christ fittingly bookends the gospel of Matthew. 

Worship is a word we use so often that we can lose sight of its meaning. The best hymns often give such terms their currency back: William Dix’s 1865 hymn, What Child is This?, wrote, “Let loving hearts enthrone Him.” Worship is Jesus enthroned in our hearts as He is enthroned in heaven. Worship is Jesus rightly known, treasured, valued, and praised. Worship is Jesus “before all things” in our hearts.

Here is John Stott on worship: “God is not an appropriate object for cool, critical, detached, scientific observation and evaluation. No, the true knowledge of God will always lead us to worship . . . Our place is on our faces before Him in adoration.” On this epiphany, follow Matthew’s lead. Let us bookend our days and our lives with worship.