GOD IS LOVE Devotion 6 of 34 "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4:10) – Tomorrow:
"He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love . . . God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." (1 John 4:8,16)
We must not take our Lord's entrance into the world for granted, indulging only a consideration of our need. It is good, nay, imperative, to recall the unspeakable disadvantages Jesus experienced in coming into the world. It cost Him much to enter into this domain as a Man!
He had to divest Himself of the prerogatives of Deity, laying them all aside (Phil 2:7). It was like a person of royalty divesting Himself of His royal robes and rights, or a mighty warrior laying His sword aside. He could not enter the world "in the form of God," in which He existed prior to that entrance (Phil 2:6). He remained Divine in His essential Person, yet forfeited the right to use that Divinity, choosing the form of a servant instead. He entered into the world WITHOUT omniscience, omnipotence, or omnipresence. That Babe, "wrapped in swaddling clothes," and lying "in a manger" (Luke 2:7), could not conduct Himself as the God He was. He who attended to the needs of others must now have others attend to His needs. Joseph had to protect him, and was instructed to do so in order to protect Him from plotting Herod (Matt 2:13). Before He came into the world, He cared for Joseph, now Joseph cared for Him. Mary had to feed and cloth Him. He "humbled Himself," consenting to live in this world in a that circumstance of dependency.
In speaking of Christ's entrance into the world, Philippians 2:6 says "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God." Other versions read, "did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped" (NASB), and "He did not demand and cling to His rights as God" (NLT). The meaning is this. The Word was required to let go of equality with God, i.e., being in the form of God, in order to enter into the world as the Redeemer. He chose not to cling to that equality, that is, He did not grasp it, refusing to let it go. Further, although He was deprived of something by entering into the world, He did not consider Himself to have been robbed in that entrance. The mission on which He came was worthy of the forfeiture He realized!
He entered into a state where growth was required, and dependency upon the Father necessitated. Something of the profound humility exhibited in the enfleshed Word (John 1:14) is seen in the words, "And the child GREW, and WAXED STRONG in spirit, filled with WISDOM: and the grace of God was UPON HIM" (Luke 2:40). And again, "And Jesus INCREASED in wisdom and stature, and in FAVOR with God and man" (Luke 2:52). Ponder what humility it took for our Lord to submit to such a condition.
It required unparalleled humility. It is written, "And being found in fashion as a man, He HUMBLED himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (Phil 2:8). In order to enter the world "in fashion as a man," become "obedient," and die "the death of the cross," He had to "humble Himself," come low, abase Himself, and take the "lowest seat." He had to come down to the meaner circumstance, and even submit to being ranked lower than others, becoming "a worm and no man" (Psa 22:6).
It was necessary that He divest Himself of the rights of Deity because He was required to be "made sin for us." As it is written, "For He [God the Father] hath MADE HIM TO BE SIN for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor 5:21). When Jesus was born, He was "God manifest in the flesh" (1 Tim 3:16). When He died, He was "made to be sin" – i.e., He was sin incarnate. Also, when He died was "made a curse." As it is written, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being MADE A CURSE for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree" (Gal 3:13). He was, when crucified, because He "bore our sins in His body on the tree" (1 Pet 2:24), "forsaken" by God (Mark 15:34). What marvelous humility is revealed in the Christ coming into the world! Truly, He "humbled Himself."
When He was "in the form of God," like the Father, He could NOT be "tempted with evil" (James 1:13). However, when He entered into the world, for the very first time, He was "tempted." The temptation was stronger than experienced by those He came to save. His temptation had a broad range, so that no point of His character was untested. It is written, "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was IN ALL POINTS tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Heb 4:15). Those points are identified in the Word as "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life" (1 John 2:16). They are the three areas in which Eve was tempted. The devil caused her to see the forbidden fruit as "good for food" (lust of the flesh), "pleasant to the eyes" (lust of the eyes), and "desired to make one wise" (pride of life) – Genesis 3:6. Before Jesus entered His ministry, the devil tempted Him in the same three areas. Satan said, "Command that these stones be made bread" (lust of the flesh), "cast Thyself down; for it is written He shall give His angels charge concerning Thee, and in their hands they will bear Thee up, lest at any time Thou dash Thy foot against a stone" (the pride of life), and "All these [kingdoms] will I give Thee, if Thou wilt fall down and worship me" (lust of the eyes) – Matthew 4:3-10. These were not His only temptations, but marked a time when the devil's attempts were especially strong.
It is also said that Jesus "suffered" in being tempted. Although it is probably not limited to the Garden temptation, the suffering reached its apex there. At that time we are told that "being in an agony He prayed more earnestly: and His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground: (Luke 22:44). It is written, "For in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succor them that are tempted" (Heb 2:18). He even "learned obedience by the things that He suffered" (Heb 5:8). What person is capable of plumbing the extent to which our Lord had to "humble Himself" for this to take place?
If you begin to imagine that you have been asked to endure difficult things, think of the cup Jesus was commanded to drink. How He struggled with that cup! Hear Him agonize before the Father in a bloody sweat as He thrice prays. "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt" (Mat 26:39). It is no wonder that it is said He offered up prayers with "strong crying and tears" (Heb 5:7). As you ponder the extent of the humility required for Jesus to enter into the world, it will alleviate your own sorrows, and open the door for rejoicing to enter into your heart.
And what does the entrance of the Son into the world confirm to us? What compelled such a thing to take place? How is it that the Word, while "in the form of God," said, "Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering Thou wouldest not, but a body hast Thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin Thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do Thy will, O God" (Heb 10:5-7). It is THE LOVE OF GOD that is revealed by His only begotten Son being sent into the world, and coming voluntarily, eagerly, and joyfully.
PRAYER POINT: Father, I thank You for the great love that is made known in Jesus coming into this world to be the propitiation for my sins. In His blessed name, I ask for grace to see His humility to such an extent as to make obedience sweet and temptation tolerable.