The seat of Honor

Ephesians 1:20-23

Have you ever had the seat of honor at a very special place or banquet or as a speaker, someone in authority has said come sit in this place of honor?  Jan and I were given that honor at the funeral of our friend Laverne Hunt.  Laverne’s husband, T.W. ask Jan and I to sit with the family, what an honor; it was not expected and was a very humbling experience.  That was not the case with our Lord Jesus Christ, and it might be of interest what the angels, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders are saying about Jesus Christ’s place of honor; “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.” (Revelation 5: 9)  That is what the apostle John saw happening in heaven and he also reports that he heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand, encircled the throne an in a loud voice they sang: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”  (Revelation 5:12)

The Scriptures give this account of our Lord’s attitude: “Who, being in the very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!  Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” 

The name of Jesus is above every name and who besides humans will bow at the name of Jesus?   The apostle Peter gives this insight, he tells us that Jesus at his resurrection has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.  (1 Peter 3:22)  Who are these powers and authorities; they are both heavenly beings, such as the twenty-four elders, and the four living creatures, they are also demons of darkness and the devil. The apostle Paul tells us they are rulers, authorities and cosmic powers over this present darkness, that they are spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Let me leave you with these thoughts; Jesus is worthy of all honors, and all rule and authority and power and dominion will bow a knee and confess that Jesus is Lord.  It is also of great importance that you and I understand that we, the created, are to have the same attitude as Christ, when He found himself in the form of a man.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice