Philippians 2:5-11 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
“He came from the highest down to the lowest; then returned to the highest. The Son of God became the Son of man; the purest of men was treated as the worst; the freest as the bondservant of all; the most loving subjected to the bitterest hatred. But he gladly yielded, for so the worst can become purest, the slave free, and sons of men become sons of God.”
I ran across this quote in my devotional reading this morning. The statement needs to be pondered to extract its full meaning. It needs to be fleshed out with scripture to obtain its full understanding.
First, John 1:1-2 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.”
Second, John 1:14 “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
Third, Philippians 2:7-8 “But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
Jesus’s life was a life of victory over sin. While on this earth He was tempted with everything man would face yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15 “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.”
He lived, not as a king, but as a servant. He came to do the will of the Father. What will was that? What were God’s thoughts about man? 2Peter 3:9 “…but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 1John 4:10 “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
Propitiation is defined as the atonement or atoning sacrifice offered to God to assuage his wrath.
Fourth, Why did he come and humble himself even being obedient to the death of the cross? For the immutable law of God tells us that the “wages of sin is death”, and someone had to finally pay that debt or all would perish for “all have sinned”.
Fifth, back to the thought that the Son of God became the Son of Man. He lowered himself to the position of servant to all mankind. He was to be the untimate payment for the sins of man. This was God’s plan from the beginning. Jesus was being obedient to the wishes of God Almighty.
Sixth, the world He came to save, tormented him. Luke 22:63-65 “And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote him. And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote thee? And many other things blasphemously spake they against him.”
Seventh, Ephesians 2:4-6 “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:” Eighth, we will end this with the simpilest verse in the Bible. It answers the entire question of WHY. John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
So the Son of God became the Son of Man in order to aloow the sons of men to become the Sons of God. Praise God for His immutable plans for mankind to have opportunity to be His sons. Are you?
