But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Though being in the form of God and equal with God, He voluntarily emptied Himself and made Himself of no reputation by taking the form of a servant in the likeness of men, becoming truly human while remaining truly divine. He veiled and laid aside the visible splendor and manifestations of His divine glory and majesty so finite sinful people could behold Him without being consumed. He took fallen human nature as the race existed after four thousand years of sin, with its infirmities and weaknesses, yet without moral stain or taint of sin, living from babe to manhood tempted in all points yet sinless. He lived in poverty, humility and lowliness as a servant rather than as a king, then humbled Himself in progressive descent even to the ignominious death of the cross as substitute and ransom, after which God highly exalted Him so every knee shall bow and every tongue confess Him Lord. By clothing divinity with humanity He could touch humanity to lift it from defilement, restore God's moral image, overcome where Adam failed, and enable believers to partake of the divine nature and receive eternal life, calling all who receive Him to have His lowly self-denying mind in unity and service to others.
Meaning of Self-Emptying
Though He was in the form of God and equal with God, He voluntarily emptied Himself and made Himself of no reputation by taking the form of a servant in the likeness of men, becoming truly human and living as a man while remaining truly divine. This laying aside was a willing humbling to the conditions of human life and the responsibilities of a servant in behalf of sinners, assuming human nature from heaven and the Father's bosom. In doing so He laid aside and veiled the visible expressions and manifestations of His divinity and glory, yet without giving up His divinity, living among people in poverty, humility and lowliness, unrecognized, unhonored and often scorned. Though mortal as a member of the human family, He remained the source of life as God, innocent and obedient, who freely accepted death and bore the world's sins as Sin-bearer to make reconciliation possible and give humanity life. His becoming human also enabled Him to suffer temptation so He can help the tempted, and His humility and selfless service are the pattern believers are to have in themselves by putting aside rivalry and pride, valuing others, caring for what concerns them, and serving from gratitude and love rather than grudging selfish motives.
He veiled but did not surrender His divinity, laying aside royal robe, crown and glory and clothing divinity with humanity. He veiled the dazzling splendor and outward display of His divine glory and came to live as a man among men, revealing all of the nature and attributes of the invisible God that sinful human beings could bear. The reason was that sinful, finite people could not have endured the sight of His heavenly glory in its full power and would have been consumed and destroyed before it, so He came in human form that they might behold Him without being destroyed and become acquainted with their Creator. In that lowly human appearance He was not outwardly equal to the angels of heaven, His emaciated condition and lowly surroundings not displaying the glory of His divine character, yet as divine-human Saviour and head of the fallen race He shared human experience from childhood to manhood and lived in perfect obedience so people might be raised and become partakers of the divine nature.
His disrobing of divine character and the majesty and glory of the Highest to clothe divinity with humanity was the marvel of angels in self-denial and self-sacrifice. It belongs to the great mystery of godliness, revealing the character and attributes of God — His benevolence, mercy, long forbearance — and His example of perfect obedience. It contains yet-unlearned truth about God's word, giving new views never yet fully learned, a most valuable study that taxes the intellect, strengthens mental ability, and yields hidden treasure to diligent searching so that the lover of truth breaks out in triumph. Believers are to let this mind be in them by filling the mind with His humiliation, contemplating who He was and what He laid aside to become man.
Emptying Himself means He did not seek honor or put self first, but subordinated everything to His Father's will in lowliness of mind. It means doing nothing through strife or vainglory, esteeming others better than self, and looking to the things of others and not only to one's own things, against self-inflation, self-admiration, talk of qualifications, evil surmisings, pride that loves not humility, and the impatience and fretfulness of the human heart. His self-emptying in leaving heaven's royal courts, taking humanity and becoming poor so people might be made rich was not for worldly pleasure or extravagance, but the example of self-denial and service for others. Learning from Him means yielding pride and desire for supremacy so self no longer rules the soul, enduring contradiction of sinners without being wearied and faint, coming to take His yoke, walking in the path He marked with feet in His footsteps, and pressing on to the full stature of men and women in Christ until complete in Him.
Divine Identity Retained
In becoming human He did not give up His divinity but remained God, Creator, Lord of life and glory and Fountain of life, veiling only the visible expressions of it while taking human nature and the form of a servant. His humiliation did not lessen His divine identity, for He clothed divinity with humanity as the divine-human Saviour and head of the fallen race, becoming truly human and obedient unto death to pay the price of redemption. Though He was God He did not appear in divine glory because sinful people could not have endured its sight, yet it remained loyal for angels to bow before Him even in humiliation.
The One who did this pre-existed in glory before the world was formed in the form of God, equal with God in character, the express image of His person, brightness of the Father's glory, Mediator and only begotten Son, the Eternal Son. He was Commander of all the heavenly hosts, King of glory worshiped by all the heavenly messengers in the heavenly courts, Majesty of heaven and Creator, mighty and infinitely gifted beneath the disguise. He was from the beginning before He became human, and this truth of His pre-existence is invaluable to the believer, full of mightiness and power and a solid rock foundation for faith centered in Him. He was sent forth in the fullness of time out of the pity, sympathy, benevolence and goodness of God to meet the deep necessity of fallen man bound to Satan, appointed in the councils of heaven and leaving the royal courts fully prepared. He came to a world marred and polluted with sin as Instructor, mysteriously allying Himself to human nature and walking this earth as the Eternal Word, to the astonishment of the heavenly host and the surprise of the world.
Though one with God as Creator, commander, king, majesty and Lord, He voluntarily emptied Himself by His own choice and not by compulsion, having pledged before man was created to give His life. In becoming man He veiled His divinity and the attributes He possessed as one equal with God, outwardly appearing as the son of David without displaying the full significance of His character. Because divine glory would have overwhelmed humanity, as humanity could not endure the presence of even a pure bright angel from glory, He did not take the nature of angels but came as a man in genuinely human appearance. At times His divine character nevertheless shone forth so powerfully that His perfect human form showed unmatched benevolence, love and holiness, and spiritually discerning people recognized Him as the Son of God while His inherent power and dignity awed people even as they loved Him.
He laid off His ruling dignity over the angels, giving it back to the Father, and laid aside His office as heaven's Commander, entering a path of deepening humiliation from rejection to condemnation, spitting, striking, betrayal and the cross. His sacrifice is given to be believed and made a part of life by appreciating His love and character and imitating that character, living out humanity to the perfection God requires even from childhood. He left heaven's throne, royal honor, crown, royal robe and scepter, and His riches, majesty, high position, authority and command with the Father, laying aside royal glory, honor, rank, robes, position and authority to take human nature and the form of a servant. Though equal with God, beloved Commander one with God in the bosom of the Father, He stepped down to poverty and lowly circumstances rather than comfort among the rich, moved by infinite pity to give fallen people another trial on probation and to redeem them by engaging the prince of darkness in firm, humble obedience.
He left heaven's purity, peace, joy, glory and immortal life and a home of pure contentment, exalted holiness, unalloyed joy and full approval of God with glory enshrouding the Father, giving up the companionship of angels to live among fallen, sin-polluted humanity. He came to a world marred with sin and seared with the curse to endure degradation, shame, insult, torture and death as a sacrifice of benevolence and love for the fallen race, experiencing human sorrow and temptation so He could help the tempted. He did this to save souls and those who would be saved, that man would be more fully united to God, the connecting link between heaven and earth broken by sin would be restored, and man would be given power to overcome Satan's devices.
Human Nature Assumed
He took fallen human nature, described as the likeness of sinful flesh, yet without moral stain or taint of sin and without losing dignity and glory, so that He could bear every transgression. He veiled the signs of His divinity and united divinity with humanity so that humanity could become a channel between God and people and divine power could restore them to God's likeness, becoming poor so they might become rich. He humbled Himself as the sinless, exalted Son and eternal Word made flesh, placing His feet in Adam's steps to cope with the foe who triumphed over Adam and to open redemption from Adam's failure for all who believe. He lived among people in lowly circumstances rather than with royal power, sharing the hardships of the poor, neglected and suffering, and descending step by step in humiliation to make expiation for a perishing world.
He took the form and nature of fallen humanity, not as Adam stood in Eden in purity and strength but as the race existed four thousand years after the fall. He came with the ordinary features of the human family and the Jewish race, without unusual beauty or appearance to compel belief, so that faith would rest on perfect character and prophecy rather than sight. He shared physical, mental and moral degeneracy, infirmities, weaknesses, woe and affliction, and in that nature His strength was not even equal to the angels. He entered the conditions where Adam failed and faced a more severe test, overcoming Satan through obedience, purity and steadfast integrity, with His righteousness imputed to believers so they can overcome in His name. He came as humanity's representative, substitute and surety to show humanity was not beyond God's power to reclaim, though His humiliation and sufferings moved angels with love and grief who were not to intervene.
He came after four thousand years of sin had weakened the race, accepting the results of heredity as shown in His earthly ancestors, sharing human sorrow and temptation and living a sinless life as an example. He exchanged heaven's throne for the manger and His condescension continued in that acceptance of weakened humanity. He passed through discipline and the experience humanity must face, passing through human doubts and needs from babe and child to manhood with temptation, trial, sorrow and grief so He could know human needs. He laid aside heavenly majesty to come as a little child, as a babe in Bethlehem living among people, enduring human temptation while remaining loyal to the Father to redeem fallen humanity over the ground where Adam fell. His victory makes it possible for people to lay hold of His divinity and escape corruption by accepting it by faith as their own, and His humiliation gives hope of glory, shows sympathy for the lowliest, and sanctifies every part of human life for humble work.
He took human nature from His earliest years and from childhood carried out perfection, living out humanity to the perfection God requires. He laid aside royal glory, crown, robe and ruling dignity over angels, giving it back to the Father, to come as a helpless babe and child with poor parentage, sharing human growth and experience rather than coming with legions of angels. His divinity clothed with humanity worked for men even from childhood, carrying out the pattern of perfection until rejection, betrayal and the cross, and by coming as a child and growing up He drew near to understand people and deal with them. He shared human weakness, trials and temptations yet endured without sin, uniting divinity and humanity to become the link between fallen people and the Father, so that relying on His power people can resist Satan, overcome evil dispositions and escape the world's corruption. He came in human form to demonstrate unselfishness and to free people from Satan's power at the cost of His life for the whole world, making salvation available to every accepter and eternal life possible.
Though equal with the Father in dignity and power He took humanity and a servant's place with divinity united to humanity at the head of fallen humanity. He lived as a poor man among people, often hungry, weary and without a home, facing temptation as people do yet living perfectly as an example. Keeping that human level, though He had known honor in heavenly courts and absolute power, was as difficult for Him as rising above the low level of depraved nature to partake of the divine nature is for people. His taking humanity meant truly enduring hunger, weakness, hardship, trials and afflictions for thirty-three years. During the fearful wilderness trial He was for a time left alone to cope with the terrible foe while suffering and physically weak.
He faced Satan's attacks from birth through death yet remained spotless, loyal and sinless, and thereby knows how to help the tempted. His coming made Satan fear loss of rule yet exult at having Him within reach, so every temptation was brought against Him in the wilderness and through life without turning Him from self-denying love for humanity. In human likeness He was tempted in all points like humans are, and His great sacrifice to come in human flesh shows people may cooperate with Him with no sacrifice too great to keep passions and inherited and cultivated tendencies under control. Though tempted in all points like humans with temptation matching His holiness amid depravity, He had no evil propensity and remained sinless. The strength of His temptation matched the perfection of His holiness, and the depravity around Him made earthly life continual sorrow, yet by divine grace He overcame every temptation brought against Him. As humanity's Substitute and Surety He lived a sinless life in human nature and bore the burden of the fallen world's sin, which enabled Him to bear the world's sins and to help the severely tempted, a mystery that does not make Him merely human.
Lowly Earthly Life
He lived among people in poverty, humility and lowliness, not as a king demanding homage but as a servant to aid and bless, sharing human experience from childhood to manhood while remaining God with divinity veiled because sinful people could not endure its sight. He was unrecognized, unhonored and often scorned, though mortal as a member of the human family and the source of life as God, freely accepting death and bearing the world's sins to give life, and His poverty was part of His legacy and atonement, the whole series of sorrows compassing humanity borne on His divine soul, not only betrayal and agony. His self-emptying puts to shame selfish ambition and strife for position and obligates every believer rich or poor to unselfish liberality with every power for souls for whom He died.
His appearance was not meant to attract through outward beauty or compel belief by sight, for faith was to rest on excellence of character and prophecy, not on personal impressiveness. Having been taller than any angel, majestic and lovely in heaven, He took ordinary form and began ministry only a little taller than the common size of men then living, by God's order to be made perfect through suffering and to know how to help the tempted. He took the ordinary features of the human family and the Jewish race without unusual beauty or marks to draw attention, coming as humanity's representative, substitute and surety to show humanity was not beyond God's power to reclaim.
He shunned all outward display and did not come as an angel in heavenly glory or as a king with earthly pomp or with angels and trumpets, and though He could have entered Jerusalem so He remained in accepted humility until He gave His life. His glory was veiled so majesty of outward form would not become an object of attraction, and His humble uninviting appearance did not distract hearers from truths He taught as example of self-denial and constant labor. He purposed that no earthly attraction should call men to His side, since riches, worldly honor and human greatness can never save a soul from death, but only the beauty of heavenly truth must draw followers upon testimony of the word where Messiah was foretold. He treated wealth, social rank and earthly dignity as worthless, choosing an obscure despised home in poverty without diminishing divine dignity so even the lowly could approach and hear.
His human form was perfect and His bearing and face showed unmatched benevolence, love and holiness, and His inherent power and dignity awed people even as they loved Him. At times His divine character shone forth so powerfully that spiritually discerning people recognized Him as Son of God, though outwardly the son of David He did not display full significance but passed through discipline and experience humanity must face. He did not take the nature of angels because divine glory would have overwhelmed humanity, as humanity could not endure even a pure bright angel from glory, so He came as a man.
He accepted poverty and lowly circumstances, born as a helpless babe with a manger for bed and beasts around Him in Bethlehem, brought up in obscurity in Nazareth proverbial for wickedness of humble poor parents. He worked as a carpenter with His hands to do His part in sustaining the family and remained subject to parents sharing thirty years of family burden, living without luxury or settled home, at times with earth for bed as a homeless wanderer. He shared the experiences of the poor, oppressed and suffering with weariness, hunger, thirst and frailty, as at Jacob's well, and did not use His power to escape the human condition He had chosen. His humiliation did not lessen His divine identity or make it disloyal for angels to bow before Him.
He voluntarily chose an obscure home among the poor in Nazareth rather than rich homes or palaces, raised in obscurity and beginning work in poverty without worldly rank, showing God introduced the gospel unlike worldly methods of recognition. He laid aside royal standing to become part of an earthly family of lowly circumstances to give living example of meekness and open the way for even the lowliest to approach Him as friend. He came not in public splendor of a prince with angels but in lowly human form so every person could be embraced in salvation. He would not explain the mystery of His birth or coming down from heaven nor point to miracles to defend Himself against leaders who despised Him as Galilean laborer of doubtful parentage, yet His words and works revealed His true character so hearts open to light could recognize the only begotten full of grace and truth.
He could have taken any position but greatness and rank were nothing to Him and He selected the lowest and most humble walk, born poor on His mother's side while God owner of the world was His Father, with no luxury, ease, selfish gratification or indulgence but continual self-denial. He chose the lowly condition of the far greater number so the humblest believer could never say He never knew pinching poverty, so the poorest would not shun His society, so He would be accessible to all and truth of heavenly origin alone would impress hearts. He truly became human with all its ills, spending most of earthly life in patient toil in the carpenter shop at Nazareth, living in a peasant home, wearing coarse clothes, walking to and from humble work in garb of a common laborer side by side with peasants unrecognized and unhonored though ministering angels attended Him. Though Lord of life with the same power later used to feed five thousand with five loaves and two fishes, He supported His family by daily labor and never used divine power to lessen burdens, lighten work or flinch from severest trials, thereby honoring hard toil by His footprints and showing industry is duty and labor honorable.
He could have come surrounded by angels with legions at command but was born as a helpless babe in a stable to lowly parents and lived through infancy, childhood and youth as humans do. He worked as a carpenter to help support the family and faithfully fulfilled duties of an obedient son subject to parents for thirty years, teaching diligence and care for those entrusted. He laid off royal crown, robe and ruling dignity over angels giving it back to the Father and came as a little child to live out humanity to the perfection God requires, His divinity clothed with humanity working from childhood carrying out perfection until betrayed and hung on the cross. His taking humanity while remaining divine, the Creator equal with the Father higher than angels appearing as helpless infant, is beyond comprehension and the hope of fallen humanity in whom people see God.
He humbled Himself to live among people, share common experience and adapt to condition with sympathy to reach hearts and work for soul recovery, learning carpentry and working with His hands and for wages, dignifying useful labor by example. He lived thirty years unhonored in obscure Nazareth with no home, walking, teaching, enduring hardness as a loving son, and His life of perfect obedience even when parents did not understand gave example without offense. He came as a babe of humble parents in poverty experiencing hardships humanity faces and was tempted in all points where men are tempted, taunted as humiliated beneath His mighty foe yet unable to be destroyed until medical missionary work was done when He tasted death for every man. He was educated under supervision of heavenly angels and worked at the carpenter's trade though Prince of life and Saviour, sent to give children a life that measures with the life of God.
His humble life sharing workers' life, born to poor parents and learning the carpenter's trade, was part of transforming character and bringing heavenly riches, not royal ease. His accepting poverty and humiliation and working with His own hands as a common laborer enduring hardship gives humble people facing difficulties reason not to be discouraged. It was no part of His mission to exercise divine power for His own benefit to relieve suffering or save Himself, and He never did so in a single instance but came to save others and bring blessings, hope and life to the afflicted. When men in fury sought to kill Him He was rescued by angels sent for Him rather than by His own power, and He bound Himself by contract with the Father to be a probationer keeping humanity's level. He refused to manifest power to create sensation, prove He was Saviour, force acknowledgment, satisfy curiosity, spare pain, or deliver from injury, and keeping that low level was as difficult for Him as rising above depraved nature to partake of divine nature is for men, requiring strength of all faculties to resist using power over darkness so in weak humanity He could overcome on man's account.
He accepted human life and temptation while remaining loyal to His heavenly Father, not using power for outward display or summoning angels to aid Him though heaven's Prince. He took human nature and met human circumstances as a man, enduring cruelty without departing from the Father's will, sustained by Godlike fortitude uttering no murmur, and would not use miracle to satisfy curiosity or spare Himself pain people must endure. He came without worldly splendor or kingly authority, meek and lowly rather than compelling obedience, taking servant form and accepting humiliation and suffering. The proud self-righteous unbelieving Jews expected Saviour and King clothed with majesty to compel Gentiles to yield, and because they did not expect humiliation they would not receive the meek Jesus though they would have received and worshiped Him had He come in splendor.
