Is It Appropriate to Worship Jesus?

It's not surprising that some cultists, who deny the deity of Christ, avoid worshiping the Lord. What's shocking is that some—who are quite sincere, but should know better and hopefully will learn better—are expressing opposition to the idea that Christ is worthy of worship.

For example, one man has compiled a substantial list of songs he believes should be removed from church hymnals because they address Christ in worship. In fact, a recently published hymnal has removed songs that include any direct address to the Savior!

Is this view on worshiping the Lord valid? We confidently deny that it is.

Both Testaments repeatedly affirm that a divine being is worthy of worship. A sample of such passages can be found in Psalm 18:3; Matthew 4:10; and Revelation 22:9. If it is alleged that only the Father is under consideration in such passages, we reply that this is an unwarranted assertion not only lacking proof but also contradicting other biblical references.

The truth is, God deserves worship and praise. If it is the case that Christ is divine (John 1:1; 20:29; Hebrews 1:8), and if deity is worthy of worship, then it follows that Christ is worthy of Christian praise.

Jesus Accepted Worship

During his earthly ministry, Jesus often allowed others to worship Him. There are many passages portraying the Lord in this way (see Matthew 8:2; 9:18; 14:33; 15:25; 20:20; Mark 5:6-7; John 9:35-38). It is not sufficient to argue that these texts merely show that some people revered Jesus as one would honor any important dignitary.

Consider, for instance, the disciples' demeanor after Jesus walked on the Sea of Galilee. When the Lord entered the boat, these men "worshipped him, saying, Of a truth you are the Son of God" (Matthew 14:33). They were honoring him as divine. That is beyond dispute.

Furthermore, it is important to note that whenever people bowed before the Lord and worshiped him, he never rebuked them or implied that he was unworthy of such praise. Christ contrasts sharply with Peter, who refused worship (Acts 10:25-26), and with angels, who also did not permit themselves to be so honored (Revelation 19:10; 22:8-9).

Angels Worship Jesus

Even the angels worship Christ. In one of his foundational arguments for the superiority of the New Covenant over the Old, the writer of Hebrews affirms that all the angels (through whom the Mosaic law came) worship Christ (the author of the new law). In fact, they were commanded to do so: "Let all the angels of God worship him" (1:6).

Since angels worship Christ and we are lower than they are (Hebrews 2:7), it is clear that our worship of the Lord is entirely appropriate. Surely, anyone who carefully studies the fifth chapter of the book of Revelation will see that the Lamb of God is worthy of the worship of all creation. In fact, Jesus receives the same kind of adoration as the Father (see 5:13b).

All Will Worship Him

Paul explicitly states that Christ is so exalted that, in his name, "every knee should bow" and every tongue confess that he is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11). The reference to bowing the knee is a clear allusion to worship (cf. Isaiah 45:23; Romans 11:4).

Clearly, Christ is worthy of worship. Those who object to such are in error.