Introduction: Jesus is Glorious
Over the next two weeks we are going on a journey, an adventure, to discover that God is majestic and to let that truth influence how you view worship.
Read these talks during your private devotions with God or print all six of them and use them for daily family devotions for the next six days. Start reading them aloud on Monday and finish on Saturday. This will prepare you for Sunday morning worship.
I promise you will not view worship in the same way after reading these devotions.
Part one of six
A woman entered a Haagen-Dazs store on the Kansas City Plaza for an ice-cream cone. After making her selection, she turned around and found herself face to face with Paul Newman. He was in town filming the movie Mr. & Mrs. Bridge. He smiled and said hello. Noticing Newman’s blue eyes caused her knees to shake. She managed to pay for her cone, then left the store abruptly with her heart pounding. When she gained composure, she noticed her snack was missing. Returning to the store she met Newman at the door. “Are you looking for your ice-cream?” he asked. Unable to speak she simply nodded. “You put it in your purse with your change.”
Majesty is a lost concept in America. A few years ago, I visited Buckingham Palace. It was adorned with high black iron gates, the royal guards, and an ornate building that took your breath away. It was a majestic setting.
Here dignitaries from around the world meet with others possessing great power and authority. Standing outside the gates you feel the importance and appreciate the beauty of this place.
What is Majesty?
The Bible speaks of majesty not as a place but as a person. One of God’s names is “Majesty.” This particular word is associated with worshiping God in Christ. To attend Sunday morning worship is to commune with Majesty. That sounds exciting, but is it? Is worship on Sunday mornings something that inspires and draws out of us a sense of awe and anticipation that we are about to meet someone very, very famous? Or, have we become so casual about worship that we forget exactly who we are giving our attention to?
Meeting someone famous naturally impacts some senses and dulls others. The same is true when we enter the presence of Jesus in worship. Our minds and hearts react in ways we may not fully understand or be able to control. After all, he is the most famous person you will ever meet.
Jesus is Majestic
When we worship Jesus, our pulse should quicken. Why? Because he is majestic. Our hearts should skip a beat. Why? Because he is almighty. Our palms should sweat. Why? Because we are in the presence of our Creator. Our legs should weaken at the knees. Why? Because we are in the presence of an immovable holy God.
Each believer enters worship from a myriad of circumstances; none the same as another’s. Yet, all Christians share a common denominator as they approach God in worship—they experience the majesty of Christ.
“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So, he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs” (Heb 1:3-4 NIV). One of God’s names is “Majesty.”
What is the majesty of God? Psalm 93, a Messianic psalm, describes the coming of the Anointed One as majestic. Jesus is the Anointed One and the Anointed One is God. When we enter the presence of Jesus in worship, and more so, upon his returns, six things, that accumulatively define his majesty, will invade the space we occupy. Today we will discuss the first characteristic of majesty known as glory.
1) Jesus is Glorious
He is robed in majesty. The Hebrew literally reads the Lord is “wrapped in excellent things.” Christ is robed in brilliant light. Ezekiel saw the pre-incarnate Savior. He called it a vision of God.
“Above the expanse over their heads was what looked like a throne of sapphire, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day so was the radiance around him” (Ez 1:26-28 NIV).
John also saw the glory of the ascended Jesus. “I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone “like a son of man,” dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters” (Rev 1:12-15 NIV).
What did Ezekiel and John see? They saw Jesus in his glorified state, ruling the universe.
It’s amazing and comforting to know our Savior is the most glorious and excellent being in the universe. He is worthy of our worship for he reigns in majesty.
“The LORD reigns, he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed in majesty” (Ps 93:1 NIV).
