David Bahn – Reflections

“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.
⁹ You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”

We who confess “Jesus is Lord” have little need to be told how great Jesus is. We know he is the King of kings and Lord of lords. We have here, however, a whole chapter of Hebrews devoted to exalting Christ and proving that he is superior – even to angels. Nor do we often name angel worship as a difficult temptation. Yet here is this chapter, and here we read of Jesus’ supreme excellence and exaltation.

Perhaps that is because we don’t pay much attention to angels. Maybe we don’t recognize just how glorious those are who are ministering spirits sent by God to serve us who inherit salvation. In Daniel 10 there is a depiction of an angel whose glory is so majestic that he nearly defies description. In the book of Revelation when John is confronted by an angel, his immediate response was to bow down to worship; the angel has to tell him not to do so.

We have lost sight of the true glory of God, and for many the true glory of Jesus is lost, for we hold so tightly to the depictions of the gentle Jesus. He heals a little girl by taking her by the hand. He does not condemn the woman caught in adultery. He teaches about lost and found sheep, and teaches the Lord’s prayer.

Jesus is all these things, but so much more. He walks on water. He stills storms. He rebukes demons and casts them into herds of pigs. He defies death and ascends into heaven. One day every knee will bow to him. There will be no mistake in the end as to who is Lord and God.

It is important for us to recognize this now. For Jesus leads to life itself. Angels have no power to save. Even worse: if we lose sight of Jesus’ true glory we may be more easily drawn to worship idols of mans’ making. Technology, Hollywood and sports superstars, financial resources, or even our own success can easily become that to which we look for the highest good in life. And none of them have received the approbation of God.

Jesus alone reigns above all. Look to him alone for the greatest good in life, and follow him wherever he leads.