honor – DrakeCity

Humiliation and honor really do not go together. In fact, if you receive one, you are usually experiencing the opposite of the other. If you are humiliated, you certainly do not feel honored. When you are honored, humiliation is not part of the process.

The Bible paints a different picture, though. In Matthew 26-27, for example, Jesus Christ experiences the epitome of humiliation. Yet, in and through that humiliation, honor occurs in two important ways.

1. GOD IS HONORED

First and foremost, God the Father is honored through the obedience of God the Son submitting Himself to shame, humiliation, and death. Yes, Jesus did all of this for the sake of our salvation, but He did so, above all, for the glory of God.

Jesus humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death— even to death on a cross. For this reason God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow— of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth—and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:8-11).

Because the Father and the Son are One (John 10:30), of course, Jesus is also honored in and through His humiliation. Humiliation – the humiliation of Jesus Christ – honors God.

2. WE ARE HONORED

As sinful people who have rebelled against our perfect Creator, we do not deserve honor. In fact, what we deserve is the shame, humiliation, and death that Jesus experienced. We deserve hell. Yet, Jesus took on Himself the humiliation that we deserve so that we could receive the honor and inheritance that only He can offer. In Christ, we can receive the honor of adoption into God’s family, resulting in eternal life. Because of Jesus’ humiliation, we are honored – honored to be called children of God.

On Sunday morning, Lord willing, I will preach from Matthew 27:1-31 on “The Humiliation of Jesus,” sharing three aspects of Jesus’ humiliation that His followers should expect, too. That sermon should be available HERE on Sunday afternoon.

The humiliation of Jesus ought to humble us in our response to Him and in our service to others. We ought to have a different perspective on our world and circumstances than we otherwise would if we had not experienced God’s forgiveness through Jesus’ sacrifice. Praise God that because of His love for us, we have the promise of life and honor that only He can give.

Please realize, though, this honor cannot be earned. This honor is not deserved. This honor is not our right but rather a consequence of Jesus’ humiliation. Honor and eternal life are only for those who turn from their sins and place their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. We must know Him to receive the honor that is eternal.

Do you know and follow Jesus? Are you humbled by the reality that “to all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12)?

If you want to know and follow Jesus Christ, check out THE STORY.

One week ago, we brought home the newest member of the Drake family – a two-week-old Golden Labrador we named Lottie. Having grown up with labradors, I knew it would not take me long to fall in love with little Lottie. It has not taken Marsha and our kids long either.

One thing I love about Lottie, and I think most people love about dogs, is how excited she is to see me when I greet her after being away from her. For example, when I walk into our garage at 5:30 in the morning and wake her up, she is thrilled to see me and seemingly happy to be awakened. Then, as I go for a walk outside, she follows me around, not even needing a leash (not yet, at least).

Lottie makes me feel honored, in a way. Granted, I am not honored if and when I have to clean up her poop, but I am honored by her sincere excitement and loyalty.

PUPPY LOVE WILL NOT DO

While some might be tempted to think, though, “I’ll honor God like my dog honors me,” puppy love will not do. Sure, Lottie shows me a great deal of love and affection, but she would do the same thing if another owner came along and took her for a walk in the morning. Puppy love, at its core, is shallow and immature. Yes, it can be a blessing in some ways, but God deserves so much more than just puppy love.

God is our “great King” (Malachi 1:14), and He is worthy of all of our praise and devotion. He does not share that honor and glory with another, as He is the only One who is worthy of such honor.

Dogs are great at honoring and showing love, but their honor and love can be misguided, not to mention pluralistic. We can learn something from dogs about unconditionally loving people, but we ought not model our love for God after our dogs’ love for us.

Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands” (Matthew 22:37-40).

Dogs are good at loving their neighbors (i.e. their masters) as themselves. Let us do better at loving one another and loving those around us. God, though, deserves much more love and much more honor. Let us love Him with all our hearts, with all our souls, and with all our minds. Otherwise, we dishonor Him.

DISHONOR IS DEVASTATING

As God made clear in Malachi 1:6-14, anything less than complete devotion to God is equal to despising God. Then, as you can read in chapter 2 – from where I will preach, Lord willing, Sunday morning – the result of that dishonor and despising is devastating.

“If you don’t listen, and if you don’t take it to heart to honor My name,” says the Lord of Hosts, “I will send a curse among you, and I will curse your blessings. In fact, I have already begun to curse them because you are not taking it to heart” (Malachi 2:2).

What is more devastating than being cursed by God? If you only love your God as much as your puppy loves you, God’s curse is your promise. Do not settle for puppy love. Give God and God alone your everything.

EXAMINE YOUR HEART

We would all do well to sincerely ask ourselves, “Am I honoring God with my life? Is He truly glorified through my attitude, words and actions?” Where is the honor?

If you lack the desire to honor God above all, perhaps you have yet to fully surrender your life to Him. He sent His Son Jesus to make a way for you to be right with Him now and for eternity.

If you have truly turned from your sins and surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, still continue to challenge yourself each day to consider if you are truly honoring Him. Make sure you have a church family and some reliable Christian friends holding you accountable.

Puppies are cute, and puppy love can be adorable, but puppies and puppy love do not save us from sin or enable us to endure. Seek God through His Word, be committed to His church, and be faithful to His mission.