WORSHIP OF JESUS
Worship is the reverence paid to God. When Jesus accepted worship, he acknowledged his divinity. The following are the recorded instances when Jesus received worship before his death:
1. Magi: “They prostrated themselves and worshiped Him” (Mt 2:11).
2. After Jesus walked on the water, “Those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God’” (Mt 14:33).
3. Jesus appreciated the faith of the Canaanite woman who “came and worshiped Him”, requesting him to heal her daughter (Mt 15: 25).
4. Hosanna: “Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest” (Mt 21:9; Jn 12:13). It was an acknowledgement of the Messiahship of Jesus and a form of worship.
After the resurrection, the disciples worshipped Jesus more frequently:
1. When Mary Magdalene and the other Mary met the Risen Lord, “they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him” (Mt 28:9).
2. When Jesus appeared to Thomas along with the other disciples and showed him his wound marks, Thomas worshipped Jesus saying, “My Lord and My God!” (Jn 20:28).
3. When Jesus appeared to the eleven in Galilee after his resurrection, they worshipped him (Mt 28:17).
4. At the ascension of Jesus, the disciples “worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy” (Lk 24:52).
Jesus never objected to anyone voluntarily worshipping him. By that, he acknowledged that he is God incarnate.