Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries
"All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name"
May 17, 2020
♫ "All hail the pow'r of Jesus' Name! Let angels prostrate fall; Bring forth the royal diadem, And crown Him Lord of all, Bring forth the royal diadem, And crown Him Lord of all.
"Sinners, whose love can ne'er forget the wormwood and the gall. Go, spread your trophies at His feet, And crown Him Lord of all. Go, spread your trophies at His feet, And crown Him Lord of all." ♫
On May 12, 1937, the coronation of George VI took place in London's Westminster Abbey. As the crown was placed on his head, the crowd shouted, "God save the King!" Forty days after Easter, the church will celebrate the coronation of our Lord as we remember Jesus' ascension to rule at the right hand of the Father. The angels rejoiced as the Lamb slain for our salvation was enthroned: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever" (Revelation 11:15b).
Before He was crowned with glory, the Lamb of God was crowned with thorns. Bearing our sins in His body, Jesus was nailed to a cross. A notice above His head declared the alleged "crime" for which He was condemned: "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews" (John 19:19b). The watching crowds mocked Him because Jesus, who had saved others, would not save Himself. No one cried out, "God save the King!" Instead, they shouted, "He trusts in God; let God deliver Him now, if He desires Him" (Matthew 27:43a). But God did not save this King from death. We, the sinners for whom He died, cannot forget "the wormwood and the gall" or His desolate cry, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46b).
Jesus did not save Himself. By His suffering and death, the King saved us. His body was taken down from the cross and sealed in a tomb. But then, as foreknown before the foundation of the world, God did save the King. On the first Easter morning, "God raised Him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by it" (Acts 2:24). Jesus, the thorn-crowned King, obeyed His Father, even to the point of death on a cross. "Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the Name that is above every name, so that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:9-11).
With our sins washed away in His blood, we celebrate what our Lord did to save us. We could never do enough to be worthy of such a sacrifice. We take our own attempts to be righteous, our best works, and, in repentant humility, spread these trophies at the feet of Jesus. We hail the power of His exalted Name and acknowledge Him as Lord forevermore.
THE PRAYER: Jesus, King and Lord, You have created us anew as Your holy people. Lead us to live in love and service toward others so that we will bring honor to Your holy Name. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
1. Do you spend much time reflecting on Jesus coming to earth in human form to save us from our sins?This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler. It is based on the hymn, "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name." Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
2. What do you think it means to "Go, spread your trophies at His feet"?
3. How do you acknowledge Jesus as "Lord of all" in your daily life? Do you think others notice this about you?
Do you spend much time reflecting on Jesus coming to earth in human form to save us from our sins?
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