Jesus, The Supreme Example

He Humbled Himself . . .

In his Theology text, Millard Erickson gives a simple diagram of the humiliation and exaltation of Jesus. I recently created my version of it for some sermon notes. This resume of Jesus is powerfully presented in Philippians 2:1-11, where we are told that the kind of self-giving attitude that we see in Christ's incarnation should be ours (v. 5). Among the amazing truths found in this passage is one that always leaves me shaking my head in amazement. When I look at the side of the diagram that depicts God the Son's humiliation I see that He is the one who initiates the actions. He didn't regard the privileges of Deity as something to be selfishly held to. He emptied Himself. He humbled Himself. He obeyed. Yet on the other side of the diagram, He is the one Who is acted upon. God (the Father by implication) exalted Him. God gave Him a name above every name. At the crisis moment of His humiliation, we don't see Jesus strutting around like an over-confident, spoiled child who knows that it will work out. No, He prays, "If it is possible, let this cup be taken away from me" (Matthew 26:39). "Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed" (John 17:5). He trusts.There isasenses--out there beyond my ability to grasp--in which the situation was out of control for the Son of God, but He did what He tells us to do, "Seek first the Kingdom of God . . ." (Matthew 6:33). So, the God of the universe prays. He prays a prayer, not unlike one that will be offered by millions of children today. "Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord, my soul to keep." There is more to this Christmas story than we know or understand. STTA (Something To Think About).