John 5:22--23
For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to
the Son, in order that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the
Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent
Him.
NASB
In the name of the One Who will judge the nations, amen.
The earliest heresies of the church are still with us today. Groups like
the Jehovah's witnesses are still denying that Jesus is true God. They
make Him less than what He really is. We too are subject to doubt in
this area. It is hard for us to do multiplication instead of addition.
We have trouble understanding that Jesus is 100% God times 100% man. At
best we want to make Him 50/50.
But in this verse of Holy Scripture we see that we are to honor the Son
just as we honor the father. At the same time we read in another place
(Isaiah 42:8), "I am Yahweh, that is My name; I will not give My glory to
another, nor My praise to graven images." If Jesus is not true God, how
could it be that God wants Him to be honored just as the Father is
honored?
St. Thomas bowed before Jesus and worshipped Him saying, "My Lord, and My
God!" Jesus did not refuse such worship, but the apostles refused it,
angels do refuse it, and King Herod was struck down for allowing people
to give him such praise. Truly Jesus is God, even as the Father is God
or He would have been destroyed for accepting such glory for Himself.
So How is the goodness of God shown to us in this? It is shown to us in
the fact that God Himself came to live among us in a way that would not
destroy us. If God came among us with all His glory revealed, it would
destroy us. But God Hid His glory in human flesh and blood so that He
could live among us and save us from our rebellion against Him. Just as
Satan hid himself in a snake in order to deceive, God hid Himself in
flesh and blood in order to save. In doing this He lived a perfect life
for us, died an innocent death that paid for all our sins, and rose again
to give us eternal life. That is the goodness of God in Christ Jesus our
Lord! Amen.
Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, you hid Your glory in our flesh and blood in order to
save us. Help us by Your Holy Spirit to give You the honor that belongs
to You, the glory that was Yours from the before the world began, amen.