Though Creator moving in His own empire He was not recognized, confessed or worshiped by the nation He came to bless, but walked scattering blessing with no anthem of praise, the air freighted with curses and blasphemy, scarcely a voice calling Him blessed, hand stretched in friendship or roof proffering shelter. The people He came to save met Him with insult, hatred and abuse, and angels guarded Him until His saving mission was complete. He volunteered to stand between wrath and guilty people to learn temptations by experience, complete work as teacher, then be handed to wicked men stirred by Satan to bear scorn and almost every cruelty, hang as guilty sinner with bodily and far greater mental pain under sins of the whole world, with only a few receiving Him while nearly all hated, then die, rise the third day and ascend to plead.
His life was continual humility, one condescension after another ever lower as servant, leading to being despised, rejected, forced to flee to save life, and at last betrayed, rejected and crucified, driven by tender compassion and unparalleled love. He traveled on foot teaching by the wayside, was tried and condemned by people He had delivered, rejected, spat upon and struck, laboring for others, caring for disciples, bearing burdens, sharing poverty and denying Himself to lay down life as redemption price. He left heavenly home, majesty, riches and high command and took humanity in sinful likeness to save the fallen race, which honored humanity and should have led to glorify God, yet the infant found no rest or safety and God could not trust Him to inhabitants but sent angels to preserve Him until finished when He died at hands of men He came to save to lift them to His throne.
Though He came to save, many absorbed in worldly concerns did not recognize His worth or welcome His mission, causing Him deep sorrow, for He came as man of sorrows acquainted with grief. He did not come as temporal king to deliver from earthly oppressors but as man among men in poverty at last to be despised, rejected and slain as sacrifice fulfilling every requirement of broken law, in whom types met antitype giving significance to the entire Jewish economy. By self-emptying He secured probation in which people can be transformed into divine likeness, laying aside robe and crown to live from infancy to manhood the life humans must pass. For human sake He became poor that through poverty fallen people might be made rich, since eternal riches come only by heaven's plan, and divinity and humanity united stood beside people in every emergency facing temptation as they do.
He left the royal courts and came in person as teacher with divine power and infinite knowledge because men needed His presence to come to correct knowledge, yet men refused light and chose defective ways. He exchanged crown of glory for thorns, clothing divinity with humanity in self-denial, bearing insult, shame and mockery while going city to city because those He came to save sought His life though no fault was in Him but because He taught heavenly truth they would not receive. He came in humble servant form rather than worldly majesty as prophecy matched, calling people to God to reconcile humanity, though Jews expecting glorious king rejected Him. He covered divinity with humanity for the Jewish nation setting aside honor to seek fruit from highest to lowest finding none, fleeing accusers, carrying rebellious people on His heart in continual miracle and mercy yet meeting disbelief, demands for more evidence and plotting, so He wept in agony over Jerusalem as desolation came.
Though few recognized Him as He truly was, John saw this humility and came to know Him through close study and lived experience. His humanity so completely veiled glory that even disciples struggled to believe and His death made hope seem perished, yet His humble service in washing their feet showed true service as humanity's representative and Advocate able to sympathize with weakness. His divinity was enshrouded in humanity as He lived among people with human necessities, bodily wants, weariness and temptation yet without sin, braced by whole nights in mountain or desert prayer for the tempted and needing refreshing to meet trials and Satan. Though not dependent on human sympathy He did not reject it but found welcome and rest from hostility at Bethany.
He took servant's form in constant self-sacrifice among the poor, needy and suffering unrecognized and without honor, healing those needing help and pointing them to God, strengthening His humanity through prayer amid daily temptation and opposition. His humble life laid foundation for religion without caste where Jew and Gentile, free and bond are equal before God. He lived a perfect life free from self-seeking wholly given to service of others, in contrast to those filled with desire for wealth, power and supremacy with envy and strife. Though angels would have honored Him He went unhonored meeting reproach, and even when healing and comforting few praised Him while the powerful disdained Him, as part of work as substitute bearing penalty to lift, cleanse, give righteousness and exalt believers.
He left heaven and took humanity living purely among people of low reputation, choosing a lowly home showing no place is beneath dignity of faithful service and pride in status has no place. Making home in despised Nazareth in poverty He made no distinction by wealth or rank keeping lowly welcome, teaching inward Christlike character matters more than outward dignity. Though Majesty and King His outward appearance was plain marked by travel and weariness, yet divine nature was present and His purity, goodness and love not outward attractiveness drew people. He stooped from heavenly glory to humility and poverty taking servant's place, and His lack of even a place to stay illustrates the poverty He accepted.
Suffering Death and Exaltation
He humbled Himself in deliberate progressive descent from heaven to earth to death, even to the ignominious death of the cross, giving up position, scepter, throne and angels' homage in obedience to the Father until lifted on the cross to draw people, where self-denial could go no farther. He humbled Himself in obedience even to death on the cross, bearing the world's sins as Sin-bearer, substitute and ransom, paying the debt with His blood and making reconciliation, atonement and deliverance possible. Not only betrayal and agony in garden and on cross but His poverty and whole series of sorrows compassing humanity borne on His divine soul were part of the atonement.
When the world's sins were laid on Him He was counted among the unholy as substitute with the curse falling on Him, bearing guilt, woe and wrath, shedding blood to satisfy justice so people might escape eternal death, fulfilling every requirement of the broken law with types meeting antitype in Him. He became humanity's substitute, surety, representative and Advocate, standing in man's place to suffer, bear God's wrath and penalty, and without humbling to death He could not have borne transgression; He then ascended as propitiation for the whole world. He gave His divine life as ransom and took sin's burden and penalty in love, and every blessing comes through that sacrifice.
The glorious Redeemer left glory to give His life and die, the just for the unjust, bearing mocking, scourging, crown of thorns and bloody sweat under the world's sins to redeem people by His blood. Rich yet becoming poor, He lived with nowhere to lay His head, was wounded for transgressions and bruised for iniquities to bring peace and healing. He gave everything in continual self-denial to depths of woe, enduring torturing agony and most ignominious death fulfilling prophets, yet meeting indifference and scorn, purchasing unsearchable riches at immense cost. He voluntarily descended lower until no lower depths remained to save man under death sentence, and though legions of angels would homage Him He walked unhonored as poor, scattering blessings and healing, yet took the malefactor's place to bear traitors' penalty and by atoning death lift, cleanse and exalt believers to His right hand.
He stooped to take human nature and entered humiliation to bear infinite woe as offering for sin, though He had shared glory with the Father before the world existed. In taking human weakness He took infirmities and sorrows as a man of sorrows, wounded for transgressions, descending step by step as complete unstained offering combining priest and victim as Passover sacrificed, giving His body to be rent, scourged, crowned, crucified and buried, then rising triumphant and continuing as high priest after Melchizedek's order. His humiliation included voluntary death, burial in Joseph's tomb, resurrection, ascension to the city of God, and ministry as Advocate in heavenly courts, by which life and immortality were brought to light, heaven will be peopled, and Satan's extermination purpose was defeated.
His saving work is centered in death, resurrection and ascension, and His life shows how to honor God through obedience so following Him leads to life with Him in heaven. His human life was free from corruption yet as God He remained life's source who could have withstood death but freely accepted it to give humanity life and immortality. He laid aside glory to experience what humans pass through and understand from satanic agencies what they contend with and judge faithfully. He humiliated Himself to lowest depths yet remained untainted with no reproach turning Him, remaining in accepted humility bearing humanity's burden until He gave His life ending His mission to a fallen world.
He suffered beyond any other in carrying out saving sacrifice, leaving a pattern of love, patience and self-denial to be copied though it cannot be equaled. His earthly humiliation leaves marks He will ever carry even while redeemed host and angels honor Him as slain, so fully appreciating this sacrifice brings harmony with heaven and triumph in every condition. He left heavenly glory and royal throne at great sacrifice to bless humanity, accepting weakness and death to give immortal life as a man of sorrows, and His humiliation remains forever visible in the marks of the slain. He laid aside the glory He had with the Father before the world existed, took servant form at immense sacrifice to minister and begin redemption, at last becoming a man of sorrows mocked by those He came to save and giving His life for them.
He willingly left the Father's presence to live amid suffering, insult and abuse and accept death so others might have life, as mercy and sacrifice for a rebellious race in atonement for the world's sins. He laid aside royal position and took humanity, coming to give His life as ransom for every soul, saving humanity through sacrifice, voluntarily choosing poverty and suffering though free from obligatory yoke to redeem and purify the guilty world. He laid aside royal glory, clothed divinity with humanity, and came to stand at the head of humanity, giving Himself in shameful death to redeem the race. After humbling Himself to death God highly exalted Him and gave Him a name above every name, so every knee in heaven, earth and under earth will bow and every tongue confess Jesus Christ is Lord to the Father's glory, bringing life and immortality to light.
His life shows Christ leaving heaven, the Father's bosom and pure angelic companionship in self-exile to enter fallen polluted humanity to save those who would be saved, and His suffering and death fulfilled the covenant made before the world was created so death was not defeat but eternal victory. The verse shows the sinless exalted Son leaving royal courts to descend through suffering, enduring insult, rejection, betrayal and crucifixion from those He came to bless rather than turning aside, to save from sin's penalty and make expiation. The verse shows Christ laying aside heavenly position where angels worshiped Him and taking humanity to live sinlessly and suffer agonizing death to make atonement and save the fallen, giving an example for followers.
Salvation and Restoration Given
By taking humanity He could understand trials and temptations, and as innocent and obedient He suffered temptation so He can help the tempted, experiencing trials from childhood to adulthood with strength not even equal to angels, so He could be a living example. He accepted poverty and the temptations faced throughout childhood, youth and adulthood. By clothing divinity with humanity so divinity could touch humanity, He came to lift guilty humanity from defilement, restore God's moral image, place the race where Adam fell on vantage-ground by perfect obedience, and enable partaking of divine nature and immortal life. He veiled but did not give up divinity because sinful people could not bear its sight, sharing human experience from childhood to manhood as divine-human Saviour and head of the fallen race. His self-emptying unto death made atonement, and holiness is its fruit, with His poverty and whole series of sorrows borne on His divine soul constituting the atonement. His descent shows the cost of salvation and value of atonement, amazing angels, and reveals full expression of God's love, mercy, justice and perfect obedience, calling for gratitude and adoration. It is the center of the revelation of God's love, meant to banish selfishness and teach looking on others' things with the mind of Christ in willing service rather than grudging motives. He walked not as king demanding homage but to aid and bless as ransom to cleanse from sin and bring to share eternal glory, highly exalted so every knee will bow and every tongue confess Him Lord to the Father's glory. By leaving the Father's throne and clothing divinity with humanity to rescue man from Satan is a bright picture of God's love and blessed assurance to be viewed continually for rejoicing. He volunteered out of infinite pity for Adam, Eve and the fallen helpless race under darkness to leave honor, stand between wrath and guilty people, give another trial on probation, learn temptations, bear scorn, hang as guilty sinner under the world's sins, die, rise the third day and ascend to plead. He consented to leave kingly authority and glory with the Father as the only means acceptable to engage the prince of darkness, identify with weaknesses through humiliation and poverty, and show by firm humble obedience that man can overcome and regain Eden. He offered the only means acceptable to give Adam and Eve another trial when helpless under darkness, and He came because sin existed. His self-emptying secured the time of probation and a second probation in which people can be transformed into the divine likeness. He laid aside honor, robe and crown, clothed divinity with humanity and came as a little child living infancy to manhood, taking sin's burden and paying its penalty so every soul desiring freedom from bondage might be redeemed. The verse is part of the plan of redemption in which the Creator willingly obeyed God, and the incarnation was God manifested in flesh visiting a guilty world while remaining the divine Son. Though equal with God He laid aside divine glory to take servant nature and form, obedient even to death on the cross, then highly exalted to be acknowledged Lord by all creation. The verse reveals the value God places on humanity and the price Christ paid to redeem and cleanse from sin to share eternal glory. Possessing majesty, glory, divine perfection and fullness as brightness of the Father's glory and express image of His person, His gift amazed angels and shows atonement value. His self-emptying at infinite cost lays out redemption, puts infinite value on man as more precious than gold, and through His poverty enables people to become rich with eternal riches. The sinless Son laid aside royal robes to become man's friend, imparting righteousness with every provision made yet none compelled, so cost is estimated only in light from Calvary. His self-sacrifice free of selfishness calls followers to deny self, use means for others, and receive heavenly treasure surpassing gold. His self-emptying cost Father and Son infinite price, exhausted infinite love, revealed goodness and compassion, proves soul value, measures salvation greatness, and to neglect it is to reject mercy and choose ruin. Heaven gave all it afforded in one gift to unite humanity with divinity and save guilty rebels through shame, reproach and suffering, leaving nothing more to move the hard proud indifferent heart and calling for humility and submission. Through His humiliation, poverty, suffering and death He made expiation, became substitute and sacrifice, bore guilt, suffered in man's stead outside Jerusalem for the whole world though sinless, reconciled people, revealed the Father, reconnected earth with heaven and defeated separation. Stepping down from throne, leaving crown and scepter and clothing divinity with humanity even to death on the cross, He reveals the Father, renews man after the Creator's image, and exalts him to sit on His throne as complete offering and mighty Saviour able to save to the uttermost. He faced darkness alone, identified with weaknesses, endured temptation, ridicule, grief and sorrow without complaint, and continued to the cross to seek and save the lost. He placed His feet in Adam's steps and took fallen nature to cope with the foe who triumphed over Adam, engaging mysterious conflict, meeting temptation and overcoming by humble obedience to open redemption from Adam's fall for believers, winning victory alone as substitute facing darkness. Contemplating this wonderful almost incredible humiliation elevates, purifies and ennobles students. His firm obedience showed the way to overcome failure and regain what was lost. He came as humanity's representative, substitute and second Adam who entered where Adam failed to redeem failure and open the way for believers to be freed with His righteousness imputed so they can overcome in His name. Taking ordinary features without unusual beauty so faith rests not on sight but on perfect character and prophecy, He lived human life to show humanity not beyond reclaiming, faced severer test bearing the world's sins, and overcame through obedience, purity and steadfast integrity. Laying aside royal glory He joined human and divine to restore original perfection and unite with God, bringing salvation within reach. As humanity's representative He was tempted in every point where fallen people are tempted and rendered required obedience, overcoming through purity and integrity without special unavailable power but through divine power working through humanity. As sinless substitute and surety He bore the world's sin and succors the severely tempted, obtaining for Adam's fallen sons and daughters a strength they could never gain that in His name they might overcome, overcoming on the sinner's behalf. He lived obedient to every law in a curse-marked world, vindicating its requirements, showing fallen man can keep it and regain Eden, refuting Satan's claim, showing law changeless, with His depths bearing witness against that claim. Coming in lowliness as man among men, divinity touching humanity except sin, tempted yet without sin, wounded for transgressions and bruised for iniquities, He answered that man can be loyal, entered covenant to prove the law eternal, and revealed God's character as expressed in law. His sinless victory where Adam failed, working out perfect character, proves people can live sinless lives through God's power, joins human and divine to restore perfection and brings salvation within reach. He united divinity with humanity without giving up divinity, taking flesh into vital union, entering where Adam fell, and as man perfectly obeyed and overcame every temptation by divine strength, vindicating law and making victory possible for receivers partaking divine nature. Coming as child without leaving divinity, proving by obedience among an apostate race that fallen man can keep law by partaking divine nature and overcoming corruption through lust, He bore heaviest temptations and conquered so man may learn to conquer, laying on Him the whole world's sins with humiliation, reproach, suffering and death that followers might inherit all things. By sharing experience and facing temptation He can pity the erring, plead before the Father, help the tempted, defend and deliver, and serve as tender high priest and man of sorrows acquainted with grief. Leaving purity, peace, joy, glory and immortal life, He endured degradation, shame, insult, torture and death, worked with hands in poverty, and came to stand on vantage-ground for people. He stood beside people facing temptation as they do, tempted yet without sin, so He can sympathize and succor and demonstrate that relying on His power people can refuse sin. Laying aside royal position and glory to become one with humanity, clothing divinity with humanity to reach humanity, placing Himself in crucifiers' hands, His sinless life shows men may stand with God keeping all laws in love, loyalty and kindness, and resist Satan through faith sharing divine nature and escaping corruption. By uniting human with divine, with human arm embracing the race while divine arm grasped the Infinite, standing at humanity's head with divinity touching humanity except sin, He gave power to resist evil, overcome, lay hold on immortality and share divine nature, restoring heaven-earth link. His victory accepted by faith makes it possible to lay hold of divinity and escape corruption, His resistance and labor for others is highest education, and His self-sacrifice equips rescue of the fallen. By uniting divinity and humanity He became the ladder and connecting link between fallen people and the Father, encircling the race with human arm while grasping the Infinite with divine arm. As ladder, way, truth and life, greater than any required sacrifice, giving strength to overcome, despised, rejected, persecuted and crucified as Saviour of every accepting sinner, taking deteriorated fallen condition without losing dignity, tasting woe and curse to bring sons and daughters to God, He purchased durable riches at immense cost. He united divinity with humanity so humanity could touch humanity while divinity laid hold on the throne, becoming a channel through which favor reaches humanity by His merit, represented by Jacob's ladder, sharing afflictions without visible angelic protection to perfect redemption. Veiling signs of divinity in likeness of sinful flesh, He joined humanity to divinity so divine power could restore God's likeness, became poor to make rich, overcame for humanity so merits, power and virtue can be claimed, cleansing natures and imparting righteousness as people cooperate and live in harmony with law. Fallen man separated from light cannot resist Satan in own strength, though Adam in Eden might have, so Christ combined divine power with humanity to reach man where he is and obtain strength they could never gain. Through this union believers may receive imparted righteousness and power by belief to become sons of God, being justified with imputed righteousness becoming implanted as they follow, deny self and take up cross, with His far greater temptations as head carrying them through as commandment-keeping witnesses. Taking position at head of humanity, giving His nature to human nature, passing where Adam fell, elevating every being with God, His salvation is revealed in disciples as witness to world, angels and men. For humanity He became poor so people might become rich, not with houses or honor but with eternal riches, heavenly treasure, eternal glory and power to partake divine nature, escape corruption, be renewed, regain Eden, be lifted to sonship, sit with Him on His throne and receive cleansing as they cooperate and obey. Giving up wealth, honor and comfort to live among ordinary people in place of poor and oppressed, dying in their place to rescue from death and elevate from degradation to original purity, His love without parallel woos and wins the sinner to repentant belief, though only few of millions accept His righteousness and fulfill requirements for happiness. Though rich, majestic and commander, He profoundly humbled Himself and became poor so perishing people might become rich with eternal treasure, partake divine nature and become conquerors, children and heirs. Stepping from royal throne, laying aside robe and crown to take humanity's garments and place at head to give value to humanity, receiving Him gives power to become children, conquerors, sons, heirs and joint-heirs inheriting prepared kingdom, opening God's kingdom through shared poverty and temptation. Sinless and able to bear sins, He takes away sin so purified through truth stand on vantage ground as