June 26
“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross,” Philippians 2:5-8.
The apostle Paul had admonished the Philippians to live as humble Christians. In the text above, he was moved by the Holy Spirit to give them and us the greatest example of humility as revealed by Christ Jesus.
We speak of Jesus’ State of Humiliation and State of Exaltation. In the State of Humiliation, Jesus humbled Himself. He always and fully possessed, but did not always and fully use, the divine attributes which had been communicated or given to His human nature.
In the Second Article of the Apostles’ Creed, we confess the events in the State of Humiliation: We confess that Jesus “was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried.” During this period of time, Jesus did not always and fully use His divine attributes.
Jesus was “in the form of God.” He was and is true God, the Son of God, equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit. However, He did not always and fully reveal the majesty and glory that were His as true God. He did not always use the power and wisdom which He possessed.
For example, He could honestly say that He did not know when the day of judgment would be, as the evangelist Mark reports: “Of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father,” Mark 13:32. In that moment, Jesus was not using His divine wisdom.
When Jesus’ enemies came to the Garden of Gethsemane to take Him captive, He did not use His divine power to avoid His captivity. However, He demonstrated that He had divine power. He asked his enemies, “‘Whom are you seeking?’ They answered Him, ‘Jesus of Nazareth.’ Jesus said to them, ‘I am He.’ And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. Now when He said to them, ‘I am He,’ they drew back and fell to the ground,” John 18:4-6. With a few words, He knocked them all off their feet into the dirt! Then the almighty Son of God permitted His enemies to tie His hands and take Him captive. He always possessed, but did not always use, His divine power.
“He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” What held Jesus on Calvary’s cross? A few spikes nailed into His hands and feet? No! He was held there by His love for sinners whom He had come to save! He had been sent by His Father to suffer and die to save all sinners! “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation . . . (God) made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him,” 2 Corinthians 5:19, 21.
Thank God on bended knee that Jesus humbled Himself to save you and me from sin, death, and the power of the devil!
Lamb of God, we fall before Thee, Humbly trusting in Thy Cross.
That alone be all our glory; All things else are only dross.
Jesus gives us true repentance, By His Spirit sent from heav’n;
Whispers this transporting sentence, “Son, thy sins are all forgiv’n.” Amen.