He humbled Himself, committed to obedience to the point of death – even death on a Cross. (Philippians 2.8)
The self-emptying of the God who comes to us in Jesus Christ is not simply a divine ‘guest-appearance’ on the human stage. It is a total disinvestment of divine prerogative and power by the eternal Word of God, the Son of God come among us. It involves a genuine pursuit of servant intentionality on His part, whereby He undertakes to abase Himself, deliberately embracing humble circumstances, that He might express obedience to the God of Israel’s will, deliberately and intentionally bending His own will to embrace the plan.
All of us are capable of fantasising, imagining what we might do if we were to inherit wealth or power. The way of thinking exhibited by Jesus Christ is seen to be, once more, so counter-intuitive to our sinful nature. It’s not a natural thing to think this way. Humility today, as in Greek and Roman pagan society, is perceived as rather a pathetic characteristic. Achieve. Succeed. Become who you aspire to be. Realise your ambitions. These are the values of a corrupted society, far from God.
Those who would enter eternal life in Christ are here called to a radically different mindset. To be marked as people under authority, walking in obedience to the publicly recognised (not simply privately discerned) instructions of the God of Israel. And this demands humility. A swallowing of personal pride. Yes, even a ‘putting ourselves down’. Utter submission to the will and the way of the God of Israel.
It is not the way of the world we live in. It is not the way of the powers and principalities that would hold us in bondage. It is, rather, the way for those who would choose to be disciples of Jesus Christ.
A choice to participate in His purposes and pursue His plans. And, as we will see, to know His power.
