Judging from the reaction of people who were exposed to Jesus, the natural response to the Lord was to fall at His feet and worship. Such a reaction in the modern world might be thought strange; first, because we are so blessed with power and dignity that it would take quite a person or deed to cause us to bow; second, because as Americans we do not recognize royalty among our fellow human beings, which is not a bad idea. (1 Sam 8)
However, being brought to our knees by the majesty and power of someone or something is well within our mental and emotional grasp. Prisoners of war often kiss the ground on their arrival back home – and they mean it. A man might fall to his knee to propose marriage to the woman who has stolen his heart with love. Who will accuse him of insincerity? To be in the presence of Jesus was to subject oneself to the power and emotion of a lifetime.
This realization washed over the apostles on the occasion of Jesus’ walking on the sea. The waves rolled, and at first they thought He must have been a spirit, strolling across the water. But Peter said, “If it is you, Lord, command me to walk to you.” And He did just that! As Peter got back into the boat with the Lord, they “worshiped Him, and said, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’” (Mt 14:33)
On another occasion as they crossed the Sea of Galilee, there was an entourage of little boats with observers, He was awakened from sleep by those who feared for their lives, and He calmed the storm with a simple rebuke: “Peace, be still.” Their fear of the storm was turned to the deepest reverence for the Master. Who could have missed this demonstration of His power? (Mk 4:35-41) This kind of power is the kind of power needed to bring about the very creation of heaven and earth. (Gen 1) To come in contact with that kind of power was to come face to face with God, and the disciples recognized this point. Eventually, even Doubting Thomas was moved to confess, “My Lord and my God!” (Jn 20:28)
On the third day after the crucifixion, the women who went to the tomb saw the angels who announced the resurrection of Christ, and as they went to tell their friends, Christ appeared to them with the exultation, “Rejoice!”
“So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.” (Mt 28:9)
In his introduction to the Roman letter Paul said that Jesus has been “… Declared to be the Son of God with power … by the resurrection from the dead.” (1:4) And what power that gospel message encapsulates! The reason so many fail to worship the Lord today is that they have not studied these passages which show the worthiness of Christ to be worshiped. As a result, they fail to see the need to obey the commandments.
“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.” (1 Jn 5:3) Those who recognize Christ for who He is find the commandments to be, at least, doable. He died for our sins, and we fail to worship the resurrected Son of God? Those women who held Him by the feet did the appropriate thing, and so should we.
Do you remember the Rich Young Ruler who came to Jesus, on bended knee, asking what he might do to inherit eternal life? Jesus kindly explained about the commandments, and then, the particular need of the young man to sell his goods. He went away sadly, for he loved his riches more than Christ. (Mk 10:17-22) The bended knee of this young man was not sincere.
It is possible for people to put more emphasis on the form than on the heart. The error here was not that the Ruler put more importance on the commandments than on his love for the Lord, but, rather, the error was that his body language said that he revered Christ while he refused in his heart to obey the command.
Yes, let us bow and pray, or kneel and pray. But let us obey the commands. Christ said, “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?” (Lk 6:46)
Near the end, when Christ was arrested by the troops at the garden, there is another instance of men falling before Jesus. Listen to John’s narrative:
Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “Whom are you seeking?” They answered Him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am He.” … Now when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground. (Jn 18:4-6)
If the occasion were not so serious it would be comical. Apparently, the very thought of arresting Jesus brought the soldiers to the ground. Once before when the Jewish officers were sent to arrest Jesus in the Temple, they returned empty-handed. Their reason for not detaining the Lord was, “No man ever spake like this man!” (Jn 7)
The police and soldiers knew Jesus, as everybody else ought to have known Him. Today, there are those who refuse to listen to His words, refuse to submit to the teachings of God. They should study carefully the aura of respect the simple personality of the Son of God evokes among those who have seen Him.
Likewise, the Word of God found in the Scripture is different from any message of man. Who dared to speak of eternal condemnation? or eternal life in Heaven? or the judgment of the souls of men? (Jn 12:48) Jesus did, and He proved the authority of His word by rising from the dead. Those who teach the Word must be careful to not add to it, take away from it, or distort it in any way. (Rev 22:18-19) “No man ever spake like this man!”
The Scripture teaches that everyone will eventually bow before Christ. “For it is written: ‘As I live, says the LORD, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.’ So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.” (Rom 14:11-12) The mighty rulers past and present; the poorest and the richest; men and women of all nations and creeds; those from every religion or belief; the learned and the ignorant – all will be there to confess. The truth will roll off their tongues unfettered.
The gospel is here to prepare us for that day. Yesterday is past and only God knows the future. We can either prostrate ourselves before the Lord here and now, or we will do it later. Submitting in gospel obedience today is a really, really good idea. Refusing to hear is to judge oneself unworthy of everlasting life. (Acts 13:46)
— George Hutto