Read: Revelation 1:5b-6; Revelation 5
. . . to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. (1:6)
A doxology is literally a “word of glory.” Doxologies are brief ascriptions of praise that Christians have used in worship since the very beginning. The salutation of Revelation 1:4 is Trinitarian. We’ve considered God the Father; we’ll look at the sevenfold Holy Spirit in a future devotional. But today the doxology is directed to Jesus, God the Son. The point is simple: Christians are people who worship Jesus.
If you want to know why, listen to John. We worship Jesus because he loves us. John said he loves us. Not, “I remember how he used to love us way back when.” Jesus may no longer be physically present, but he is still very much alive, and his love for his own continues. We also worship Jesus because he’s freed us from our sins with his blood. Jesus’ death for us on the cross is the ultimate proof of his love. It’s the “sacrifice of atonement” (Rom. 3:25 NIV) that puts us right with God by paying sin’s penalty. Though we have not yet been freed from sin’s presence in our lives, we have been set free from the guilt of sin.
And we worship Jesus because he’s given us a new identity and purpose. Peter put it like this: “you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9 NIV). —David Bast
As you pray, give glory to the One who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.
About the Author
Rev. Dave Bast retired as the President and Broadcast Minister of Words of Hope in January 2017, after 23 years with the ministry. Prior to his ministry and work at Words of Hope, Dave served as a pastor for 18 years in congregations in the Reformed Church in America. He is the author of several devotional books. A graduate of Hope College and Western Theological Seminary, he has also studied at both the Fuller and Calvin seminaries. Dave and his wife, Betty Jo, have four children and four grandchildren. Dave enjoys reading, growing tomatoes, and avidly follows the Detroit Tigers.