royal family. He became poor among fallen humanity, giving up ease to bridge sin's gulf so every nation could be reconciled, so through His poverty people might be made rich with eternal life obtainable only by heaven's plan. Born to humble parents in toil with no home nor place to lay head, dependent on followers, His self-emptying not for pleasure but for self-denial and service is measure of followers' willingness to give all and endure humiliation. His humiliation, suffering and sacrifice became a stepping stone by which fallen people can rely on His merits and through His virtue receive acceptance as they strive to keep law, making escape from misery and raising them to God's right hand. Leaving glory, riches, majesty and high command to take nature and die for rebellious race, He opened escape from hopeless misery to His place at God's right hand. He came not to unfallen beings but to those most in need in darkness, to know needs, help them rise above the Fall, and lift them to higher life and sonship. His humility from pity and love, not low estimate, teaches meeting people where they are to elevate them, coming close in sympathy instead of sharp censure to help form true character. His sacrifice shows how precious souls are and reveals God's love, moving heaven and wooing sinners to repentance, though only a few of millions accept His righteousness. Descending from depth to depth to the cross where self-denial could go no farther, divine condescension reaching lowest depth, this should break hearts at the sight. Judgment is placed in His hands and His shameful death makes partaking of divine nature possible. Sharing afflictions and temptations without visible angelic protection while retaining dignity at humanity's head, He reaches the race. His humiliation gives hope of glory, shows sympathy for lowliest and sanctifies every part of human life so people can live for God in humble occupations. Passing through doubts and needs in humble circumstances as servant though equal with God, He gives sinners hope of immortality. His humbling to servant's place in humble circumstances after not coming among the great but being born to humble parents enables Him to stand as Judge familiar with human experience. Enduring trials and temptation as part of redeeming fallen people, He shared poverty and hardship. His coming in humanity is ground for confidence He will give victory, and His victory is to be accepted by faith and made one's own. As substitute and surety sharing life and suffering beyond any other in saving sacrifice, He enables laying hold of divinity and escaping corruption. Human beings can help others through mercy but cannot redeem them. Alone shedding blood to satisfy justice's claims, He clothed divinity with humanity and humbled Himself. His humbling, enduring attacks and dying for the unjust is made effective by the Holy Spirit who continually regenerates and gives strength. He emptied Himself for the lost, in that state the Spirit was given Him without measure, and the same follows for every follower when the whole heart is surrendered for His indwelling. He emptied His glory so He could fill believers with His Spirit, giving power and efficiency for His work. The verse shows Christ leaving glory to identify with weakness, being tempted and developing righteous character not for Himself but for fallen humanity, which He offers so through repentance, faith and obedience His righteousness is imputed, names are in the Lamb's book, and they become royal children. Already pure and spotless, He humbled to human life for sinners. He stepped down to head a fallen race to give vitality they lacked, to show they may stand on vantage-ground by keeping laws in love, receiving eternal life by wrestling temptation and living by faith working by love purified from selfishness. Laying off crown, robe and high command to link with humanity as servant, becoming poor to make rich not in earthly treasures but in eternal life measuring with God's life, laying hold on the Mighty One, overcoming corruption through lust and partaking divine nature, those honoring His sacrifice loving Him and fellow men will be most exalted. He came to meet humanity in most sinful fallen helpless condition, and as advocate and compassionate High Priest His sacrifice teaches sinners to hate sin, keep contrite heart, cease trusting man, and seek wisdom in prayer. Laying aside honor to pay with blood for law transgression as propitiation not for believers alone but for whole world, He makes return to allegiance possible, and had He appeared in full power sinners could not have stood without destruction, so human form manifested love to erring mortals. Taking nature to meet fallen helplessness, becoming poor, He advocates before the Father so people may receive immortal inheritance as heirs and joint-heirs. His obedient service for sinners extended even to enemies, and He came near to fallen people by taking humanity rather than separating from them or treating them as sins deserved. He who was equal with God offered His life on Calvary to save law transgressors from ruin, so men plunged into hopeless distress as enemies without strength are not left without hope. He took human form so He could lift people from worldly importance to knowledge of God and Christ bringing peace now and eternal life, and His humiliation and death were the cost and basis for calling people to seek God's kingdom first. In coming He revealed God's heart, mind and character as expressed in law, with humanity bearing divinity's stamp, to confront Satan's claims, prove them false, and teach people to be changed into divine image while uplifting them physically, mentally and spiritually. Seeking acceptance through heavenly character, words and works not outward attractions, without parade, in lowliness, poverty, sorrow and grief as divine Teacher, revealing heart, mind, nature and character, entering covenant to show law changeless and eternal, He gave Himself as sacrifice. His human life revealed God's character and showed what human nature may become through receiving Him as Saviour, revealing required character and teaching obedience in a path whose full meaning was beyond heavenly beings. Setting aside royal status to come as child living in obedience, enduring humiliation, abuse and cross to bear penalty, counted among unholy as substitute with curse falling on Him treated as sinners deserve, without humbling to death He could not have borne transgression. He took human nature and lived in human form, making divine character visible in humanity, so through incarnation people could learn the heavenly unknown through the earthly familiar. He came in human likeness while remaining the divine I AM, His humanity touching humanity, as Son of man exemplifying obedience and His divinity giving power to obey, and His coming as meek Child of Bethlehem assures deliverance and strength to obey law. Revealing God manifest in flesh, He brings touch with humanity and example. He brought divinity veiled by humanity to rescue the lost, and human nature must be transformed by new birth before harmonizing with God's pure kingdom. Transformation is new birth to harmonize with pure holy immortal kingdom. He clothed divinity with humanity to reach down and show what humans may become through obedience, that by grace they may share divine nature and escape corruption, making pure holy life in oneness with Him possible. Becoming one with humanity He makes possible oneness with Him and God. He set aside princely display and came sharing suffering and temptation, showing people can overcome through oneness with Him. He clothed divinity with humanity while retaining divinity so He could meet humanity without overwhelming it, coming as true shepherd to seek and save at cost to Himself. In lowly ministry to lift the lowly, He meets without extinguishing. He became one with humanity, sharing flesh, hardships and temptations and setting aside display to pass through what humans pass, so people could gain standing, learn ministry, and learn what they may become uniting weakness with His strength. Standing at head to work for people in world seared by curse, enduring the foe to show standing on vantage ground keeping laws and doing good, His humble life is divine lesson in character and practice as sons of God, demonstrating highest education by resistance to evil and work for others. Through merits people can overcome, each still having work to do. He left heaven's courts to minister to the sick as great Physician, veiling divinity to meet soul wants and bless believers with spiritual blessings, living among fallen people to make them rich in eternal blessings. Pointing to unseen things, His self-denial requires self-denial from possessors of treasure. He made humanity able from childhood to see how to reach for divinity, so people can receive Him as personal Saviour. Through Him divinity reaches humanity and humanity reaches divinity. He took human nature and accepted a servant's humble condition, living among ordinary people sharing toil, sorrow and fatigue so He could understand hardships and sympathize. By humbling Himself to dwell among the poor so humanity could touch humanity and become acquainted with temptations, He unfolded before the universe the great salvation His righteousness brings to acceptors as inheritance among saints and angels. As Commander one with God among the poor, He understood affliction. Having compassion on the ruined helpless under Satan, He left glory to rescue, take up their case and die at His own cost, and by becoming human among the poor He could know afflictions, reveal the Father's love and acknowledge dignity and human rights invested in humanity. Healing wounds, providing refuge, living real human life representing the Father and manifesting God's ways with human God-given powers employed for men while drawing on divine world-making power in mercy and healing, His self-denial not ease brought healing and peace, and His becoming human was the Father's great sacrifice giving Him to die, coming to heal not crush with kindness to children and distressed through feeding and doing good. He laid aside robe, crown and command and came as a little child, clothing divinity with humanity to bridge sin's gulf, pledging to live perfectly from infancy to manhood and die for a lost race with the world at stake, making it possible to grasp divinity and escape corruption. With whole world at stake if overcome, His life absorbed in mission traveling cities giving comfort and power with none sent unhelped, reaching humanity as man and uniting to divine nature as Son, restoring to favor standing between sinner and Father to answer transgression, combining divinity and humanity as way to heaven to stand on vantage ground, joining to God through Spirit overcoming passions with devotion sanctifying work. He took humanity in self-denial to suffer in humanity's place, offer Himself for sin, reveal the Father, form sinless character, overcome for humanity, and prepare redemption by humiliation and death, so through His merits fallen people can rise, be cleansed and exalted to share His glory and throne as God's children. Not seeking own good but condescension, giving honor, riches and royal home, laboring in hardship, forming sinless character on earth to offer to repentant trusting obedient, His humiliation is stepping-stone to rise with law-keeping efforts accepted, that humans exalted to share glory must sacrifice to lift others, and receiving Him gives power to become children, entering full sympathy through carpenter toil with Joseph. Placing Himself at head as example bearing trials and temptations, living poorest often hungry, by rejection and death purchasing salvation and home in eternal kingdom, beholding fills with desire to serve. Leaving honor to take humanity to serve, accepting poverty and needs, ministering to the suffering and giving Himself in death to redeem, His life rebukes self-seeking, reveals God's character and service, and brings moral power within reach so receivers by faith may become heirs revealing godliness. Leaving commander place to clothe divinity with humanity, not living to please self, becoming poor to make rich, representing God to bring moral power, revealing mystery of godliness, restoring to loyalty, those receiving as Redeemer become heirs and joint-heirs. At the time most needed He laid aside divinity and came in humanity to live out God's law misrepresented under tradition and dispel darkness as Light of the world. When forms replaced Word until principles almost extinct, He came as God's representative with bright rays to dispel moral darkness. He clothed divinity with humanity to bring righteousness, judgment and peace, teaching obedience and reliance on the crucified and risen Saviour's merits. He took humanity and dwelt among men to unfold mysteries of science and knowledge of God, show required piety, bring heaven's atmosphere, sympathize in sorrows, suffer sin's punishment, and leave a book recording mission, character and future no intellect could search out. Living perfect purity and holiness with bereavements and afflictions, its revelations solve mysteries brightest minds cannot search. His humility makes it possible to give His people power from Himself, making them pure and upright and teaching correctness so followers can follow Him to heaven. Leaving high command to lift man, uniting earth to heaven, sharing afflictions to understand satanic contention and judge faithfully, seeking erring in love to make like Himself free from defilement, laying aside dominion, riches and glory, suffering more than any called to suffer, He leaves pattern of love, patience and self-denial to be resembled though not equaled. As substitute and example He became subject to God's law and obeyed the Father, so people might become like Him and serve obediently. As surety laying aside royal position to take servant place, He obeyed. He humbled Himself by laying aside riches and glory to seek erring people and lead them to heaven to make them pure and free from defilement, holding nothing back but giving His whole being. Taking nature to make like Himself pure and upright, bringing heaven's riches, disciples show same devotion, self-sacrifice and unselfish love. He left heaven's glory and courts to live among people, meet them where they were, and save the lost, meekly enduring insult, rejection and crucifixion at infinite cost to save from death, exalt them and bring them to live with Him. Meekly enduring indignity, becoming poor and submitting to insult, entering depths as surety and substitute to lift fallen to overcome as children and heirs, leaving royal courts to bless yet crucified, leaving angels' companionship for polluted humanity to save the willing, His sacrifice came at infinite cost. He laid aside royal position to take humanity and become servant, clothing divinity with humanity, so men and women might share divine nature, escape corruption, be rescued from slavery, taste second probation with every provision to know the Redeemer, and receive salvation available to all who accept. Willingly offering as sacrifice, stooping from high command, tasting death's bitterness, His character's perfection is workers' example, His life makes salvation available to every accepter, with second probation and experimental knowledge provided. Through His humiliation all who believe may be elevated, and His sacrifice is sufficient for the whole world but only those who accept its conditions share it by turning from sin and relying by faith on its merits. By uniting divinity and humanity He drew near as link to free from Satan's power, and at cost of His death for the whole world He made eternal life available to every accepter and enabled laying hold of divine nature. Coming as child growing up, in humble circumstances, as helpless babe to give children life measuring with God's life, laying hold of humanity bringing power, health and grace to overcome hereditary and cultivated evil, educated under angels and working at carpenter trade as Prince of life, the Prince gave life so accepters have eternal life. The only-begotten Son clothed divinity with humanity to draw near, His taking humanity was self-giving love making everlasting life possible. As Majesty submitting to help others, followers likewise submit to unclear things to help. He laid off royal robes and lived from youth to manhood with faultless character, leaving glory to elevate humanity in great sacrifice, and His self-emptying love is the model fathers keep before children. As man after God's own heart through kindness, forbearance, patience and fatherly love forming character, because glory could not hold Him, appreciators deny self and give energies to labor for fellows. He laid off robe and crown and came as a helpless babe to give children a life measuring with God's life, laying hold of humanity and bringing power, health and grace by divinity, through which people can partake divine nature, escape corruption and overcome evil tendencies. By leaving royal glory and coming as a babe sharing experience He could understand people and know how to deal with them. His earthly life is pattern for true education and service. He humbled Himself by coming to help those in need in lowliness and poverty without rank, taking fallen nature to rescue from destruction and to heal the sick, comfort the suffering, free Satan's afflicted and offer redemption to all who accept. Leaving honor and glory with the Father to live as man, He helps needy and distressed with heaven's blessing. He lived in humble circumstances sharing suffering, and His taking humanity was part of His work to save the rebellious race. Born to lowly parents as one with people, He set example of self-denial and sacrifice in service. He gave up reputation and risked a hundredfold more to bring salvation within every soul's reach, enduring all humiliation in amazing condescension. Since He accepted cost, weak in moral power may become stepping-stone to help fellows, not letting faults master soul but fighting daily mortification willingly sharing shame without complaint on strait path, His coming making salvation perfect and assured. He left heaven and took humanity to live purely, and His humiliation, suffering and rejection in poverty and hunger purchased salvation, revealing God's love and making restoration to obedience and eternal life possible. Sharing trials and temptations, often suffering hunger, His self-humbling to suffering and death restores to favor, and giving glory and majesty to die for rebels He accepted suffering to save and bless with eternal life. He came to represent the perfect character God accepts and to stand as Teacher in whom divinity and humanity worked unitedly to uplift, provide grace, win back allegiance, and enlist cooperation by obedience and example. Through grace accepting virtues and merits makes precious to God, touching humanity to teach self-respect for sake of infinite price, showing what humanity must be to enter heaven joined through Spirit overcoming passions, inviting to happiness and rest with strength to overcome gained through divine power, appearing when darkness covered earth and Scriptures sealed under tradition as Teacher sent from God, for holy life alone reveals God as books cannot. By becoming human He removed distinction separating Jews from nations, making the whole family the field to save, with humanity as long arm encircling the race while divine arm grasped the Infinite; this mystery amazing angels sends the gospel to earth's farthest reaches. Veiling divinity to serve and teach every class and nation, calling sinners to repentance and seeking lost, suffering and bearing griefs to quiet murmuring with gratitude for sharing cross, breaking Satan's power and working salvation so partakers escape corruption with heaven pledged to unite carrying redemption and representing likeness, tempted in all points to know help for tempted, His self-denying servant life patterns followers not to price labors high or seek higher wages but support many laborers in mission. Combined divinity and humanity takes humanity into co-partnership, long arm encircling race, human endeavor with divine energy laboring together with God. Moved by pity He left royal courts for a corrupt world to give necessary help and teach what must be done to be saved, making character new and born again to see God's kingdom, since no elevation outside Christ compares. Character made over and utterly changed, world perishing in corruptions unwilling yet content without help, with pride, ambition and violence giving no rest, peace or happiness, what is found in Christ bears no comparison. Heaven's Majesty humbled Himself to sorrow, suffering, insult and death to save the fallen, ransoming sinners with His blood, with pardon coming when sin is repented and forsaken. Taking nature as servant, brightness of Father's glory, giving heavenly majesty, splendor and riches to live lowly as man of sorrows wounded and bruised bringing peace and healing, fighting temptation without failing to carry plan through cross then ascending as substitute, surety, Advocate and propitiation for whole world, enduring reproach and abuse, His love requires receivers to love one another, share sufferings and bear reproach looking to glory. He left heaven's courts, accepted poverty and affliction with reproach and shameful death, and humbled Himself to suffer and die for the lost. His self-abnegation willingly surrendered, example to follow even through suffering and death rather than seek better portion. The verse shows Christ coming near to guilty humanity rather than moving away, clothing divinity with humanity and becoming one with people, descending from highest excellence to deepest humiliation and paying ransom by shameful death out of measureless love. The verse shows Christ giving up glory to take humanity, meet people as one of them, reveal perfect love and devote Himself wholly to redemption in unselfish service to turn people from sin and reconcile humanity to God, coming not for pleasure but to seek the lost. Leaving glory for humility and trial to uplift, He gave Himself to turn from sin to righteousness. The verse shows Christ humbling Himself to live in lowly conditions and meet people where they were, laboring as evangelist for all classes, preaching from city to city and healing as Messenger bringing salvation. As Majesty and King in lowly garb, He labored rich and poor free and bond as Messenger of covenant going town to town. The verse shows Christ leaving courts of glory to become human and identify with weakness, and His lack of even a place illustrates poverty accepted. Stooping to servant place, He had nowhere to stay. The verse shows Christ, though one with God, humbling Himself to fully identify with humanity, veiling divinity and glory, patiently enduring abuse, showing true service by ministry to the needy and washing feet, with divinity so veiled disciples struggled to believe. Identifying interests with humanity, His humble service showed true service until cross made hope seem perished. The verse shows Christ leaving heaven, the Father's bosom and glory to enter fallen polluted humanity in a friendless world to save, engaging directly in soul-saving and providing bread and water of life for all who hunger. Self-exiled exchanging pure angelic companionship for fallen humanity, He opened way for all to join heart work, rebuking coldness and neglect of light and warning messages. The verse shows Christ leaving heaven's royal courts, taking human nature and entering a sin-marred world, joining divine power to humanity and linking finite people to God, showing how to live for immortal life, while His death reveals infinite cost and value to be gained. The verse shows Christ leaving the Father's glory and accepting humble servant life out of love, enduring reproach and cross, not to humiliate humanity but to provide sacrifice to offer escape from misery, make available life measuring with God's life, and elevate them to God's right hand. Giving Himself through abuse and mockery to death, He made that life available to receivers. The verse shows Christ humbling Himself by laying aside glory and riches, taking humanity, coming to where people were to work for salvation, and giving His life for sinners. The verse shows Christ's wonderful condescension and infinite sacrifice by which He made salvation possible, and His gracious character is to be worked out in appreciators' lives. The verse shows the Commander of angels taking a servant's place so human beings could become kings and priests, with a life that was perfect expression of the law unmarred by sin. In word and deed His example expresses law.
