Entitlement

Jesus is entitled.

Do you realize that? Of all the talk in our culture about entitlements and people who feel entitled to things they didn't achieve, Jesus Christ actually is entitled. And he deserves it.

You see, God is entitled because he's God. He made the universe. He is the embodiment of goodness. He is perfect. He is all powerful and all knowing and ever present. By being God, he is entitled to our worship, devotion, adoration, and obedience.

In a sense, that's what the Ten Commandments were about. They ratified God's covenant with Israel, but also stipulated that Israel was to only worship God, to obey his commands, and be completely devoted to him. Then, he went out to describe the proper ways to do that.

God is entitled. Jesus is God. Therefore, Jesus is entitled to those things as well.

And yet, despite that, Jesus did not take those entitlements while on earth. Paul writes in Philippians 2:5-11, that Jesus did not take advantage of his divinity on earth. He did not take advantage to all the things he was entitled to. Instead, he humbled himself by becoming human, suffering pain and suffering, and dying on a cross. He did it all for you and me.

As we celebrate Easter weekend, I am reminded that Jesus went to a cross. As God, he didn't deserve that. He deserve reverence and worship. He deserved to be treated like a king. Instead, he was treated like a criminal and killed like a slave. He endured all of that for my salvation. He loved enough to die a humiliating, painful death.

Paul writes that because of that, Jesus is now exalted above all other names. Even the demons will bow and confess that he is Lord. You will too. The question becomes whether you do that now, on Earth, while you can still have a relationship with him or whether you will do that after time is no more.

Once time is no more, there is no second chance. You will acknowledge him, but you will be separated from him forever. As sinners without Christ, we are entitled too. We are entitled to separation from God.

So will you acknowledge Jesus as he deserves to be or will you deny him? The choice is yours.

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