“They Held Him By The Feet, And Worshipped…” (Ready to Worship S12E7)

This season on Ready to Worship, we are examining worship in the Gospel of Matthew. Primarily, we are focusing on the worship that was offered to Jesus in Matthew’s account. This week, we will be examining the worship of the two Mary’s (Mt. 28:1-10). For the sake of time, we will focus on one verse – Mt. 28:9. The text reads, “And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him” (Mt. 28:9). Can’t you just imagine these two women grabbing hold of Jesus’ feet and not letting Him go? What was it about His feet that caused them to hold on?

 

First, His feet were Beautiful. He had brought the message of salvation to them. In the long ago, Isaiah declared, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!” (Isa. 52:7). No messenger ever brought a better message than the one that Jesus brought! No doubt, on many occasions, they had been privileged to hear Him teach.

 

Second, His feet were Benevolent. Jesus walked around helping people. Luke records, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him” (Acts 10:38). These feet had blessed their lives and the lives of many others (Mk. 16:9).

 

Third, His feet were Bruised. Jesus’ feet had just been bruised by Satan. In the third chapter of the Bible, God told Satan, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Gen. 3:15). Satan had bruised Christ’s heel. He had inflicted great physical pain on Him. Among other things, nails had been driven through feet (Psa. 22:16; Lk. 24:39-40). Jesus had been forced to push up on those nail-fastened feet hundreds of times over the course of those six hours that Friday. The pain must have been awful. These women held onto the feet of the One who had gone to the cross and tasted death for them (Heb. 2:9).

 

Fourth, His feet were Banishing. Jesus had just walked out of His own tomb. He had just broken the bands of death. He had just banished the fear of death (Heb. 2:14-15). To John, He declared, “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death” (Rev. 1:18). These women were holding onto the feet of the One who had just beaten death. They were looking forward to the victory that they would one day enjoy through Him (1 Cor. 15:54-57).

 

As we get Ready to Worship this week, let’s remember the beautiful, benevolent, bruised, and banishing feet of Jesus. Let’s come to Him, take hold of His feet, and worship Him.