Victory Over Satan
His self-humbling stands opposite Lucifer's desire to exalt himself and obtain God's power and the highest place, for Christ though exalted made Himself of no reputation by taking a servant's form and becoming human in unselfish service and obedience even to death on the cross. By doing this as man's representative He became Redeemer and Restorer, in contrast to Satan who is the destroyer, and His mind is to be in believers studied daily as the lesson book for traveling heavenward. His human life of humiliation and suffering meant Satan could only bruise His heel while every act of humiliation and suffering bruised the adversary's head, taking sin's anguish into His sinless bosom, enduring contradiction of sinners, paying the debt, breaking bondage and working out deliverance by every pang and insult.
As the only begotten Son He left the royal courts of heaven, and His self-emptying stands opposite Lucifer who had glory in the heavenly courts yet strove for Christ's place next to God and then to be God but could not obtain it, then made war until thrust down to earth, so grieving Him by unbelief and division is wrong. His mission stands against self-seeking and desire for wealth, power and supremacy, for the Prince of heaven lived in human nature a perfect life free from self-seeking and wholly given to others' service, in contrast to those who fall short through envy, strife and resorting to any means to gain their end. This self-sacrifice is the mystery of redemption which self-glorification hid from Pharisees and made disciples slow to understand, calling followers away from seeking greatness to unselfish service. The higher Being next to God left the royal courts to live humanity's life and experience all its afflictions, in contrast to Lucifer who supposed he should occupy Christ's place and even God's place, so true conversion means humbling self in self-denial and self-sacrifice after His example. He made sacrifices at every step that followers can never make because they never occupied His position, an example to look to in hardship so they will not fail nor be discouraged but endure hardness as good soldiers. He left the heavenly throne to come down and meet and withstand Lucifer, who was playing the game of life with souls and had been cast out because he wanted Christ's place and could not have it.
His death proved God's administration and government without flaw, settling forever beyond question Satan's charge about the conflicting attributes of justice and mercy, when He as Majesty and Commander put off crown and royal robe to take human nature so humanity might touch humanity, passing through all human experience and suffering in man's stead to give His life for the world. His self-abasement in taking human nature and a servant's role though equal with the Father, humbling Himself to suffer death on the cross to ransom humanity, is part of the mystery of redemption which finite wisdom cannot fully explain. Laying aside exalted glory to become servant and sacrifice in the controversy between truth and falsehood, as the high priest laid aside gorgeous robes to minister in white linen of a common priest, He emptied Himself to reveal character entirely opposite Satan's self-exalting misuse of power. His servant place meant offering Himself as both priest and victim, given up as Satan's victim at terrible cost to God to establish God and carry unfallen worlds and the heavenly universe with Him, so by causing His death Satan defeated his own purposes and laid open his administration, making his own destruction unavoidable. Like a high priest laying aside pontifical dress to serve in plain white linen of a common priest He became both priest and sacrificial victim, in contrast to His return after completing His work in glorious garments in His own and His Father's glory as King of kings escorted by angels.
He came to confront the powers of darkness and hold Satan's power in check, heaven's Majesty humbling Himself to become substitute and surety, facing them alone and winning victory on humanity's behalf. Fallen man out of Eden, separated from light and love, cannot resist Satan in own strength though Adam in Eden with superior advantages might have, so by combining divine power with humanity Christ reached man where he is to bring hope and save from complete ruin, standing as substitute, identifying with sufferings and afflictions, tempted in all points to know how to help the tempted and obtaining for Adam's fallen sons and daughters strength they could never gain to overcome in His name. With infinite pity on Adam and Eve in wretched helplessness under the prince of darkness He offered the only acceptable means to give another trial on probation, consenting to leave honor, kingly authority and glory with the Father and humble Himself to humanity in poverty to redeem man. Through that humiliation He identified with weaknesses of the fallen race to engage the mighty prince of darkness and by firm humble obedience undo Adam's failure and show man can obey and regain Eden. The infinite God consented to His Son's humiliation in mysterious conflict defeating darkness so people might be lifted to His throne, a wonderful almost incredible fact whose contemplation by Scripture students purifies, elevates and ennobles, opening truth to mind and heart by the Spirit with clearer views, penetrating discernment, balanced judgment, expanded understanding, knowledge of weakness and growth in faith and humility.
He became man to fight darkness and defeat Satan, laying aside royal glory and position with the Father and clothing divinity with humanity to sympathize and show divinity joined with humanity can overcome, since fallen humanity needed divine power for hope of everlasting life. His divinity clothed with human nature reached humanity, and as man He faced Satan's temptations and placed Himself in crucifiers' hands, His self-giving death revealing unselfish love and rescuing people from Satan's power. Laying aside glory with the Father and taking human form He shared from earliest years human weakness, trials and temptations yet without sin, demonstrating that those relying on His power can resist Satan and refuse sin and through faith share divine nature and escape corruption. As Majesty knowing no taint He took deteriorated fallen nature as Head of humanity, divine and human, with long human arm encircling humanity and divine arm laying hold on the Infinite without losing dignity, to unmask the claim man cannot keep law, withstanding temptation as man must with facilities man may obtain, fitted to understand trials where sinless angels could not sympathize, to succor the tempted and make partaking divine nature possible. His self-emptying was humiliation greater than finite comprehension, stooping to poverty and deepest abasement with nowhere to lay His head, becoming poor to make the poor rich, submitting to insult, mockery, contempt, ridicule, misstatement, accusation and reproach for His birth, tasting bitter woe and every part of the curse and making sinful men's wants, trials, griefs and sufferings His own as man of sorrows to bring many sons and daughters to God and save from eternal ruin.
He defeated the enemy on every point in humanity's temptations, humbling Himself by laying aside royal status and stepping to lowest depths in servant's lowly position, so His victory becomes power for followers to overcome and conquer self. Setting aside display of princely glory and coming in human form sharing suffering and temptation reveals people can overcome through oneness with Him as He is one with the Father. By unexampled self-denial opposite selfishness He overcame Satan's greatest obstacles to hinder and discourage His mission to save souls, forcing His way through opposition from heaven to earth without failing or discouragement, feet steadfast to Calvary where He became sacrifice and surety, descending to depths no line can fathom and presenting God dying for the fallen race, the pattern for having His mind. Taking human nature while remaining divine He came as Redeemer and light exposing Satan's deceptions, His earthly life marked by self-denial and perfect submission to the Father in contrast to Satan's disobedience, and by accepting the curse and dying He defeated Satan, opened salvation and freed humanity from evil's power.
His coming was great sacrifice Satan who knew heaven's value and glory could not understand, leaving honored place for fallen humanity so His victory over temptation was decisive and threatened Satan's rule. Leaving power and glory in heaven He placed Himself within Satan's reach, making Satan exult hoping to overthrow even God's Son as easily as Eden's pair and save his life and kingdom by tempting departure from the Father's will. He refused to bow to Satan or receive earth's kingdoms from Satan's hand to save Himself from suffering, choosing instead suffering life and dreadful death in the Father's appointed way to redeem Satan's claimed possessions by His own life and become lawful heir to earth's kingdoms given as everlasting possession, after which all in heaven and earth submit to Him and Satan is given into His hands to be destroyed by death never again to annoy Him or saints in glory. He who was commander laid aside royal robes and kingly crown and came as little child to experience all humanity's ills, uniting divinity with humanity to break Satan's power and work out salvation making partaking divine nature and escape from lust's corruption possible, the mystery of godliness by which through grace man may overcome with all heaven pledged to unite in redeeming a ruined world and representing Christ's likeness. In human life He endured Satan's fiercest assaults without yielding or discouragement in redeeming the fallen race and gave His life for salvation.
His voluntary self-humbling as Majesty equal with God giving Himself to die for the rebellious race was infinite sacrifice opening mediation between God and sinners, whose cost is mystery angels cannot fully comprehend. Though one with God He set aside divine glory to take human nature and redeem humanity in willing perfect sacrifice for sin. He clothed divinity with humanity because law was so sacred and immutable not one jot could change to meet fallen man, and by death made restoration to Adam's lost favor possible, with an angel unable to bear sin, satisfy justice or pay ransom so taking humanity and dying was God's miraculous plan. He came to touch humanity, win man to allegiance, teach self-respect for sake of infinite price paid, and enlist cooperation in soul-saving by obedience and precept and example reflecting His life. He stood between sinner and Father to restore the world to favor, answering trouble from transgression. The Majesty became servant when the only-begotten Son humbled Himself to serve in redemption's plan made by Father and Son before the world was created, the Son given to ransom fallen humanity, and His gift and death reveal both God's holiness and love.
Taking fallen human nature in servant's lowly condition with strength not even equal to angels, His humiliation and sufferings would move angels with love and grief, but they were not to intervene. His self-denial and sacrifice in leaving the Father's closeness to choose suffering, anguish and shameful death to give life to rebels shows God's great mercy and condescension in giving His dearly loved Son, filling heaven with inexpressible joy and calling forth higher praise and adoration. Accepting suffering for sinners, His joy in their salvation sustained Him, an example followers imitate by giving up pleasure and convenience for others' good.
Pattern of Humble Living
The verse reveals divine majesty joined with meekness, for though equal with God and high commander whom angels delighted to worship, He laid aside glory, majesty, riches and honor to clothe divinity with humanity and walk among men not as a king demanding homage but as a servant whose work was to aid and bless a fallen world, caring not how to obtain service but how to give it, even to giving life as ransom to cleanse from sin and bring to share eternal glory. In all He did He put self aside and placed everything under the Father's will, pleasing not Himself but living for others' good and counting not His life dear, coming not to be ministered unto but to minister, and this self-emptying puts to shame selfish desires, ambitions and strife for position and honor. The true shepherd must do the same, caring for the flock by feeding, guiding and defending with wisdom and tender, courteous, compassionate consideration, especially toward the tempted, afflicted and desponding, bearing the infirmities of the weak instead of pleasing self.
When reviled, abused, insulted, cruelly striped and wounded He did not retaliate or threaten but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously. His life is the pattern that followers die to self, exercise true self-government, lay down jealous guarding of dignity, pass over slights and suffer wrongfully rather than wound souls by retaliation or wrath, obtaining by watchful prayer in faith the grace, strength and heavenly wisdom to be calm, patient and meek.
The verse calls believers to have the mind of Christ in lowliness, unity and love. Though in the form of God and thinking it not robbery to be equal with God, having all things by right, He claimed none of them but made Himself of no reputation, took the status of a servant and became truly human, moving toward deeper humbling in obedience to death on the cross which God answered by highly exalting Him to receive universal homage and confession as Lord. That mind is likemindedness, having the same love, being of one accord and of one mind, meeting the mind of the Spirit, doing nothing through strife or vainglory but in lowliness esteeming others better than self and looking not only on one's own things but also on the things of others, putting aside rivalry and pride, valuing others and caring for what concerns them.
Having that mind means working out salvation with fear and trembling as God works in believers to will and do His pleasure, doing all things without murmurings and disputings to be blameless sons shining as lights in a crooked nation by holding forth the word of life in words sanctified by the Spirit. It means choosing His service wholly, giving self into His control, learning from Him to do God's will unto perfection, hearing the sweet voice of mercy pleading to repent and be made perfect and furnished for every good work to obtain the crown of life and enter the joy of the Lord, contemplating a theme of infinite wisdom, love, justice and mercy that expands in brightness as beheld and elevates to perfection and gives faith and trust.
His example forbids grasping power or coercing others to obey God's law, for even Christ though divine did not seize power to impose His righteous laws. His self-emptying is the mold and pattern for Christian character, received when pride and self-sufficiency are put aside and the Spirit and power of God received in their place, calling for surrendering self and bringing the will into conformity with God's will.
His humility was not a low estimate of His own character, qualifications or abilities. Though Majesty holding highest authority and position equal with God, He humbled Himself to the lowest place of a servant to save sinful man, leaving riches, splendor, honor and glory for humility, shame and reproach, making His home in Nazareth proverbial for wickedness with lowly poor parents, working as a carpenter to sustain the family, coming not to be ministered unto but to minister and not to do His own will but the will of Him that judges righteously, saying I can of mine own self do nothing. He adapted Himself to fallen humanity in order to raise people to a higher life, displaying humility through thirty years of diligent labor, submission to parents and care for those entrusted, teaching disciples to meet people where they are to elevate them and to reject pursuit of status in self-sacrifice for others' good.
He humbled Himself from equality not from low estimate but to raise people higher, and His humility makes serving Him an honor not a humiliation. Followers must therefore not seek self-exaltation, strive for worldly rank, or resent work others fail to appreciate, but serve in humility and self-sacrifice for others.
His humility and self-sacrifice without display is the example to lay aside self-importance, serve simply without worldly display, and relinquish desire for applause even to sacrifice of life. His perfect humanity united with divinity gave power to resist evil and follow His teachings, providing the highest education and an example to be studied, with sharing His suffering part of co-working, lifting from ignorance and sin to unite with the divine nature.
His humility as the One equal with God who gave His precious life that people might live is the perfect Pattern to point to for those determining to stand for truth and righteousness to stand at last as overcomers before the throne, and eternal life is found through Him. Laying aside heavenly majesty and glory to take human nature in humility, self-denial and self-sacrifice, He lived God's law in a curse-marked world to vindicate its requirements and show what people may become through abiding in Him, proving humanity can keep the law through His power, so those who share His future glory must share His self-denial and represent Him.
His self-denying servant life is the pattern to deny self, bind about wants, live self-denial and self-sacrifice, give all talents to God to be improved in God's way for saving souls, with Christ giving power and efficiency so none can refuse self-denial. It calls to serve with earnest devotion and love seeking God's glory and salvation of others rather than wages or honor, to bring help to the sick and suffering for soul and body by joining humanity to divinity, to meet people as one of them without display of glory, and to be willing to work even in hardest places to reach souls, remaining untainted though descending to lowest depths with no reproach turning Him.
His self-humbling life of sacrifice, toil and unselfish love, refusing self-pleasing and giving up ease, wealth, honor and comfort to take the poor's and oppressed place among ordinary people, is the pattern to copy as far as God enables, overcoming selfishness and curing self-love that brings unrest. He descended to humanity's lowest condition to reach the fallen and lift them to hope, joy and heaven, revealing God's love and calling Christians to serve from love rather than selfish or grudging motives, awakening love and generosity so love for those He died to save leads to sacrifice to help save them.
Having the mind in Him means not seeking the highest place but desiring to sit at the feet of Jesus and learn of Him. When born from above that mind cures love of self that brings unrest, teaching that work's value lies not in show and noise and zeal in own strength but in proportion to impartation of the Holy Spirit, with trust bringing holier qualities of mind so that in patience souls are possessed.
His humility is a foundation principle of true religion and pattern of holiness seen in obedience even to shameful death on the cross. Taking fallen human nature and living in lowly circumstances among the poor, neglected and suffering rather than with royal power, sharing their hardships though sinless and joining divinity to humanity to lift the fallen, His example teaches pride must be subdued and true honor belongs to faithful followers whatever their position. Though beneath the disguise remaining Divinity, the eternal Son just as mighty and infinitely gifted, He moved upon a province of His own empire unrecognized, scattering blessing with no anthem of praise but air freighted with curses and blasphemy, scarcely a voice calling Him blessed or hand stretched in friendship or roof proffering shelter, and this great love and self-denial rebukes pride and teaches walking humbly with God.
His humility taught the church not to depend on worldly rank or grandeur, outward appearance or display, laying aside royal honor to clothe divinity with humanity and become a helpless babe born in a stable and raised in despised Nazareth as commander of angels, a lesson God reinforced through periods of humiliation in Israel's history. He humbled Himself further to die, and not only to die but to die an ignominious death, teaching the need of humility and of walking humbly with God.
His self-emptying rebukes self-seeking and self-exaltation and calls all to be sanctified, emptied of pride and self-esteem, unified with the heart of Christ and humbled before God, for though Commander in heavenly courts He laid aside crown and kingly robe and clothed divinity with humanity that humanity might touch humanity and divinity lay hold upon divinity, humbling Himself to lowest depths to uplift the fallen. His meekness, lowliness of heart and gentleness rebuke self-esteem, teaching that following Him in self-denial and the cross removes striving and makes man great, for He became substitute and surety to stand in man's place, suffer in man's stead, bear wrath and penalty, die every man's death voluntarily, then rise, ascend and minister as Advocate to bring life and immortality to light, people heaven, defeat Satan's extermination purpose and give power to partake divine nature and work with God.
His deep humiliation for humanity's sake is a lesson against seeking distinction over fellow believers, calling Christians to be subject to one another, moved by His self-giving to love others, value souls for whom He died and work selflessly to save those around them. His self-humbling exposes the folly of human self-exaltation by men who have nothing of their own, for though richest Maker of the world He became poor, clothing divinity with humanity to reach hearts through sympathy and adapt to their situation for recovery so through His poverty humans might be made rich. It is the opposite of making self the center, demanding one's word be unquestioned and orders be law, and ruling with arbitrary unreasonable authority, which leaves one full of self, blind to faults and warps children so they fail to gain experience and self-reliance. It rebukes wrestling for standing above others, showing true happiness in being humble, meek and lowly and valuing the soul as Christ values it in temperance, refusing liquor and discarding what clouds the brain. Though most exalted He laid aside all glory to suffer for sinners at every step in sacrifices followers can never make, an example to look to in hardship so as not to fail or be discouraged but endure hardness as good soldiers, bringing salvation to the meek and wisdom to learners as servant of all.
