“so that everyone will honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son is certainly not honoring the Father who sent him.”
John 5:23 NLT

That is not a soft verse.

Jesus does not leave room for a vague kind of spirituality where God is respected, but the Son is politely ignored. He says that honoring the Father and honoring the Son belong together. You cannot separate them like sorting laundry into lights and darks. To reject the Son is to dishonor the Father who sent Him.

That may sound strong, but it is also deeply gracious. Jesus is showing us where true worship begins. God has not left us guessing in the dark, trying to piece together who He is from scattered spiritual clues. The Father has sent the Son. Jesus is not one voice among many. He is the beloved Son, the Word made flesh, the exact Savior sinners need.

So the question becomes personal: Am I honoring Jesus?

Not just, “Do I believe certain things about Him?”

Not just, “Do I mention His name?”

Not just, “Do I agree with Christian ideas?”

But am I honoring Him with my trust when life feels uncertain? Am I honoring Him with my obedience when His Word confronts my preferences? Am I honoring Him with my attention, or does He get the leftover crumbs of a crowded day?

That one stings a little. Maybe more than a little.

Honoring Jesus does not mean we perform perfectly. Praise God for that, because most of us would be in trouble before breakfast. It means we see Him rightly. We bow before Him as Lord. We receive Him as Savior. We listen to Him as the One sent by the Father.

And when we fail, we do not run from Him. We run to Him.

The beauty of the gospel is that Jesus is worthy of honor, yet He came to save people who had dishonored God. He obeyed where we wandered. He suffered for sinners. He rose in victory. Now He calls us not merely to admire Him, but to follow Him.

So today, pause before the next decision, the next reaction, the next conversation, the next quiet compromise.

Ask yourself: Am I honoring Jesus in this?

Not as a crushing question, but as a clarifying one. The Father is honored when the Son is treasured. And a life that honors Jesus is never wasted.

Pray This

Lord Jesus, help me honor You not only with my words, but with my trust, obedience, worship, and daily choices. Forgive me for the moments when I treat You as an accessory to my life instead of the Lord of my life. Teach my heart to treasure You more deeply. Amen.