24 Dec Jesus is Worshipped Both in Heaven and on Earth
Isaiah 6:1–3 – I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”
Isaiah 7:14 – “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”
As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus on this Christmas Eve and tomorrow for Christmas, I thought it would be helpful and important to take a look at how worship of Jesus started in Heaven and continued to earth, when He was born as a baby, and how we can continue to worship Him as King today now that He has returned to Heaven.
In Isaiah 6 and throughout the Bible in passages like Revelation 4, the Bible speaks of God being worshipped in Heaven before He came to earth, and this same worship is now happening upon His return to Heaven after the crucifixion of Jesus. God and Jesus have two thrones in Heaven and the Holy Spirit passes between the seen and unseen realms as both Heaven and earth worship God together.
After a 400-year period of waiting and silence between the Old and New Testaments, the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) begin with the most important birth in the history of the world – the appearance of angels to Mary and Joseph to let them know they would be the parents of Jesus.
When Jesus was born, some of his extended family worshipped Him, like his uncle Zechariah, his aunt Elizabeth, and his cousin, John the Baptizer. Zechariah and Elizabeth, who were both elderly at the time of their son’s miraculous birth, praised the Lord at the miracle of their son’s birth in Luke 1:25, 67-80. John the Baptizer’s birth and ministry pointed to and ushered in the coming birth and ministry of Jesus (Luke 3).
Upon hearing that she would give birth to the Savior of the world, Jesus’ mother Mary spoke one of the most beautiful songs of exaltation in a passage called the Magnificat in Luke 1:46-55. She had every reason to fear and ask questions, but she started her song of praise with “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…” (vs. 46-47).
When Jesus was born, both angels and shepherds (Luke 2:10, 13:20) worshipped and praised Him as well as the Magi or “wise men” who brought Him the three gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Gold was generally given to kings as Jesus was the King of Kings, incense was for priests and had the connotation of purity, and myrrh for death, often used to embalm the dead and foreshadowing His death for our sins.
Today, Jesus is back in Heaven, and He is now, once again, worshipped both in Heaven and on earth. One day, Heaven will come to earth and Jesus will be worshipped together forever by all those who love and have a relationship with Him. Let us both remember those who have worshipped Him across history and look forward to that day when we will all worship Him together forever.
Read Luke 2:1-21 together as a family on Christmas morning before opening presents, remembering what this season is truly about.
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