Though commanding worlds and able to summon heaven's hosts He veiled divine dignity, became poor so through His poverty people might become rich, and joined majesty with humility and meekness untouched by world's attractions, glory and pride. He laid aside high place to bear character test for man and leave an example of patience, forbearance, meekness and lowliness, and though at variance with the ungodly world receiving shameful abuse, affliction, rejection and despite in return for good, He gave way to no passion, violence, murmuring, discontent, resentment or retaliation but suffered with calmness, self-control, dignity and majesty, returning only compassion, pity and love with calm inward joy and serene peace while His will was ever swallowed in the Father's will, bringing divine strength by which men can bear trial and overcome as He overcame. He received power from God to patiently endure all that appeared unjust, teaching believers to look to Jesus for strength to bear pressures, perplexities and unjust suspicions without discouragement or impatience, seeking approval unto God to glorify Him in temptation. He went about doing good, and His representatives work humbly and faithfully without seeking praise whether task be small or great, in self-denial and tireless self-sacrifice for bodies and souls at infinite sacrifice speaking hope to the discouraged, truly appreciated by ceasing discouraging words that arouse doubt and cast shadow.
His character is marked by humility rather than self-importance, so those truly representing Him avoid self-important bearing. His example teaches meekness, lowliness, self-denial and self-sacrifice, so faithful service in daily duties can reflect the divine image. Though Majesty of heaven and King of glory He did not exalt Himself, build a rich home, or dress in costly linen or purple.
When He revealed Himself as Saviour He was meek and lowly in heart, having as Prince of life made Himself of no reputation and placed Himself among the most needy and dependent in a world seared with curse. Leaders must therefore act as He acted, standing firm as rock to principle while refusing to rule, dictate and compel, having less confidence in human judgment and being teachable, kind fellow laborers one with brethren rather than self-sufficient and dictatorial.
His humility and self-emptying are the pattern for dealing with others, so even when a brother has done wrong brethren must act with the Spirit of Jesus without a single wrong feeling or word. His washing the disciples' feet was a servant's work, and fully conscious of divinity He laid aside royal crown and kingly robes to take the form of a servant. Near the close when work was nearly finished and He was about to return to the Father, He girded as servant and washed the feet of those calling Him Lord and Master, a final lesson and lasting example of humble loving service so followers and especially ministers would never forget His humility, learn penitence and faith at the cross with hearts softened by matchless love, and dwell upon the cross and infinite sacrifice. That humility calls for mercy and long-suffering toward the tempted and restraint from bruising words.
His humble compassionate service as unwearied servant of human need, sharing poverty and griefs, bringing hope to the downcast, peace to the distressed and help to all who came, clothed divinity with humanity to live as one of them and bridge sin's gulf so every nation could be reconciled, is the example and motive to help the perishing. He did not put convenience or pleasure first but accepted disgrace and death to deliver from disobedience, calling people to leave sin, deny self, take up cross and obey at any cost, to accept unpleasant work rather than choose ease and leave others in darkness, to deny self and share His sufferings, laboring with self-consuming zeal to relieve wants and woes.
His life and death for sinful people reveal His love and give the converted a pattern, leading them to reject self-exaltation and desire to serve others. Laying aside divine glory to labor and suffer with humanity, His self-humbling inspires unselfish service. Though hungry, thirsty, weary and without place to sleep He blessed haters and served rather than seeking service, showing full surrender and submission to God may involve privation and suffering without murmuring.
He humbled Himself to do a servant's work in our behalf to lead us to humble ourselves so through us He may work to reach the dying, for He as Son of infinite God, Majesty and King of glory took human nature for this purpose. His character is to be revealed in followers who represent Him as sin-pardoning Saviour, for He came as lowly Son of man in servant's place and was afterward highly exalted by God with a name above every name.
His self-abasement and unselfish service call followers to humility and meekness to win souls, for when His glory and excellence are seen they become humble and regard even lowest place in His service as honorable. His mission and life were marked by disinterested benevolence and selfless service, His humility, lowliness and unselfishness seen in work for sinners, calling cooperators to serve to win souls, rejecting selfish ambition to live drawing people to the Saviour, sharing His spirit of self-denial and sacrifice in service.
He is the humble self-denying worker who gave up self for others, and His renunciation is to be followed, for beholding Him reveals God and works in the heart. Though King of glory He took a servant's place and served fallen humanity, showing true greatness is measured by moral worth and consists in living for others through love and benevolence. As divine Pattern He renounced honors and treasures and consented to be of no reputation, defining the self-denial and cross-bearing required of followers who must prefer God's favor and Christ's cross to worldly honor and treasure.
He made Himself of no reputation in humility and meekness for fallen men, holding fast right principles and integrity and resisting Satan without pride, vanity, display or coveting money, refusing to sacrifice principle for wages or treasure, giving the pattern for praying for grace to resist the tempter and let truth sanctify from vanity. For them He toiled and travelled and interceded, enduring privation with self-consuming zeal to relieve wants and woes, solemnly warning and graciously inviting the erring with eternal rewards for obedience, yet many will not come that they might have life.
Giving up reputation for our sake is reason to keep Him in mind while recognizing our own weakness. Laying aside lofty ideas of self and coming down in meekness, feeling nothingness without Christ and willing even to be a servant in imitation of the King of Glory become servant in disinterested benevolence, sitting at His feet and learning transforms those lacking devotion and humble religion, making Christ a present help and labor effectual to convert from error to truth.
Contemplating His wonderful humiliation in consenting as only begotten Son of infinite God to come and enter mysterious conflict that defeated darkness elevates, purifies and ennobles students of Scripture. Contemplating His self-humbling and single-handed victory as substitute and surety softens, purifies and ennobles heart and strengthens mind, opening truth to mind and applying it to heart by the Spirit to give clearer broader views, penetrating discernment, balanced judgment, expanded understanding, knowledge of weakness and growth in faith and humility. Believers gain His mind by filling the mind with it, for He disrobed Himself of divine character, majesty and glory to clothe divinity with humanity in self-denial marvelous to angels.
The humility of mind in the verse is to be cherished as humble trust clinging to His mighty hand to save and deliver, hiding in Him, coming closer for peace and rest, and refusing to fear, faint or distrust God for a moment. His example shows what it means to deny self and teaches how to overcome, for He laid aside all He had with the Father, clothed divinity with humanity and came to teach overcoming.
He hid self and laid aside reputation, and those presenting truth must follow in same self-hiding, letting Christ appear as greatness, power and efficiency, representing Him, loving souls, obeying, courteous and sympathetic, giving evidence of transforming power against prejudice, custom and fashion. He yielded self and surrendered all to God's will in humility, becoming poor, coming not to be served but to minister and not to do His own will but His Sender's, trusting the Father without limit, doing nothing of Himself, submitting to Him who judges righteously, living in privation often hungry, thirsty, weary, with nowhere to lay His head and earth for bed in cold night yet blessing haters. His example calls for humble unshowy service in gospel simplicity and order, for ministers to work in humility and meekness presenting truth in love rather than display or theatrical methods, for meek lowly workers united with Christ to be teachable with gentle spiritual influence effective through God's power not wealth or eloquence, and for converted people to be longsuffering, patient, forgiving, respectful and full of visible Christlike love joining humanity to divinity.
His condescension was continual descent, leaving heavenly courts for a world seared with curse unworthy of His presence, going lower still as servant in one act after another to being despised, rejected, forced to flee, betrayed and crucified, driven by tender compassion and unparalleled love enduring shame, revilings and abuse. It requires sinners for whom He suffered to humble proud will and come at once in weakness and unworthiness to be changed, to learn from Him who as Prince of life and Creator took weak erring nature to be meek and lowly, laying aside ideas and plans in practical obedience.
Because of such love those receiving it must love one another as He loved, not be indifferent to needs for whom He does everything, but willingly share sufferings and bear reproach looking to sharing glory. Having encircled the race with human arm while grasping the Infinite with divine arm to unite earth to heaven, His sacrifice greater than any required gives strength to overcome, setting a path separating from self, defects, error, sin and self-indulgence to follow where He leads as lights, partaking suffering to partake glory and receive eternal weight of glory.
He gave up selfish comfort and desire for praise, accepted lowly position and served others, which Christians follow wholeheartedly even at cost of life, not seeking advancement or indulging self while others suffer. They imitate His humility, meekness and courtesy, letting pride and lofty ideas give way so Christ is revealed as Sanctifier, laying aside self-importance, vanity and extravagance in self-denial to bless the world, use means for others' good and diligently prepare the Lord's work.
He set aside dominion, riches and glory and took human nature so people could learn from Him and be saved, and His benevolent self-denying life is the pattern to imitate as far as able. He did not live to please Himself but took servant's place clothing divinity with humanity, leaving royal courts to teach by example how people may be exalted as sons and daughters in the heavenly King's family, an example for mothers to live to glorify God rather than please self. Though heaven's King He came among people in humanity to bring salvation and meet needs, humbling Himself in servant's lowly condition.
It shows great condescension in leaving heaven's glory to accept poverty, deep affliction, reproach, insult and shameful death for the lost, and His self-denial and self-abnegation are the example to surrender and follow even through suffering and death, willing to bear humiliation and sorrow rather than seek better portion. His self-emptying humble sacrificial life, leaving riches, splendor, honor and glory for poverty, shame and suffering, calls followers to humility, self-denial, cross-bearing and sharing reproach with hope of sharing glory, teaching self-sacrifice and freedom from extravagance, display, expensive living and seeking popularity which injures God's work, putting away extravagance to use all abilities in His service.
His incarnation was self-sacrifice and earthly life continual self-denial, manifesting highest glory of God's love in the only-begotten Son, express image of His person, Majesty adored by angels whom seraphim obey, a great mystery of godliness. It is the privilege and duty of every professed follower to have the mind of Christ, for without self-denial and cross-bearing none can be His disciple, called to serve others and give for God's work as He though commander and rich came to suffer and give life in love.
He gave up every luxury and accepted lowest humiliation even death on the cross for salvation, exemplifying consecration to God's service rather than extravagant spending to impress, with study and practice of His lessons. Laying aside royal position to take humanity in humility to serve a lost world, His self-emptying is the example of simplicity, self-denial and sacrifice.
He came meek and lowly, traveling on foot yet greatest teacher ever on earth, leaving heavenly courts and royal crown at great sacrifice to clothe divinity with humanity and become poor so perishing souls might be made rich, giving an example to lift souls perishing through fitted temptations though few appreciate it. Leaving glory to live from childhood unsullied, His life is the pattern with words free of coarseness under converting power, followed by submitting to humbling discipline rather than resisting when trials come.
He consented to come as perfect Pattern and daily sacrifice to teach conformity to God's will, giving life and suffering the cross to show what heaven would do, revealing the Father's sacrifice in permitting His Son to come. Fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers are to fashion life by that Pattern with eye single to God's glory, work out salvation so costly in daily experience, and humble themselves under God's hand instead of exalting self or working haphazardly, so God may exalt them to stand with Christ in immortal crowns.
Laying aside heavenly rank to live in humble human service sets Christians' saving pattern of self-denial not self-indulgence in working with Him to save others. His meekness and lowliness are the pattern to endure suffering, sacrifice and trial for love of Christ, to do good to youth and the erring, and to work with sanctified tenderness, which requires self crucified, a painful death that is life to the soul.
He gave up reputation and risked a hundredfold more to bring salvation within every soul's reach, enduring all humiliation in amazing condescension so weak sinners might become stepping-stones to help fellows. Since He accepted that cost, fallen man must not let natural faults master the soul but fight daily mortification and willingly share shame and reproach for Him, not complaining when traveling the strait path made perfect and assured by His self-denial in leaving royal courts to seek and save.
Call to Self-Denying Service
Philippians 2:7 is the pattern for shepherds and ministers to be servants of all, setting aside ambition, self-interest, ease and the desire to be ministered to in order to care tenderly, wisely, courteously and compassionately for the flock, feeding, guiding, defending, anticipating wants, bearing the cross and the infirmities of the weak, and giving sympathy suited to their cases especially to the tempted, afflicted, discouraged and desponding, even to giving life to save souls for whom Christ died rather than ruling or working only when and where one pleases, for Christ counted not His life dear, pleased not Himself and lived for others' good instead of choosing an easier lot, a sacrifice ministers cannot equal but must copy with sanctified soul and undying love, since merely presenting arguments is not enough. It is essential education for all workers to replace pride and ambition with Christ's meek and lowly spirit. It calls workers in institutions to look not on their own things but on the things of others, to annihilate selfishness and covetousness by self-denial and self-sacrifice in helping the household of faith and suffering humanity rather than disregarding His infinite sacrifice, for He who was Lord of life and glory in heaven's heights gave up high reputation to be made in men's likeness and take a servant's position and duties in deliberate progressive descent from heaven to earth to the cross too great to grasp at once. It calls ministers, physicians and all workers away from self-exaltation and strife and vainglory to have Christ's mind, to be likeminded with the same love, of one accord and one mind, in lowliness esteeming others better and looking to others' interests, even to obedience unto death on the cross, in bowed prayer, confession of withheld sin, conversion of heart, and walking as wholly consecrated dependent children in unity and humility. It is the best instruction for the present time, especially for leading brethren, so clear there is no excuse for walking contrary to it, to be thankfully obeyed and earnestly fulfilled, and to be read and studied together with the whole second chapter of Philippians and also the third. Its self-humbling and love for the world, as God manifest in flesh setting aside glory to become human, is central to the message ministers must present to revive people and lead them to new life and strength.
It means lowliness that esteems others better than self, looks not only on one's own things but on others', does nothing through strife or vainglory, and works as Christ worked by going into new places where the gospel has not yet been proclaimed. It means lowliness, being likeminded with the same love in one accord and one mind, looking on others' things and not rising up in self to make other minds travel in one's own opinions and ideas. It shows the mind that dwelt in Jesus which believers must have to conduct aright in the church of God, requiring thorough change of character before God can acknowledge them as children, producing order in the church, right dealing toward brethren and sisters, correct Sabbath observance, and hearty repentance with confession of wrong and shame before God. It shows the self-renouncing mind of the Spirit in which Christ, though all things were His by right, claimed none for Himself but gave up rightful standing to become a servant in human likeness, given as directions for parents to do training intelligently honoring the Redeemer so that when all meet the Judge over broken law they and their children will not stand condemned. Standing within Philippians 2:1-16, it is to be read for learning how to be an example in word, conduct, love, spirit, faith and purity by trusting ministers of the local conference and officers of the local church, drawing near to brethren, loving fervently with true heart, and encouraging faithful bearing of responsibilities in God's fear.
It rebukes self-love, selfish desires, ambitions, strife for position and pursuit of men's praise and honor, and obligates every believer rich or poor to unselfish liberality with every God-given power for souls for whom He died, for Christ though in heaven in the Father's bosom in God's form and equal with God voluntarily laid aside glory to assume a servant's humbling conditions, responsibilities, humiliation and poverty in behalf of sinners, standing side by side with the fallen race to restore God's moral image and pay ransom by death on the cross, His poverty and whole series of sorrows borne on His divine soul being part of legacy and atonement not only betrayal and garden and cross agony, and this amazing condescension revealing God's love is meant to banish selfishness, awaken gratitude and love, teach looking also on others' things and possessing Christ's mind, and lead to serving such a Master from gratitude and love with sense of not being one's own rather than grudgingly, while selfish withholding shows no sense of sacrifice. His self-denial and sacrifice, in which He set aside royal glory and state to take humanity for a lost sin-marred world, took a hard humble self-denying path of difficulty, disappointment, reproach, affliction, disgrace and death, and left riches and glory to die, is the measure against which other sacrifices are made, beside which ministers' wives' trials are insignificant, and the example and perfect pattern for ministers not to seek easier lot or less self-denying position nor count separation and hardship too hard but to accept hardship and constant labor in teaching self-denial, self-sacrifice and practical religion, remembering earth is not rest, with humble uninviting appearance not distracting from truth, providing example also for medical missionary work. His self-denial is the pattern for soul-saving workers who study His life, bind about wants, live self-denial and self-sacrifice, and give all talents to God to be improved in God's way for saving souls, Christ giving power and efficiency to make efforts effective so none can refuse self-denial for His sake, for He stepped from throne, laid aside crown and robe, and submitted to poverty and shameful death to save a sinful race. His self-emptying is the Pattern the church is to copy in sympathy with Christ, tenderness for sheep and lambs, care for God's heritage, and tender compassion and personal labor for the erring, tempted, tried, orphans and neglected, toiling day and night to instruct, elevate and bring everlasting joy, for the Majesty made Himself of no reputation for the fold, came to a curse-seared world, became poor that through poverty they might be rich, denied Himself, and endured privation, scorn, contempt, suffering and death for a thankless disobedient people. Those ransomed at such cost by Jesus Christ the only-begotten Son in self-denial from manger to Calvary, who sought not to be greater but took servant form as substitute and surety ransoming with blood through which every blessing comes, must maintain His spirit, refuse to seek to be greater than Master and Head, practice self-denial in missionary work, and labor to be in right relation to God while the universe watches.
His self-denial and humble service of kindness and patient love is the pattern for guiding youth and rebukes impatient teachers and ministers who must treat each soul with care because He gave His life for it. His life exemplified self-denial and self-sacrifice, which those doing canvassing as God desires must cherish as God's servants, giving painstaking effort with instruction and sense of importance kept before them. He is the great Head of the church and Captain of salvation who left royal courts to live human life as example so none mistake heaven's path, gave all and withheld not precious life so salvation is within reach and blood cleanses spot and stain, who stepped from highest to lowliest to become Pattern to bless, save and raise to sonship, who though Majesty knowing no taint took deteriorated fallen nature as Head divine and human to unmask Satan's claim, withstand temptation as man must with facilities man may obtain, understand trials where angels could not sympathize, succor the tempted, encircle humanity with long human arm while grasping the Infinite with divine arm without losing dignity, stooping to poverty, homelessness, insult, mockery, contempt, ridicule, misstatement, accusation, reproach for supernatural birth, tasting bitter woe and curse as man of sorrows to bring many sons and daughters from ruin to partake divine nature, calling all to arm with same mind, show same disinterested love, yield bodies living sacrifice, and labor with God to bring many to glory. He is the example in all things and especially in missionary work, whose perfection is to be expressed in every experience by following His Word, for though heaven's King He came not with display or ten thousand angels but shared experience, took servant condition, became human, was tempted in all ways yet not overcome, and became poor that people might become rich through poverty, a humility followers must follow.
