The Spirit of Christ

Key Thought | Wherever God is truly worshiped, Jesus is present; and wherever Christ is truly worshiped, God is enthroned.

Key Scripture | “saying: ‘I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.’ And again: ‘I will put My trust in Him.’ And again: ‘Here am I and the children whom God has given Me.’”  — Hebrews 2:12–13 (NKJV)

A few days ago, I wrote a devotion on Hebrews 11:11, and today we follow that up with verses 12 and 13.

One of the most amazing things Christ does in corporate worship is that He sings with us, offering praises to God. It’s hard for our human minds to grasp this truth, but Jesus so deeply identifies with His people that when we worship, He Himself joins in.

Why is this important? For several reasons:

• First, Jesus came to reveal the Father. He is the exact manifestation of God’s love toward us. Too often, we live under the lie that the Father is angry with us. This shows we haven’t yet fully seen Him as Jesus revealed Him to be: loving, merciful, and present. Jesus’ purpose was to reveal the Father to us, and we will spend eternity worshiping Him, not just in song, but through lives of continual worship.
  
  
• Second, as God is worshiped, Christ is magnified. What’s remarkable about the Trinity is how each person glorifies the other. When God is magnified, we receive a greater revelation of Jesus, the very testimony of who He is and what He has done.
  
  

As God is worshiped, the testimony of Jesus, the One who brought together the family of God through His sacrifice, is revealed in a deeper and more powerful way. That truth becomes revelation to the redeemed.

The passage in Hebrews is a messianic prophecy drawn from Psalm 22, which also declares:

“But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel.” — Psalm 22:3 (NKJV)

Wherever God is enthroned, Jesus is present. This is why when we gather as a church, we must remember that our worship is for Him, and in doing so, His presence is revealed among us.

Another verse echoes this truth:

“And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, ‘See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.’” — Revelation 19:10 (NKJV)

John’s instinct was to worship the angel. He got it wrong, and I love that honesty. It reminds us that we sometimes do the same. We worship what we can see, or we get caught up in the instrument instead of the One who deserves the praise.

Wherever God is truly worshiped, Jesus is present; and wherever Christ is truly worshiped, God is enthroned. I believe this is what Jesus meant in John 4 when He said:

“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” — John 4:23–24 (NKJV)

Prayer | Lord, help me to see You rightly and to worship You in spirit and truth. Thank You for revealing the Father’s heart through Jesus and for joining us in worship. May my life be an offering that magnifies You and enthrones You in every moment. Amen.

Reflection | When you gather for worship, do you realize that Jesus Himself is present, singing with you, revealing the Father’s heart, and drawing you deeper into His presence?

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