Jesus, Our Role Model For Worship, Part 1: Thanksgiving

David W Palmer

Jesus’s Example of Thanksgiving, Praise, and Singing

Jesus is our ultimate example for thanksgiving, praise, and worship; after all, he is God’s will in operation. Scripture does not give us much information about singing and music in Jesus’s life and ministry; but by definition—because he is God’s idea of a perfect man—he must be our role model for worship. So, what was his worship? What did it look like, and what were its results? In seeking answers to these questions, we begin by looking at his thanksgiving:

1. Thanksgiving in the life of Jesus

In the New Testament, we see Jesus regularly expressing thanks to his Father. Below are some places where various Greek words (translated “thanks”) were used by Jesus:

(Matthew 11:25 NKJV) At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes (babies).”

The Greek word behind “thanks” in this verse means to acknowledge or to agree fully; it’s like saying, “I recognize what you have done here, and I fully agree with it.”

(Luke 10:17–22 NKJV) Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” {18} And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. {19} Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. {20] Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” {21} In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. {22} All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”

Jesus was very excited about revelation received by “the seventy,” and by their putting what they had received into action; as a result, he said, “I thank you Father.” The word that is translated, “thank,” in verse 21 means: to jump for joy, exalt, to be exceedingly glad, and to rejoice. Wow! When Jesus thanked his Father, he was very exuberant and animated about it. He is our role model; at appropriate times, we too should thank Father with this same jubilant enthusiasm and body language.

(John 11:41 NKJV) Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.”

In this scenario, the word Jesus used for “thank” is more like our word: it means to be grateful. Jesus was grateful for the miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead; what’s more, he expressed his gratitude to his Father before it happened. The next passage tells a similar story:

(Matthew 15:36 NKJV) “And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude.”

We note that our Lord thanked God before he broke the loaves, and thus before the miracle multiplication happened. The following passage again shows Jesus expressing grateful thanks to his Father—this time for the emblems of the new covenant. He gave thanks at the outset of a major, protracted miracle, as all the amazing achievements of that new covenant were yet future:

(Matthew 26:27 NKJV) Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you.”

What can we learn from Jesus’s use of thanks and thanksgiving? We have seen that Jesus expressed enthusiastic agreement and animated joy over what his father was doing. His use of grateful “thanks” was always in the context of—and preceding—miracles: raising a dead man, multiplying loaves and fish, enacting the New Covenant, and preceding his own resurrection.

How do we apply this? Usually, the moments preceding a miracle is when we are in the most desperate need of one—facing a situation where we have no other alternatives—where only God can fix it—whether it be a healing, a weather emergency, a financial predicament, a relational crisis, or a family need. Like Jesus, we should always remember to give thanks in all circumstances … before the miracle answer comes (1 Thes. 5:18)—especially when we are in a desperate crisis looking to God.

This is usually the time when we least “feel” like thanking, and most feel like begging, trying the “pity me” approach, claiming merit through our self-righteous actions, or bargaining. Yet Jesus our role model did none of these; he demonstrated thanks in that desperate moment. What are you facing today that only a miracle from God can fix, supply, or solve? Whatever it is, begin to give thanks for it right now—with exuberant, demonstrative, agreeing thanks—even if you cannot feel, see, or touch his miraculous answer … yet!