He did not come to seek pleasure or please Himself or live for self-indulgence but set aside glory, clothed divinity with humanity to meet humanity, reveal perfect love, and seek and save the lost. He did not treat heaven as desirable while humanity was lost but left courts and priceless treasure, becoming poor that through poverty the lost might become rich, His self-emptying meaning reproach, insult and shameful death, calling every child to follow same path, becoming a link in the chain let down to save the world, one with Christ in mercy going forth to seek and save. In love He left bliss and angels' homage, took servant place to help with unwearied effort stopping at no sacrifice and hesitating at no self-denial, becoming poor that fallen people might be made rich and seeking the lost in sympathy wherever they were, an example for God's workers to put saving souls above home, family and enjoyment, deem no effort too taxing and no sacrifice too great, endure what He endured, and meet people as He met them. He left high position in heavenly courts to live in our behalf self-denial and sacrifice to Calvary's cross, calling believers to deny inclination for expensive dress and keep dress in every particular in harmony with professed truth, giving correct representation for this time and showing Christ gives strength to deny it. His self-denial and self-sacrifice is the standard for laborers for salvation, so only those in harmony with it are ready to go as missionaries where truth was never represented, including heeding light on plain dress so appearance does not contradict truth.
He set aside outward display and princely character with armies of angels, came in human likeness and lowly form not with public splendor but as humble babe of humble parentage living infancy, childhood and youth as humans do, working as carpenter and obedient son, sharing suffering and temptation, living humbly among men without using power for display or summoning angels yet loyal to the Father, so every person could be embraced in salvation, and it requires His work be done in same humble way without outward attractions, sensational ideas or display that spoils workers and influence. His mission and life were marked by disinterested benevolence and selfless service, living not to please Himself but to do good and bless others though He could have chosen ease and plenty, taking toil and privation, finding joy in enduring toil and suffering for others with love governing character bringing true happiness, and carrying work in simplicity without theatrical display. His humble daily toil as Pattern Man was as truly mission as treading the sea, raising the dead or dying on the cross to lift the race to new perfect life, for though all angels were at command He hid the secret, lived nearly thirty years unhonored unknown in obscure Nazareth, claimed nothing great, worked for wages as servant, and by rude homely humble toil drew sympathy showing capability to sympathize with all, taught how closely men may walk with God in common life, showed heaven near in common walks, taught greatness comes not by climbing but by humble goodness and fidelity under angels' guardianship, and by sharing poverty and labor He could understand, comfort and encourage humble workers, honor labor, rebuke idleness, teach the wealthy not superior, exemplify self-denial at every step beyond followers' reach, call to love one another, deny self, seek the wandering where they are with all energy, deny self and share sufferings to advance mission, and minister humbly directly rather than by attractions, requiring comparison of character with His, letting self die, and cheerfully taking up cross. As Son of the Highest He chose lowly service, the Commander becoming subject to command, accepting family responsibilities cheerfully and devotedly, making ordinary labor part of God's commission and restoring every department of industry.
He adapted Himself to the situation where He found humanity to work for soul recovery, and by precept and example dignified useful labor, leaving heaven's glories, clothing divinity with humanity to associate and reach hearts through sympathy, obedient and helpful at home, learning carpentry and working with His hands in Nazareth's little shop as example to all. His example teaches diligence in work and care for those entrusted, and seeking to excel not by belittling others' labors but in good works and unselfish interest bringing God's blessing, care, place in hearts and genuine dignity not assumed, for from equality He humbled to servant, lived in wicked Nazareth in poor family, worked with hands to support family, remained subject thirty years, did not avoid weariness but traveled on foot teaching by the wayside, requiring putting away pride and self-conceit for meekness, devotion and consecration. He gave Himself as spiritual teacher and genuine medical missionary, bearing chastisement for peace and stripes for healing, and His coming to a curse-seared world to rescue from eternal death teaches importance of missionary work, for as leader He clothed divinity with humanity, laid aside crown and command angels loved to obey, became poor in lowliness living as man among men that through humiliation and poverty heirs might gain eternal weight of glory, divinity touching humanity except sin, answering man can keep law, tempted in all points yet without sin to know how to help the tempted as man of sorrows, in continual descent lower and lower to rejection, flight, betrayal and crucifixion driven by tender compassion and unparalleled love enduring shame and misapprehension, requiring sinners to humble proud will and come weak and unworthy to be changed, to stand on vantage-ground keeping laws in love and loyalty doing good, with lovers of Him most exalted, and His self-emptying is the Pattern to copy in sympathy, tenderness, care and personal labor for sheep, erring, tempted, tried, orphans and neglected. He left courts to minister to the sick as great Physician and chief of physicians, and is the pattern for physicians and workers to learn His life, works and teachings, begin temperance in own hearts, cooperate walking in all humility, then He blesses earnest relief through simple remedies rather than poisonous drugs, correcting false habits, teaching self-denial, and contending with appetite as greatest evil, revealing God's ideal for medical missionary.
He came to teach self-denial by example and died for sinners that they might live forever and lay hold of divinity partaking divine nature escaped from lust's corruption, so those named Christian must follow Leader overcoming selfish extravagant gratification and giving means to warn the world instead of self-indulgence, resigning high courts, laying off crown and robe, and clothing divinity with humanity. His self-denial as Son walking earth with divinity clothed in flesh condemns loose spending on nicknacks, finery, extravagance, unnecessary dress, selfish gratification and decorating homes, rebukes loose spending on useless articles, and calls fathers and mothers to teach children self-denial, self-control and economy, to reject pride, display, self-indulgence, prodigality and idleness and learn simplicity, self-denial and economy though difficult to escape penury and wretchedness, to be thoughtful, study economy, waste nothing, use means to relieve poverty and provide missionary needs such as hospital and poor provision, to be converted with changed moral taste keeping God's glory single in spending, influence and testimony as God's children fearing worldly standard over Christ's banner, and to follow His humble limiting of desires, economy and self-denial rather than inflated spendthrift habits to be converted, renewed and trusted with God's work. The Majesty choosing humanity instead of kingly power's glory, living untiring self-denying sacrifice for bodies and souls knowing best how to influence minds, giving all to uplift fallen to vantage-ground escaping lust's corruption, requires followers not to live by selfish ideas but restrain every extravagance, deny self, take up cross, and put every spare dollar into God's work instead of needless trimmings, furnishings and self-gratification while the cause lacks means, for they cannot afford needless spending of God's money. He stooped from glory to servant form as example, teaching His first advent means self-denial and humility not display, so following means avoiding unnecessary expenditure and letting good works rather than impressive buildings reveal truth and glorify God, though Majesty and King of glory. He stooped to self-denying sacrifice as Prince of heaven to vindicate His Father's word, calling believers likewise to live self-denying lives and let good works shine before the world.
He gave up every luxury and accepted lowest humiliation serving to death on the cross for salvation, exemplifying consecration rather than extravagant spending to impress, with study and practice of His lessons. His condescension and sacrifice in humbling to servant form bring every blessing and are the supreme gift to save from ruin, calling Christians to represent Him by doing good, practicing gratitude and self-denial, and giving to God and others rather than living for self. His life of sacrifice and self-denial is an example meaning followers must have same spirit, working intelligently and cheerfully in united cooperation rather than independently, each willing to do part wherever appointed toward building up the work. His self-denial and self-sacrifice is the pattern for worshipers assembling, meaning professed children should study His example to deny self, part with idols, economize in every line, keep a box in each house for church fund, and bring gifts costing self-denial to meet weekly expenses, order and comfort of God's house, and not rob appointed treasury sustaining field ministers, except where poverty is so deep tithes may secure humblest worship place. He is the divine Pattern of self-denial and sacrifice, so following means serving God's work without selfishly seeking highest wages. He clothed divinity with humanity to reach down, uplift, save the perishing and enable sharing divine nature escaping corruption, and His self-denial requires followers to practice real sacrifice beyond giving up unnecessary things, disinterested benevolence, continued work, generous influence for souls, giving freely of means, sacrificing so others may be lifted to share glory, enduring unjust painful treatment when necessary without needlessly stirring prejudice to keep gospel opportunity, carrying to perfection after ascension the work He left.
His humiliation, meekness, self-denial, self-sacrifice, suffering and service in devoting Himself to suffering humanity in continual sacrifice to save from perishing unto eternal life ground willing obedience and call believers to follow by many costly offerings without fear of loss, refusing to withdraw missionaries for lack of means, and trusting God holding all resources, since the church is never poorer by generous giving. He clothed divinity with humanity laying aside glory and royal position so He could come close, meet people where they were, associate and work with them, lift them up, and help through words, deeds and example to follow footsteps, meeting humanity to reveal perfect love, seeking not pleasure but saving the lost, the pattern for saving the lost. By clothing divinity with humanity He could associate, meet people in lowly circumstances, reach hearts through sympathy, identify with interests and happiness, and defend and deliver tempted people to stand on vantage-ground, so that humanity could reach humanity and draw to divinity, teaching helpers of youth to meet them where they are, understand struggles, treat with patience and sympathy, and not stand aloof in pride but associate to help the perishing, providing model and motive to help those without truth's light. He humbled Himself adapting to fallen humanity to raise to higher life, teaching disciples to reject status and follow humility and self-sacrifice for others' good, His humility being not low estimate of character or abilities. Setting aside royal glory, honor and kingly power to take humanity in human garb and service to meet needs of a lost sinful world, bless by presence and example, and call people to join Him in redemption provides perfect example of self-denial and sacrifice including for medical missionary work.
Coming down submitting to bear infirmities, sacrifice and death to give immortal life, stepping down as Prince and Commander laying aside robe and crown to clothe divinity with humanity, He became divine Teacher of all classes living free from selfishness and sin as example of what people may become through grace, and His humiliation leaving marks He will ever carry while redeemed and angels honor Him as slain, fully appreciated, brings harmony with heaven and triumph in every condition. It shows Christ leaving heaven to take position at the head of a fallen race with humanity and divinity united so all essential could be done for complete rescue, teaching importance of missionary effort and calling for unreserved surrender and consecration of time and talents putting all into advancing His work, His self-sacrificing work being example and model, laying aside royal position to come as servant rescuing from eternal death. It shows Christ as pattern of self-denial who though Son of Jehovah and Author of salvation chose humble servant role rather than ease, status, pleasure or personal enjoyment, labored, suffered, spent life doing good, saving from suffering and blessing others, calling followers to serve others and bear responsibilities for their good. It shows Christ taking servant form in greatly humbling self-sacrificing life calling followers to have His mind, labor without selfishness, persevere in doing good for others' salvation, and gladly acknowledge Him as Saviour and Leader following that self-denial. It shows Christ the Majesty who laid world's foundations becoming servant for humanity, patiently accepting scorn and insult and making service easier, showing no service or self-denial for God is too great.
He sought not advantage but left royal courts clothing divinity with humanity and taking servant place, teaching selfless service and showing how people may be exalted as sons and daughters in the heavenly King's family. He humbled Himself coming in human form to help those in need, and did not remain in most desirable places. His example teaches diligence, care for the weak, ignorant and entrusted, service rather than status, sympathy instead of censure, fellowship for unity, meeting youth in struggles, serving even disagreeable work among needy, enduring privation without murmuring, and not using power to compel obedience, for refusing self-pleasing He left courts, clothed divinity with humanity to raise to sonship, pitied sinners leaving heaven laying aside royalty in love to know needs and lift from fall, humbled from equality adapting to fallen to raise higher through Nazareth poverty, carpentry and thirty years' submission, took form to serve working among poor, afflicted, distressed and needy with human nature no excuse for aloofness, and set aside status taking servant likeness. He came with purposes of love divesting royal robe, crown and throne to clothe divinity with humanity as Man of sorrows acquainted with grief, living among the poor, blessing the afflicted, healing the sick, soothing age's infirmities, reaching with divine pity depths of woe, noticing children's sorrows and blessing burdened mothers. He came to a curse-seared world placing Himself as one among most needy and dependent, though Prince of life making Himself of no reputation, meek and lowly when revealed as Saviour, meaning leaders must stand firm as rock to principle while refusing to rule, dictate and compel, having less confidence in human judgment and being teachable, kind fellow laborers one with brethren rather than dictatorial, and His coming and life from infancy to cross to teach true higher soul-saving knowledge is the example of genuine higher education many striving for false theories will fail to understand. He came in human form to demonstrate unselfishness through His own life. His condescension as Creator with special interest, leaving royal throne, clothing divinity with humanity and giving life in infinite sacrifice to bless those He made, though carnal hearts rejected goodness and mercy, still yearns with matchless love inviting to come for happiness, rest and knowledge giving strength to overcome flesh against Spirit.
Though being in the form of God and equal with God, He voluntarily emptied Himself and made Himself of no reputation by taking the form of a servant in the likeness of men, becoming truly human while remaining truly divine. He veiled and laid aside the visible splendor and manifestations of His divine glory and majesty so finite sinful people could behold Him without being consumed. He took fallen human nature as the race existed after four thousand years of sin, with its infirmities and weaknesses, yet without moral stain or taint of sin, living from babe to manhood tempted in all points yet sinless. He lived in poverty, humility and lowliness as a servant rather than as a king, then humbled Himself in progressive descent even to the ignominious death of the cross as substitute and ransom, after which God highly exalted Him so every knee shall bow and every tongue confess Him Lord. By clothing divinity with humanity He could touch humanity to lift it from defilement, restore God's moral image, overcome where Adam failed, and enable believers to partake of the divine nature and receive eternal life, calling all who receive Him to have His lowly self-denying mind in unity and service to others.
Meaning of Self-Emptying
Though He was in the form of God and equal with God, He voluntarily emptied Himself and made Himself of no reputation by taking the form of a servant in the likeness of men, becoming truly human and living as a man while remaining truly divine. This laying aside was a willing humbling to the conditions of human life and the responsibilities of a servant in behalf of sinners, assuming human nature from heaven and the Father's bosom. In doing so He laid aside and veiled the visible expressions and manifestations of His divinity and glory, yet without giving up His divinity, living among people in poverty, humility and lowliness, unrecognized, unhonored and often scorned. Though mortal as a member of the human family, He remained the source of life as God, innocent and obedient, who freely accepted death and bore the world's sins as Sin-bearer to make reconciliation possible and give humanity life. His becoming human also enabled Him to suffer temptation so He can help the tempted, and His humility and selfless service are the pattern believers are to have in themselves by putting aside rivalry and pride, valuing others, caring for what concerns them, and serving from gratitude and love rather than grudging selfish motives.
He veiled but did not surrender His divinity, laying aside royal robe, crown and glory and clothing divinity with humanity. He veiled the dazzling splendor and outward display of His divine glory and came to live as a man among men, revealing all of the nature and attributes of the invisible God that sinful human beings could bear. The reason was that sinful, finite people could not have endured the sight of His heavenly glory in its full power and would have been consumed and destroyed before it, so He came in human form that they might behold Him without being destroyed and become acquainted with their Creator. In that lowly human appearance He was not outwardly equal to the angels of heaven, His emaciated condition and lowly surroundings not displaying the glory of His divine character, yet as divine-human Saviour and head of the fallen race He shared human experience from childhood to manhood and lived in perfect obedience so people might be raised and become partakers of the divine nature.
His disrobing of divine character and the majesty and glory of the Highest to clothe divinity with humanity was the marvel of angels in self-denial and self-sacrifice. It belongs to the great mystery of godliness, revealing the character and attributes of God — His benevolence, mercy, long forbearance — and His example of perfect obedience. It contains yet-unlearned truth about God's word, giving new views never yet fully learned, a most valuable study that taxes the intellect, strengthens mental ability, and yields hidden treasure to diligent searching so that the lover of truth breaks out in triumph. Believers are to let this mind be in them by filling the mind with His humiliation, contemplating who He was and what He laid aside to become man.
Emptying Himself means He did not seek honor or put self first, but subordinated everything to His Father's will in lowliness of mind. It means doing nothing through strife or vainglory, esteeming others better than self, and looking to the things of others and not only to one's own things, against self-inflation, self-admiration, talk of qualifications, evil surmisings, pride that loves not humility, and the impatience and fretfulness of the human heart. His self-emptying in leaving heaven's royal courts, taking humanity and becoming poor so people might be made rich was not for worldly pleasure or extravagance, but the example of self-denial and service for others. Learning from Him means yielding pride and desire for supremacy so self no longer rules the soul, enduring contradiction of sinners without being wearied and faint, coming to take His yoke, walking in the path He marked with feet in His footsteps, and pressing on to the full stature of men and women in Christ until complete in Him.
Divine Identity Retained
In becoming human He did not give up His divinity but remained God, Creator, Lord of life and glory and Fountain of life, veiling only the visible expressions of it while taking human nature and the form of a servant. His humiliation did not lessen His divine identity, for He clothed divinity with humanity as the divine-human Saviour and head of the fallen race, becoming truly human and obedient unto death to pay the price of redemption. Though He was God He did not appear in divine glory because sinful people could not have endured its sight, yet it remained loyal for angels to bow before Him even in humiliation.
The One who did this pre-existed in glory before the world was formed in the form of God, equal with God in character, the express image of His person, brightness of the Father's glory, Mediator and only begotten Son, the Eternal Son. He was Commander of all the heavenly hosts, King of glory worshiped by all the heavenly messengers in the heavenly courts, Majesty of heaven and Creator, mighty and infinitely gifted beneath the disguise. He was from the beginning before He became human, and this truth of His pre-existence is invaluable to the believer, full of mightiness and power and a solid rock foundation for faith centered in Him. He was sent forth in the fullness of time out of the pity, sympathy, benevolence and goodness of God to meet the deep necessity of fallen man bound to Satan, appointed in the councils of heaven and leaving the royal courts fully prepared. He came to a world marred and polluted with sin as Instructor, mysteriously allying Himself to human nature and walking this earth as the Eternal Word, to the astonishment of the heavenly host and the surprise of the world.
Though one with God as Creator, commander, king, majesty and Lord, He voluntarily emptied Himself by His own choice and not by compulsion, having pledged before man was created to give His life. In becoming man He veiled His divinity and the attributes He possessed as one equal with God, outwardly appearing as the son of David without displaying the full significance of His character. Because divine glory would have overwhelmed humanity, as humanity could not endure the presence of even a pure bright angel from glory, He did not take the nature of angels but came as a man in genuinely human appearance. At times His divine character nevertheless shone forth so powerfully that His perfect human form showed unmatched benevolence, love and holiness, and spiritually discerning people recognized Him as the Son of God while His inherent power and dignity awed people even as they loved Him.
