For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11
Recently my wife and I attended church with my aunt and uncle. The service that they normally attend is more traditional and utilizes many hymns. On this particular Sunday, we sang “Fairest Lord Jesus”. It’s a beautiful hymn that both inspired praise and sent my mind racing in several directions about what it meant; whether those singing were engaged with message of the words; what does fair mean in this context; is the glory of Christ was still held above the glory of nature; and whether or not the nations, our nation, or even the body of Christ recognizes Christ as Lord.
Engagement
That morning I was truly engaged. However, I often struggle to glorify God due to distraction, mental fog or other symptoms diverting my attention away from worship. It is regularly a fight to truly praise our Lord rather than merely mouthing words. I trust that this is true of others as well. Nevertheless, it is a battle that I (we) must keep fighting. So many things deflect our attention; however, when we make the effort to rise above them and worship even in the worst of circumstances, we truly honor our God as we not only worship Him, but also testify to the hope that is within us. It is a hope that says God dearly loves us and one day He will heal our pain, bring comfort to our grief, renew our souls and draw us close to Him. It recognizes that our fair Savior knows our frame and intercedes on our behalf with our loving heavenly Father.
Fair Defined
It was at the bottom of the list, but I finally found a definition of “fair” that truly describes our Lord: “free from blemish, imperfection, or anything that impairs the appearance, quality, or character”. As Christ is both “the Son of God” and “the Lamb of God” (John 1:29) this certainly fits both His attributes and the context of this Hymn. As the King of Kings, not only is He fair, but He is also fair. That is, He is both perfect and just. In fact, as our savior, He has sacrificed Himself for our sins and has treated us better than we deserve.
Worship
As the song says, the creation of God…the earth, the heavens and all that is in them is truly fair. God’s creativity and precision in the creation of all that exists is definitely mind boggling and should stir a sense of awe. That is undoubtedly what drives people to enjoy the woods, the seas, sunny days and starry nights whether or not they recognize it. Sadly though, I fear that too often it is the creation of God rather than our creator God that is worshiped. As we enjoy the world that God has placed us in, we should remember the words of 1st Corinthians 8:6 which remind us that “yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.” Again, we do well to join with creation and declare the glory of God and our Savior through whom all things have their being.
Intercession
Christ is positively the King of Kings. God the Father has given Him authority over all things. Sadly, since the fall of man, there has been a failure to recognize His reign. Most nations, do not recognize Him as Lord. Even our own nation which was founded on faith in God has turned from Him just as the Israelites did. Finally, it seems that many churches no longer recognize His authority and accept only the truths of scripture that bring comfort while ignoring those that are socially unacceptable. As we consider the words of this song, we do well to pray for the body of Christ, our nation and the nations of the world that God would touch the heart of all to cause them to “confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.”
Reprieve
Christ is unquestionably fair, and pure. He surely should be our glory, our joy and our crown. Life can be very difficult at times. Shifting our focus from our trials and suffering to the beautiful world around us and to our Savior that sustains it allows us to adore, glorify, honor and praise Him. This not only provides a mental reprieve from our pain, but frees our “woeful hearts to sing.” Further, it testifies to the world that Christ is nearer, fairer and dearer to us and that He is the King of Kings.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit,
Will