Verse of the Day 12/14

 

Philippians 2:8-9 He humbled Himself by becoming obedient
to the point of death—
even to death on a cross.

⁹ 

9 For this reason God highly exalted Him
and gave Him the name
that is above every name,   Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

 

I read the following quote by C.S. Lewis this morning and in reading today's verses came to mind.  At Christmas we celebrate what we read in John 3:16 that God loved us so much that He sent His only begotten Son.  We realize that Jesus existed before this happened and in coming He "humbled Himself" taking on human form. 

 

"God descends to re-ascend. He comes down; down from the heights of absolute being into time and space, down into humanity… down to the very roots and sea-bed of the Nature He has created. But He goes down to come up again and bring the ruined world up with Him. One has the picture of a strong man stooping lower and lower to get himself underneath some great complicated burden. He must stoop in order to lift, he must almost disappear under the load before he incredibly straightens his back and marches off with the whole mass swaying on his shoulders." C. S. Lewis

 

The verses also remind us that He became obedient to the point of going to the cross, the sinless one taking on the sin of all mankind.  He humbled Himself again in going to the cross to bring us salvation.  Tim Keller, in "Prodigal God" writes, "You need to be moved by the sight of what it cost to bring you home. The key difference between a Pharisee and a believer in Jesus is inner-heart motivation. Pharisees are being good but out of a fear-fueled need to control God. They don't really trust him or love him. To them God is an exacting boss, not a loving father. Christians have seen something that has transformed their hearts toward God so they can finally love and rest in the Father."

 

This Christmas season may we be aware that God came near, that Jesus came down, He descended to re-ascend, to offer salvation.  He has called us, He has changed us, and transformed our hearts.  May we love and rest in the Father's love, in the sacrifice of Jesus, and in the power of the Holy Spirit that God sent to fill us while we wait for His return. 

 

May we "bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father." (The Message)

 

In Christ,
Mike

 

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Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV

 

Philippians 2:7-11The Message (MSG)

^5-8 Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.

^9-11 Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth—even those long ago dead and buried—will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father.