“What’s a kneeler?” I asked this question when I was in the sixth grade, visiting a new church and asking about the strange contraption on the back of the pew. “Oh, here! Let me show you,” my friend replied, as she sat down on the pew and reached out to swing down a cushioned rail and placed it on the floor. Once the rail was on the ground, she instinctively kneeled on the cushion and set her elbows on the back of the pew in a prayerful posture. “We use kneelers at various points in our church service when we pray or worship,” she explained.
Even though I grew up in church, given that my parents were pastors, our church didn’t have kneelers, so this was very educational for me—learning that church can have lots of different practices and expressions.
As this relates to Christmas, I’d like to suggest that kneeling is an important posture to communicate worship, reverence, humility, prayer and honor, to name a few things. With regard to Jesus’ birth, there were many people who kneeled or gave respect and worship when Jesus came into our human existence.
When we think about this, consider the various worship expressions by a variety of people when they came in contact with baby Jesus:
- Wise men: Matthew 2:11, “After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” The wise men gave gifts as an expression of worship.
- Shepherds: Luke 2:17, “When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child.” Luke 2:20, “The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.” The shepherds spread the word about Jesus as an expression of worship and communicating their supernatural experience.
- Anna, the prophetess: Luke 2:38, “At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.” Anna verbalized her gratitude to God for Jesus and spread the word about Jesus’ arrival as her expression of worship.
- Simeon, an elderly man waiting for the Messiah: Luke 2:28-32, “Then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, ‘Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation, Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, A Light of revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.’” Simeon held Jesus and prophesied about His future, in a unique expression of his worship.
As we think about these various people and groups who worshipped Jesus, let’s keep our worship of Jesus in the crosshairs of our Christmas celebrations. Maybe you could keep this famous hymn in your thoughts over the festivities of the next week:
Oh Come All Ye Faithful
Verse 1
O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant!
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;
Come and behold Him born the King of angels:
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
Verse 2
True God of True God, Light from Light eternal
Humbly, He entered the virgin’s womb
Son of the Father, begotten, not created
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
Verse 3
Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation,
Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!
Glory to God, glory in the highest:
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
Verse 4
Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning;
Jesus, to Thee be all glory given!
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing!
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