He laid off His ruling dignity over the angels, giving it back to the Father, and laid aside His office as heaven's Commander, entering a path of deepening humiliation from rejection to condemnation, spitting, striking, betrayal and the cross. His sacrifice is given to be believed and made a part of life by appreciating His love and character and imitating that character, living out humanity to the perfection God requires even from childhood. He left heaven's throne, royal honor, crown, royal robe and scepter, and His riches, majesty, high position, authority and command with the Father, laying aside royal glory, honor, rank, robes, position and authority to take human nature and the form of a servant. Though equal with God, beloved Commander one with God in the bosom of the Father, He stepped down to poverty and lowly circumstances rather than comfort among the rich, moved by infinite pity to give fallen people another trial on probation and to redeem them by engaging the prince of darkness in firm, humble obedience.
He left heaven's purity, peace, joy, glory and immortal life and a home of pure contentment, exalted holiness, unalloyed joy and full approval of God with glory enshrouding the Father, giving up the companionship of angels to live among fallen, sin-polluted humanity. He came to a world marred with sin and seared with the curse to endure degradation, shame, insult, torture and death as a sacrifice of benevolence and love for the fallen race, experiencing human sorrow and temptation so He could help the tempted. He did this to save souls and those who would be saved, that man would be more fully united to God, the connecting link between heaven and earth broken by sin would be restored, and man would be given power to overcome Satan's devices.
Human Nature Assumed
He took fallen human nature, described as the likeness of sinful flesh, yet without moral stain or taint of sin and without losing dignity and glory, so that He could bear every transgression. He veiled the signs of His divinity and united divinity with humanity so that humanity could become a channel between God and people and divine power could restore them to God's likeness, becoming poor so they might become rich. He humbled Himself as the sinless, exalted Son and eternal Word made flesh, placing His feet in Adam's steps to cope with the foe who triumphed over Adam and to open redemption from Adam's failure for all who believe. He lived among people in lowly circumstances rather than with royal power, sharing the hardships of the poor, neglected and suffering, and descending step by step in humiliation to make expiation for a perishing world.
He took the form and nature of fallen humanity, not as Adam stood in Eden in purity and strength but as the race existed four thousand years after the fall. He came with the ordinary features of the human family and the Jewish race, without unusual beauty or appearance to compel belief, so that faith would rest on perfect character and prophecy rather than sight. He shared physical, mental and moral degeneracy, infirmities, weaknesses, woe and affliction, and in that nature His strength was not even equal to the angels. He entered the conditions where Adam failed and faced a more severe test, overcoming Satan through obedience, purity and steadfast integrity, with His righteousness imputed to believers so they can overcome in His name. He came as humanity's representative, substitute and surety to show humanity was not beyond God's power to reclaim, though His humiliation and sufferings moved angels with love and grief who were not to intervene.
He came after four thousand years of sin had weakened the race, accepting the results of heredity as shown in His earthly ancestors, sharing human sorrow and temptation and living a sinless life as an example. He exchanged heaven's throne for the manger and His condescension continued in that acceptance of weakened humanity. He passed through discipline and the experience humanity must face, passing through human doubts and needs from babe and child to manhood with temptation, trial, sorrow and grief so He could know human needs. He laid aside heavenly majesty to come as a little child, as a babe in Bethlehem living among people, enduring human temptation while remaining loyal to the Father to redeem fallen humanity over the ground where Adam fell. His victory makes it possible for people to lay hold of His divinity and escape corruption by accepting it by faith as their own, and His humiliation gives hope of glory, shows sympathy for the lowliest, and sanctifies every part of human life for humble work.
He took human nature from His earliest years and from childhood carried out perfection, living out humanity to the perfection God requires. He laid aside royal glory, crown, robe and ruling dignity over angels, giving it back to the Father, to come as a helpless babe and child with poor parentage, sharing human growth and experience rather than coming with legions of angels. His divinity clothed with humanity worked for men even from childhood, carrying out the pattern of perfection until rejection, betrayal and the cross, and by coming as a child and growing up He drew near to understand people and deal with them. He shared human weakness, trials and temptations yet endured without sin, uniting divinity and humanity to become the link between fallen people and the Father, so that relying on His power people can resist Satan, overcome evil dispositions and escape the world's corruption. He came in human form to demonstrate unselfishness and to free people from Satan's power at the cost of His life for the whole world, making salvation available to every accepter and eternal life possible.
Though equal with the Father in dignity and power He took humanity and a servant's place with divinity united to humanity at the head of fallen humanity. He lived as a poor man among people, often hungry, weary and without a home, facing temptation as people do yet living perfectly as an example. Keeping that human level, though He had known honor in heavenly courts and absolute power, was as difficult for Him as rising above the low level of depraved nature to partake of the divine nature is for people. His taking humanity meant truly enduring hunger, weakness, hardship, trials and afflictions for thirty-three years. During the fearful wilderness trial He was for a time left alone to cope with the terrible foe while suffering and physically weak.
He faced Satan's attacks from birth through death yet remained spotless, loyal and sinless, and thereby knows how to help the tempted. His coming made Satan fear loss of rule yet exult at having Him within reach, so every temptation was brought against Him in the wilderness and through life without turning Him from self-denying love for humanity. In human likeness He was tempted in all points like humans are, and His great sacrifice to come in human flesh shows people may cooperate with Him with no sacrifice too great to keep passions and inherited and cultivated tendencies under control. Though tempted in all points like humans with temptation matching His holiness amid depravity, He had no evil propensity and remained sinless. The strength of His temptation matched the perfection of His holiness, and the depravity around Him made earthly life continual sorrow, yet by divine grace He overcame every temptation brought against Him. As humanity's Substitute and Surety He lived a sinless life in human nature and bore the burden of the fallen world's sin, which enabled Him to bear the world's sins and to help the severely tempted, a mystery that does not make Him merely human.
Lowly Earthly Life
He lived among people in poverty, humility and lowliness, not as a king demanding homage but as a servant to aid and bless, sharing human experience from childhood to manhood while remaining God with divinity veiled because sinful people could not endure its sight. He was unrecognized, unhonored and often scorned, though mortal as a member of the human family and the source of life as God, freely accepting death and bearing the world's sins to give life, and His poverty was part of His legacy and atonement, the whole series of sorrows compassing humanity borne on His divine soul, not only betrayal and agony. His self-emptying puts to shame selfish ambition and strife for position and obligates every believer rich or poor to unselfish liberality with every power for souls for whom He died.
His appearance was not meant to attract through outward beauty or compel belief by sight, for faith was to rest on excellence of character and prophecy, not on personal impressiveness. Having been taller than any angel, majestic and lovely in heaven, He took ordinary form and began ministry only a little taller than the common size of men then living, by God's order to be made perfect through suffering and to know how to help the tempted. He took the ordinary features of the human family and the Jewish race without unusual beauty or marks to draw attention, coming as humanity's representative, substitute and surety to show humanity was not beyond God's power to reclaim.
He shunned all outward display and did not come as an angel in heavenly glory or as a king with earthly pomp or with angels and trumpets, and though He could have entered Jerusalem so He remained in accepted humility until He gave His life. His glory was veiled so majesty of outward form would not become an object of attraction, and His humble uninviting appearance did not distract hearers from truths He taught as example of self-denial and constant labor. He purposed that no earthly attraction should call men to His side, since riches, worldly honor and human greatness can never save a soul from death, but only the beauty of heavenly truth must draw followers upon testimony of the word where Messiah was foretold. He treated wealth, social rank and earthly dignity as worthless, choosing an obscure despised home in poverty without diminishing divine dignity so even the lowly could approach and hear.
His human form was perfect and His bearing and face showed unmatched benevolence, love and holiness, and His inherent power and dignity awed people even as they loved Him. At times His divine character shone forth so powerfully that spiritually discerning people recognized Him as Son of God, though outwardly the son of David He did not display full significance but passed through discipline and experience humanity must face. He did not take the nature of angels because divine glory would have overwhelmed humanity, as humanity could not endure even a pure bright angel from glory, so He came as a man.
He accepted poverty and lowly circumstances, born as a helpless babe with a manger for bed and beasts around Him in Bethlehem, brought up in obscurity in Nazareth proverbial for wickedness of humble poor parents. He worked as a carpenter with His hands to do His part in sustaining the family and remained subject to parents sharing thirty years of family burden, living without luxury or settled home, at times with earth for bed as a homeless wanderer. He shared the experiences of the poor, oppressed and suffering with weariness, hunger, thirst and frailty, as at Jacob's well, and did not use His power to escape the human condition He had chosen. His humiliation did not lessen His divine identity or make it disloyal for angels to bow before Him.
He voluntarily chose an obscure home among the poor in Nazareth rather than rich homes or palaces, raised in obscurity and beginning work in poverty without worldly rank, showing God introduced the gospel unlike worldly methods of recognition. He laid aside royal standing to become part of an earthly family of lowly circumstances to give living example of meekness and open the way for even the lowliest to approach Him as friend. He came not in public splendor of a prince with angels but in lowly human form so every person could be embraced in salvation. He would not explain the mystery of His birth or coming down from heaven nor point to miracles to defend Himself against leaders who despised Him as Galilean laborer of doubtful parentage, yet His words and works revealed His true character so hearts open to light could recognize the only begotten full of grace and truth.
He could have taken any position but greatness and rank were nothing to Him and He selected the lowest and most humble walk, born poor on His mother's side while God owner of the world was His Father, with no luxury, ease, selfish gratification or indulgence but continual self-denial. He chose the lowly condition of the far greater number so the humblest believer could never say He never knew pinching poverty, so the poorest would not shun His society, so He would be accessible to all and truth of heavenly origin alone would impress hearts. He truly became human with all its ills, spending most of earthly life in patient toil in the carpenter shop at Nazareth, living in a peasant home, wearing coarse clothes, walking to and from humble work in garb of a common laborer side by side with peasants unrecognized and unhonored though ministering angels attended Him. Though Lord of life with the same power later used to feed five thousand with five loaves and two fishes, He supported His family by daily labor and never used divine power to lessen burdens, lighten work or flinch from severest trials, thereby honoring hard toil by His footprints and showing industry is duty and labor honorable.
He could have come surrounded by angels with legions at command but was born as a helpless babe in a stable to lowly parents and lived through infancy, childhood and youth as humans do. He worked as a carpenter to help support the family and faithfully fulfilled duties of an obedient son subject to parents for thirty years, teaching diligence and care for those entrusted. He laid off royal crown, robe and ruling dignity over angels giving it back to the Father and came as a little child to live out humanity to the perfection God requires, His divinity clothed with humanity working from childhood carrying out perfection until betrayed and hung on the cross. His taking humanity while remaining divine, the Creator equal with the Father higher than angels appearing as helpless infant, is beyond comprehension and the hope of fallen humanity in whom people see God.
He humbled Himself to live among people, share common experience and adapt to condition with sympathy to reach hearts and work for soul recovery, learning carpentry and working with His hands and for wages, dignifying useful labor by example. He lived thirty years unhonored in obscure Nazareth with no home, walking, teaching, enduring hardness as a loving son, and His life of perfect obedience even when parents did not understand gave example without offense. He came as a babe of humble parents in poverty experiencing hardships humanity faces and was tempted in all points where men are tempted, taunted as humiliated beneath His mighty foe yet unable to be destroyed until medical missionary work was done when He tasted death for every man. He was educated under supervision of heavenly angels and worked at the carpenter's trade though Prince of life and Saviour, sent to give children a life that measures with the life of God.
His humble life sharing workers' life, born to poor parents and learning the carpenter's trade, was part of transforming character and bringing heavenly riches, not royal ease. His accepting poverty and humiliation and working with His own hands as a common laborer enduring hardship gives humble people facing difficulties reason not to be discouraged. It was no part of His mission to exercise divine power for His own benefit to relieve suffering or save Himself, and He never did so in a single instance but came to save others and bring blessings, hope and life to the afflicted. When men in fury sought to kill Him He was rescued by angels sent for Him rather than by His own power, and He bound Himself by contract with the Father to be a probationer keeping humanity's level. He refused to manifest power to create sensation, prove He was Saviour, force acknowledgment, satisfy curiosity, spare pain, or deliver from injury, and keeping that low level was as difficult for Him as rising above depraved nature to partake of divine nature is for men, requiring strength of all faculties to resist using power over darkness so in weak humanity He could overcome on man's account.
He accepted human life and temptation while remaining loyal to His heavenly Father, not using power for outward display or summoning angels to aid Him though heaven's Prince. He took human nature and met human circumstances as a man, enduring cruelty without departing from the Father's will, sustained by Godlike fortitude uttering no murmur, and would not use miracle to satisfy curiosity or spare Himself pain people must endure. He came without worldly splendor or kingly authority, meek and lowly rather than compelling obedience, taking servant form and accepting humiliation and suffering. The proud self-righteous unbelieving Jews expected Saviour and King clothed with majesty to compel Gentiles to yield, and because they did not expect humiliation they would not receive the meek Jesus though they would have received and worshiped Him had He come in splendor.
Though Creator moving in His own empire He was not recognized, confessed or worshiped by the nation He came to bless, but walked scattering blessing with no anthem of praise, the air freighted with curses and blasphemy, scarcely a voice calling Him blessed, hand stretched in friendship or roof proffering shelter. The people He came to save met Him with insult, hatred and abuse, and angels guarded Him until His saving mission was complete. He volunteered to stand between wrath and guilty people to learn temptations by experience, complete work as teacher, then be handed to wicked men stirred by Satan to bear scorn and almost every cruelty, hang as guilty sinner with bodily and far greater mental pain under sins of the whole world, with only a few receiving Him while nearly all hated, then die, rise the third day and ascend to plead.
His life was continual humility, one condescension after another ever lower as servant, leading to being despised, rejected, forced to flee to save life, and at last betrayed, rejected and crucified, driven by tender compassion and unparalleled love. He traveled on foot teaching by the wayside, was tried and condemned by people He had delivered, rejected, spat upon and struck, laboring for others, caring for disciples, bearing burdens, sharing poverty and denying Himself to lay down life as redemption price. He left heavenly home, majesty, riches and high command and took humanity in sinful likeness to save the fallen race, which honored humanity and should have led to glorify God, yet the infant found no rest or safety and God could not trust Him to inhabitants but sent angels to preserve Him until finished when He died at hands of men He came to save to lift them to His throne.
Though He came to save, many absorbed in worldly concerns did not recognize His worth or welcome His mission, causing Him deep sorrow, for He came as man of sorrows acquainted with grief. He did not come as temporal king to deliver from earthly oppressors but as man among men in poverty at last to be despised, rejected and slain as sacrifice fulfilling every requirement of broken law, in whom types met antitype giving significance to the entire Jewish economy. By self-emptying He secured probation in which people can be transformed into divine likeness, laying aside robe and crown to live from infancy to manhood the life humans must pass. For human sake He became poor that through poverty fallen people might be made rich, since eternal riches come only by heaven's plan, and divinity and humanity united stood beside people in every emergency facing temptation as they do.
He left the royal courts and came in person as teacher with divine power and infinite knowledge because men needed His presence to come to correct knowledge, yet men refused light and chose defective ways. He exchanged crown of glory for thorns, clothing divinity with humanity in self-denial, bearing insult, shame and mockery while going city to city because those He came to save sought His life though no fault was in Him but because He taught heavenly truth they would not receive. He came in humble servant form rather than worldly majesty as prophecy matched, calling people to God to reconcile humanity, though Jews expecting glorious king rejected Him. He covered divinity with humanity for the Jewish nation setting aside honor to seek fruit from highest to lowest finding none, fleeing accusers, carrying rebellious people on His heart in continual miracle and mercy yet meeting disbelief, demands for more evidence and plotting, so He wept in agony over Jerusalem as desolation came.
Though few recognized Him as He truly was, John saw this humility and came to know Him through close study and lived experience. His humanity so completely veiled glory that even disciples struggled to believe and His death made hope seem perished, yet His humble service in washing their feet showed true service as humanity's representative and Advocate able to sympathize with weakness. His divinity was enshrouded in humanity as He lived among people with human necessities, bodily wants, weariness and temptation yet without sin, braced by whole nights in mountain or desert prayer for the tempted and needing refreshing to meet trials and Satan. Though not dependent on human sympathy He did not reject it but found welcome and rest from hostility at Bethany.
He took servant's form in constant self-sacrifice among the poor, needy and suffering unrecognized and without honor, healing those needing help and pointing them to God, strengthening His humanity through prayer amid daily temptation and opposition. His humble life laid foundation for religion without caste where Jew and Gentile, free and bond are equal before God. He lived a perfect life free from self-seeking wholly given to service of others, in contrast to those filled with desire for wealth, power and supremacy with envy and strife. Though angels would have honored Him He went unhonored meeting reproach, and even when healing and comforting few praised Him while the powerful disdained Him, as part of work as substitute bearing penalty to lift, cleanse, give righteousness and exalt believers.
He left heaven and took humanity living purely among people of low reputation, choosing a lowly home showing no place is beneath dignity of faithful service and pride in status has no place. Making home in despised Nazareth in poverty He made no distinction by wealth or rank keeping lowly welcome, teaching inward Christlike character matters more than outward dignity. Though Majesty and King His outward appearance was plain marked by travel and weariness, yet divine nature was present and His purity, goodness and love not outward attractiveness drew people. He stooped from heavenly glory to humility and poverty taking servant's place, and His lack of even a place to stay illustrates the poverty He accepted.
Suffering Death and Exaltation
He humbled Himself in deliberate progressive descent from heaven to earth to death, even to the ignominious death of the cross, giving up position, scepter, throne and angels' homage in obedience to the Father until lifted on the cross to draw people, where self-denial could go no farther. He humbled Himself in obedience even to death on the cross, bearing the world's sins as Sin-bearer, substitute and ransom, paying the debt with His blood and making reconciliation, atonement and deliverance possible. Not only betrayal and agony in garden and on cross but His poverty and whole series of sorrows compassing humanity borne on His divine soul were part of the atonement.
When the world's sins were laid on Him He was counted among the unholy as substitute with the curse falling on Him, bearing guilt, woe and wrath, shedding blood to satisfy justice so people might escape eternal death, fulfilling every requirement of the broken law with types meeting antitype in Him. He became humanity's substitute, surety, representative and Advocate, standing in man's place to suffer, bear God's wrath and penalty, and without humbling to death He could not have borne transgression; He then ascended as propitiation for the whole world. He gave His divine life as ransom and took sin's burden and penalty in love, and every blessing comes through that sacrifice.
The glorious Redeemer left glory to give His life and die, the just for the unjust, bearing mocking, scourging, crown of thorns and bloody sweat under the world's sins to redeem people by His blood. Rich yet becoming poor, He lived with nowhere to lay His head, was wounded for transgressions and bruised for iniquities to bring peace and healing. He gave everything in continual self-denial to depths of woe, enduring torturing agony and most ignominious death fulfilling prophets, yet meeting indifference and scorn, purchasing unsearchable riches at immense cost. He voluntarily descended lower until no lower depths remained to save man under death sentence, and though legions of angels would homage Him He walked unhonored as poor, scattering blessings and healing, yet took the malefactor's place to bear traitors' penalty and by atoning death lift, cleanse and exalt believers to His right hand.
