Question:
Why would a selfless martyr demand that we worship Him?
Answer:
In response, our first objective is to take the
biased language out of your question. As we ask, and are asked,
spiritual questions it is easy to slant the language to suit our
argument. This seems to be the case here. This question (one often posed
by agnostics and unbelievers) is asked with a skeptical tone. It
supposes that the Christian’s belief is that Jesus was completely
selfless in His death upon the cross. Yet, at the same time, that our
honor and worship of Christ is an ironically selfish request of the
Lord.
So, we must clarify a few things so your question is eradicated of the
bias it seems to contain. First, the term “selfless” is never a term
used to describe Jesus in the Bible. In fact, it is not in the
Scriptures at all. Along the same lines, the word “martyr” is never a
term used to describe Jesus of Nazareth by the writers of Scripture
either. It is used twice in the Scriptures to characterize Stephen and
Antipas (Acts 22:20; Rev. 2:13). Second, to characterize Jesus as
“selfless” may be true in certain acts and to a degree (i.e. his
willingness to wash the disciples’ feet, his care for the sick and the
sinners, his willingness to suffer despite the dread it aroused) but it
also can be a misleading characterization. Just because an act is
“selfless” does not mean it is “purposeless.” Jesus did have a vested
interest and purpose in the results of His life, death and resurrection
(John 14:6).
Perhaps part of our problem is that we tend to compare Jesus to other
common men. As we philosophize we put Jesus in the same category as
other common martyrs. However, Jesus did not suffer and die simply for a
political, national or ethical cause. The fundamental difference in the
death of Jesus and the death of other common martyrs is that He died for
our sins (Matthew 26:28; 1 Peter 2:24). He was not simply a martyr dying
for something He believed in; He was our sacrifice so that we would have
something to believe in (2 Tim. 1:12)!
So, in rewording the question, why does Jesus demand we worship Him?
Jesus, being the Son of God, was involved in your creation and as
co-Creator He knows what is best for your life (John 1:1-4; Col.
1:15-17). Jesus voluntarily came to earth to show us how to live and to
be the sacrifice for our sins (John 1:14; 3:16; Philippians 2:5-8). In
coming to earth, He practiced perfect obedience to the Father and
deserves to be exalted (Philippians 2:9-11). After Jesus died for you,
He was raised from the dead to prove He was God’s Son and that we can be
raised too (1 Corinthians 15; Acts 2:22-36). He did all of this because
we were spiritually dead and lost in our sins (Isaiah 59:1,2; Romans
3:23; Luke 19:10). It is the governing law of Christ we must obey and
respect if God is to bless us with the forgiveness of sins (Jn. 12:48;
Hebrews 5:8,9; Acts 2:36-38).
The condensed version of the worth of Jesus may be best found in
Revelation 4:11-5:14. “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and
honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist
and were created…You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its
seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out
of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings
and priests to our God…worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power
riches and wisdom… blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who
sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!” (4:11, 5:1,
9, 10, 12, 13).
February 2007