Worship theology centers on the ministry of Christ as the mediator between God and man. Jesus is the divine, eternal Word that comes in the flesh (John 1:14), establishing him alone as worthy of worship. As evidence, Jesus accepted worship (Matt 14:33, 28:9), while all other NT followers refused worship offerings (Acts 10:25,26). Jesus is worthy of this worship as the only one who shares the divine glory, perfection, and authority of the Father as equal (John 5:16-24; Heb 1:1-9; Phil 2:6). Larry Hurtado contends in early Christian practice, “Jesus was not reverenced at God’s expense…Jesus is included along with God as recipient, and Jesus divine status is articulated with reference to God.”[1] Christ is the only name that every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess as kyrios (Phil 2:6-11). Worship transcends to the Father through the exaltation of the Son (Eph 5:19,20; Heb 13:15).
However, the divinity of Christ should not diminish his full humanity. Within his humanity is robed his ministry as high priest before God (Heb 4:14-16). His humanity made perfect obedience and sacrificial death possible, providing the pathway for humankind’s relationship with God. Jesus is described as the only mediator between the Father and sinful humanity (1 Tim 2:5).[2] Worship relies on Christ’s atoning work applied through faith in the gospel. He became the curse deserved by his creation to redeem a people for himself (Gal 3:10-14).[3]
The intersection between the divinity and humanity of Christ lies in the model for worship. Jesus demonstrates perfect love for the Father in a myriad of ways. He displayed reverent obedience and flawless worship through constant prayer (Luke 5:16), Scriptural immersion (Luke 4:16-21), observance of the law (John 7:10), and a passion for the Father’s will (John 4:34). The life of Christ presents a model of worship for all those who heed his call to “Follow me.”[4]
The life of Christ inaugurated the kingdom of heaven and provided a new covenant way of living. Jesus fulfilled the OT sacrificial system instituted to foreshadow the coming of the Messiah. He has become the high priest and perfect sacrifice (Heb 7:23-28). The veal torn signifies the obsolescence of temple rituals (Matt 27:51; Heb 8:13, 10:1-4). In Christ, all worshipers have direct access to the Father. Grenz summarizes, “…our faith assertion that Jesus is divine consists that Jesus did indeed claim unique relation to his Father, and the Father confirmed this claim…by raising Jesus from the dead.”[5]
Therefore, all Christian worship centers on the person of Jesus Christ and what he has done for his people. Hurtado echoes this when he states, “I contend that in historical terms, the eruption of this cultic veneration of Jesus is perhaps the most significant development in emergent early Christianity, particularly in the first century.”[6] Believers worship in Jesus’ name through his intercession, by his atoning work, modeling his life and teaching, with full anticipation of his return. The weekly gathering around the Word rehearses the full story of God’s grace unveiled in Jesus Christ. This produces an outpouring into daily living that serves to worship the Lord, who redeemed his people at infinite cost to himself. The meaning of worship is found exclusively in the assurance of Christ’s completed work, offering eternal union with him.[7]
[1] Larry W. Hurtado, Honoring the Son: Jesus in Earliest Christian Devotional Practice (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2018), 31.
[2] Erickson, Christian Theology, 755–56.
[3] Erickson, Christian Theology 865.
[4] Donald Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christ Life (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2014), 102–3.
[5] Grenz, Theology for the Community of God, 260.
[6] Hurtado, Honoring the Son, 30.
[7] Petersen, Engaging with God, 105.
Josh Cehulik 