Jesus leads the church in its songs of praise. He does not just proclaim his Father’s name to those who are his brothers and sisters; he invites them to join with him as their lead singer. He teaches them to praise by giving them his word (Col 3:16) and his Holy Spirit (Eph 5:18-20). The church then sings its songs of praise together with Jesus. This amazing result of the incarnation is expressed in a number of different ways in the New Testament. Both individuals (Rom 1:8) and the church (Rom 7:25; Col 3:17) give thanks to God the Father through Jesus. They give thanks to him in the name of Jesus (Eph 5:20). Jesus is also the leader of the church in its performance of doxology. As people who serve with Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary we give glory to God through Jesus (Rom 16:27; 1 Pet 4:11; Jude 25) and in Christ Jesus (Eph 3:21). So, since we have Jesus as our great high priest who is physically related to us and able to stand in for us physically with his heavenly Father, we are to offer a sacrifice of praise to God through Jesus (Heb 13:15).
The church then follows Jesus in singing its songs and in performing its praises. It does not, however, sing its own song; it sings the song that it receives from him. Nor does it sing that song by itself with its own instruments. The vision of St John in Revelation 15:2-4 shows how the saints hold ‘the harps of God’ in their hands as they sing ‘the song of the Lamb’. The song of the Lamb is the song of Jesus, the song that he sings as he adores his divine Father. Jesus does not copyright that song, but he makes it freely available to us. We can sing it with him because he sings it for us, like a mother teaching her child to sing.
The church then follows Jesus in singing its songs and in performing its praises. It does not, however, sing its own song; it sings the song that it receives from him. Nor does it sing that song by itself with its own instruments. The vision of St John in Revelation 15:2-4 shows how the saints hold ‘the harps of God’ in their hands as they sing ‘the song of the Lamb’. The song of the Lamb is the song of Jesus, the song that he sings as he adores his divine Father. Jesus does not copyright that song, but he makes it freely available to us. We can sing it with him because he sings it for us, like a mother teaching her child to sing.
John W Kleinig, "What's the Use of Praising God?" Lutheran Theological Journal 38/2 (2004)
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