He stooped to take human nature and entered humiliation to bear infinite woe as offering for sin, though He had shared glory with the Father before the world existed. In taking human weakness He took infirmities and sorrows as a man of sorrows, wounded for transgressions, descending step by step as complete unstained offering combining priest and victim as Passover sacrificed, giving His body to be rent, scourged, crowned, crucified and buried, then rising triumphant and continuing as high priest after Melchizedek's order. His humiliation included voluntary death, burial in Joseph's tomb, resurrection, ascension to the city of God, and ministry as Advocate in heavenly courts, by which life and immortality were brought to light, heaven will be peopled, and Satan's extermination purpose was defeated.
His saving work is centered in death, resurrection and ascension, and His life shows how to honor God through obedience so following Him leads to life with Him in heaven. His human life was free from corruption yet as God He remained life's source who could have withstood death but freely accepted it to give humanity life and immortality. He laid aside glory to experience what humans pass through and understand from satanic agencies what they contend with and judge faithfully. He humiliated Himself to lowest depths yet remained untainted with no reproach turning Him, remaining in accepted humility bearing humanity's burden until He gave His life ending His mission to a fallen world.
He suffered beyond any other in carrying out saving sacrifice, leaving a pattern of love, patience and self-denial to be copied though it cannot be equaled. His earthly humiliation leaves marks He will ever carry even while redeemed host and angels honor Him as slain, so fully appreciating this sacrifice brings harmony with heaven and triumph in every condition. He left heavenly glory and royal throne at great sacrifice to bless humanity, accepting weakness and death to give immortal life as a man of sorrows, and His humiliation remains forever visible in the marks of the slain. He laid aside the glory He had with the Father before the world existed, took servant form at immense sacrifice to minister and begin redemption, at last becoming a man of sorrows mocked by those He came to save and giving His life for them.
He willingly left the Father's presence to live amid suffering, insult and abuse and accept death so others might have life, as mercy and sacrifice for a rebellious race in atonement for the world's sins. He laid aside royal position and took humanity, coming to give His life as ransom for every soul, saving humanity through sacrifice, voluntarily choosing poverty and suffering though free from obligatory yoke to redeem and purify the guilty world. He laid aside royal glory, clothed divinity with humanity, and came to stand at the head of humanity, giving Himself in shameful death to redeem the race. After humbling Himself to death God highly exalted Him and gave Him a name above every name, so every knee in heaven, earth and under earth will bow and every tongue confess Jesus Christ is Lord to the Father's glory, bringing life and immortality to light.
His life shows Christ leaving heaven, the Father's bosom and pure angelic companionship in self-exile to enter fallen polluted humanity to save those who would be saved, and His suffering and death fulfilled the covenant made before the world was created so death was not defeat but eternal victory. The verse shows the sinless exalted Son leaving royal courts to descend through suffering, enduring insult, rejection, betrayal and crucifixion from those He came to bless rather than turning aside, to save from sin's penalty and make expiation. The verse shows Christ laying aside heavenly position where angels worshiped Him and taking humanity to live sinlessly and suffer agonizing death to make atonement and save the fallen, giving an example for followers.
Salvation and Restoration Given
By taking humanity He could understand trials and temptations, and as innocent and obedient He suffered temptation so He can help the tempted, experiencing trials from childhood to adulthood with strength not even equal to angels, so He could be a living example. He accepted poverty and the temptations faced throughout childhood, youth and adulthood.
By clothing divinity with humanity so divinity could touch humanity, He came to lift guilty humanity from defilement, restore God's moral image, place the race where Adam fell on vantage-ground by perfect obedience, and enable partaking of divine nature and immortal life. He veiled but did not give up divinity because sinful people could not bear its sight, sharing human experience from childhood to manhood as divine-human Saviour and head of the fallen race. His self-emptying unto death made atonement, and holiness is its fruit, with His poverty and whole series of sorrows borne on His divine soul constituting the atonement.
His descent shows the cost of salvation and value of atonement, amazing angels, and reveals full expression of God's love, mercy, justice and perfect obedience, calling for gratitude and adoration. It is the center of the revelation of God's love, meant to banish selfishness and teach looking on others' things with the mind of Christ in willing service rather than grudging motives. He walked not as king demanding homage but to aid and bless as ransom to cleanse from sin and bring to share eternal glory, highly exalted so every knee will bow and every tongue confess Him Lord to the Father's glory.
By leaving the Father's throne and clothing divinity with humanity to rescue man from Satan is a bright picture of God's love and blessed assurance to be viewed continually for rejoicing. He volunteered out of infinite pity for Adam, Eve and the fallen helpless race under darkness to leave honor, stand between wrath and guilty people, give another trial on probation, learn temptations, bear scorn, hang as guilty sinner under the world's sins, die, rise the third day and ascend to plead. He consented to leave kingly authority and glory with the Father as the only means acceptable to engage the prince of darkness, identify with weaknesses through humiliation and poverty, and show by firm humble obedience that man can overcome and regain Eden.
He offered the only means acceptable to give Adam and Eve another trial when helpless under darkness, and He came because sin existed. His self-emptying secured the time of probation and a second probation in which people can be transformed into the divine likeness. He laid aside honor, robe and crown, clothed divinity with humanity and came as a little child living infancy to manhood, taking sin's burden and paying its penalty so every soul desiring freedom from bondage might be redeemed.
The verse is part of the plan of redemption in which the Creator willingly obeyed God, and the incarnation was God manifested in flesh visiting a guilty world while remaining the divine Son. Though equal with God He laid aside divine glory to take servant nature and form, obedient even to death on the cross, then highly exalted to be acknowledged Lord by all creation. The verse reveals the value God places on humanity and the price Christ paid to redeem and cleanse from sin to share eternal glory. Possessing majesty, glory, divine perfection and fullness as brightness of the Father's glory and express image of His person, His gift amazed angels and shows atonement value.
His self-emptying at infinite cost lays out redemption, puts infinite value on man as more precious than gold, and through His poverty enables people to become rich with eternal riches. The sinless Son laid aside royal robes to become man's friend, imparting righteousness with every provision made yet none compelled, so cost is estimated only in light from Calvary. His self-sacrifice free of selfishness calls followers to deny self, use means for others, and receive heavenly treasure surpassing gold. His self-emptying cost Father and Son infinite price, exhausted infinite love, revealed goodness and compassion, proves soul value, measures salvation greatness, and to neglect it is to reject mercy and choose ruin. Heaven gave all it afforded in one gift to unite humanity with divinity and save guilty rebels through shame, reproach and suffering, leaving nothing more to move the hard proud indifferent heart and calling for humility and submission.
Through His humiliation, poverty, suffering and death He made expiation, became substitute and sacrifice, bore guilt, suffered in man's stead outside Jerusalem for the whole world though sinless, reconciled people, revealed the Father, reconnected earth with heaven and defeated separation. Stepping down from throne, leaving crown and scepter and clothing divinity with humanity even to death on the cross, He reveals the Father, renews man after the Creator's image, and exalts him to sit on His throne as complete offering and mighty Saviour able to save to the uttermost. He faced darkness alone, identified with weaknesses, endured temptation, ridicule, grief and sorrow without complaint, and continued to the cross to seek and save the lost.
He placed His feet in Adam's steps and took fallen nature to cope with the foe who triumphed over Adam, engaging mysterious conflict, meeting temptation and overcoming by humble obedience to open redemption from Adam's fall for believers, winning victory alone as substitute facing darkness. Contemplating this wonderful almost incredible humiliation elevates, purifies and ennobles students. His firm obedience showed the way to overcome failure and regain what was lost. He came as humanity's representative, substitute and second Adam who entered where Adam failed to redeem failure and open the way for believers to be freed with His righteousness imputed so they can overcome in His name. Taking ordinary features without unusual beauty so faith rests not on sight but on perfect character and prophecy, He lived human life to show humanity not beyond reclaiming, faced severer test bearing the world's sins, and overcame through obedience, purity and steadfast integrity. Laying aside royal glory He joined human and divine to restore original perfection and unite with God, bringing salvation within reach.
As humanity's representative He was tempted in every point where fallen people are tempted and rendered required obedience, overcoming through purity and integrity without special unavailable power but through divine power working through humanity. As sinless substitute and surety He bore the world's sin and succors the severely tempted, obtaining for Adam's fallen sons and daughters a strength they could never gain that in His name they might overcome, overcoming on the sinner's behalf. He lived obedient to every law in a curse-marked world, vindicating its requirements, showing fallen man can keep it and regain Eden, refuting Satan's claim, showing law changeless, with His depths bearing witness against that claim. Coming in lowliness as man among men, divinity touching humanity except sin, tempted yet without sin, wounded for transgressions and bruised for iniquities, He answered that man can be loyal, entered covenant to prove the law eternal, and revealed God's character as expressed in law.
His sinless victory where Adam failed, working out perfect character, proves people can live sinless lives through God's power, joins human and divine to restore perfection and brings salvation within reach. He united divinity with humanity without giving up divinity, taking flesh into vital union, entering where Adam fell, and as man perfectly obeyed and overcame every temptation by divine strength, vindicating law and making victory possible for receivers partaking divine nature. Coming as child without leaving divinity, proving by obedience among an apostate race that fallen man can keep law by partaking divine nature and overcoming corruption through lust, He bore heaviest temptations and conquered so man may learn to conquer, laying on Him the whole world's sins with humiliation, reproach, suffering and death that followers might inherit all things.
By sharing experience and facing temptation He can pity the erring, plead before the Father, help the tempted, defend and deliver, and serve as tender high priest and man of sorrows acquainted with grief. Leaving purity, peace, joy, glory and immortal life, He endured degradation, shame, insult, torture and death, worked with hands in poverty, and came to stand on vantage-ground for people. He stood beside people facing temptation as they do, tempted yet without sin, so He can sympathize and succor and demonstrate that relying on His power people can refuse sin. Laying aside royal position and glory to become one with humanity, clothing divinity with humanity to reach humanity, placing Himself in crucifiers' hands, His sinless life shows men may stand with God keeping all laws in love, loyalty and kindness, and resist Satan through faith sharing divine nature and escaping corruption.
By uniting human with divine, with human arm embracing the race while divine arm grasped the Infinite, standing at humanity's head with divinity touching humanity except sin, He gave power to resist evil, overcome, lay hold on immortality and share divine nature, restoring heaven-earth link. His victory accepted by faith makes it possible to lay hold of divinity and escape corruption, His resistance and labor for others is highest education, and His self-sacrifice equips rescue of the fallen. By uniting divinity and humanity He became the ladder and connecting link between fallen people and the Father, encircling the race with human arm while grasping the Infinite with divine arm. As ladder, way, truth and life, greater than any required sacrifice, giving strength to overcome, despised, rejected, persecuted and crucified as Saviour of every accepting sinner, taking deteriorated fallen condition without losing dignity, tasting woe and curse to bring sons and daughters to God, He purchased durable riches at immense cost.
He united divinity with humanity so humanity could touch humanity while divinity laid hold on the throne, becoming a channel through which favor reaches humanity by His merit, represented by Jacob's ladder, sharing afflictions without visible angelic protection to perfect redemption. Veiling signs of divinity in likeness of sinful flesh, He joined humanity to divinity so divine power could restore God's likeness, became poor to make rich, overcame for humanity so merits, power and virtue can be claimed, cleansing natures and imparting righteousness as people cooperate and live in harmony with law. Fallen man separated from light cannot resist Satan in own strength, though Adam in Eden might have, so Christ combined divine power with humanity to reach man where he is and obtain strength they could never gain. Through this union believers may receive imparted righteousness and power by belief to become sons of God, being justified with imputed righteousness becoming implanted as they follow, deny self and take up cross, with His far greater temptations as head carrying them through as commandment-keeping witnesses. Taking position at head of humanity, giving His nature to human nature, passing where Adam fell, elevating every being with God, His salvation is revealed in disciples as witness to world, angels and men.
For humanity He became poor so people might become rich, not with houses or honor but with eternal riches, heavenly treasure, eternal glory and power to partake divine nature, escape corruption, be renewed, regain Eden, be lifted to sonship, sit with Him on His throne and receive cleansing as they cooperate and obey. Giving up wealth, honor and comfort to live among ordinary people in place of poor and oppressed, dying in their place to rescue from death and elevate from degradation to original purity, His love without parallel woos and wins the sinner to repentant belief, though only few of millions accept His righteousness and fulfill requirements for happiness. Though rich, majestic and commander, He profoundly humbled Himself and became poor so perishing people might become rich with eternal treasure, partake divine nature and become conquerors, children and heirs. Stepping from royal throne, laying aside robe and crown to take humanity's garments and place at head to give value to humanity, receiving Him gives power to become children, conquerors, sons, heirs and joint-heirs inheriting prepared kingdom, opening God's kingdom through shared poverty and temptation. Sinless and able to bear sins, He takes away sin so purified through truth stand on vantage ground as royal family.
He became poor among fallen humanity, giving up ease to bridge sin's gulf so every nation could be reconciled, so through His poverty people might be made rich with eternal life obtainable only by heaven's plan. Born to humble parents in toil with no home nor place to lay head, dependent on followers, His self-emptying not for pleasure but for self-denial and service is measure of followers' willingness to give all and endure humiliation. His humiliation, suffering and sacrifice became a stepping stone by which fallen people can rely on His merits and through His virtue receive acceptance as they strive to keep law, making escape from misery and raising them to God's right hand. Leaving glory, riches, majesty and high command to take nature and die for rebellious race, He opened escape from hopeless misery to His place at God's right hand.
He came not to unfallen beings but to those most in need in darkness, to know needs, help them rise above the Fall, and lift them to higher life and sonship. His humility from pity and love, not low estimate, teaches meeting people where they are to elevate them, coming close in sympathy instead of sharp censure to help form true character. His sacrifice shows how precious souls are and reveals God's love, moving heaven and wooing sinners to repentance, though only a few of millions accept His righteousness. Descending from depth to depth to the cross where self-denial could go no farther, divine condescension reaching lowest depth, this should break hearts at the sight. Judgment is placed in His hands and His shameful death makes partaking of divine nature possible. Sharing afflictions and temptations without visible angelic protection while retaining dignity at humanity's head, He reaches the race.
His humiliation gives hope of glory, shows sympathy for lowliest and sanctifies every part of human life so people can live for God in humble occupations. Passing through doubts and needs in humble circumstances as servant though equal with God, He gives sinners hope of immortality. His humbling to servant's place in humble circumstances after not coming among the great but being born to humble parents enables Him to stand as Judge familiar with human experience. Enduring trials and temptation as part of redeeming fallen people, He shared poverty and hardship. His coming in humanity is ground for confidence He will give victory, and His victory is to be accepted by faith and made one's own. As substitute and surety sharing life and suffering beyond any other in saving sacrifice, He enables laying hold of divinity and escaping corruption.
Human beings can help others through mercy but cannot redeem them. Alone shedding blood to satisfy justice's claims, He clothed divinity with humanity and humbled Himself. His humbling, enduring attacks and dying for the unjust is made effective by the Holy Spirit who continually regenerates and gives strength. He emptied Himself for the lost, in that state the Spirit was given Him without measure, and the same follows for every follower when the whole heart is surrendered for His indwelling. He emptied His glory so He could fill believers with His Spirit, giving power and efficiency for His work.
The verse shows Christ leaving glory to identify with weakness, being tempted and developing righteous character not for Himself but for fallen humanity, which He offers so through repentance, faith and obedience His righteousness is imputed, names are in the Lamb's book, and they become royal children. Already pure and spotless, He humbled to human life for sinners. He stepped down to head a fallen race to give vitality they lacked, to show they may stand on vantage-ground by keeping laws in love, receiving eternal life by wrestling temptation and living by faith working by love purified from selfishness. Laying off crown, robe and high command to link with humanity as servant, becoming poor to make rich not in earthly treasures but in eternal life measuring with God's life, laying hold on the Mighty One, overcoming corruption through lust and partaking divine nature, those honoring His sacrifice loving Him and fellow men will be most exalted.
He came to meet humanity in most sinful fallen helpless condition, and as advocate and compassionate High Priest His sacrifice teaches sinners to hate sin, keep contrite heart, cease trusting man, and seek wisdom in prayer. Laying aside honor to pay with blood for law transgression as propitiation not for believers alone but for whole world, He makes return to allegiance possible, and had He appeared in full power sinners could not have stood without destruction, so human form manifested love to erring mortals. Taking nature to meet fallen helplessness, becoming poor, He advocates before the Father so people may receive immortal inheritance as heirs and joint-heirs. His obedient service for sinners extended even to enemies, and He came near to fallen people by taking humanity rather than separating from them or treating them as sins deserved. He who was equal with God offered His life on Calvary to save law transgressors from ruin, so men plunged into hopeless distress as enemies without strength are not left without hope.
He took human form so He could lift people from worldly importance to knowledge of God and Christ bringing peace now and eternal life, and His humiliation and death were the cost and basis for calling people to seek God's kingdom first. In coming He revealed God's heart, mind and character as expressed in law, with humanity bearing divinity's stamp, to confront Satan's claims, prove them false, and teach people to be changed into divine image while uplifting them physically, mentally and spiritually. Seeking acceptance through heavenly character, words and works not outward attractions, without parade, in lowliness, poverty, sorrow and grief as divine Teacher, revealing heart, mind, nature and character, entering covenant to show law changeless and eternal, He gave Himself as sacrifice.
His human life revealed God's character and showed what human nature may become through receiving Him as Saviour, revealing required character and teaching obedience in a path whose full meaning was beyond heavenly beings. Setting aside royal status to come as child living in obedience, enduring humiliation, abuse and cross to bear penalty, counted among unholy as substitute with curse falling on Him treated as sinners deserve, without humbling to death He could not have borne transgression. He took human nature and lived in human form, making divine character visible in humanity, so through incarnation people could learn the heavenly unknown through the earthly familiar. He came in human likeness while remaining the divine I AM, His humanity touching humanity, as Son of man exemplifying obedience and His divinity giving power to obey, and His coming as meek Child of Bethlehem assures deliverance and strength to obey law. Revealing God manifest in flesh, He brings touch with humanity and example.
He brought divinity veiled by humanity to rescue the lost, and human nature must be transformed by new birth before harmonizing with God's pure kingdom. Transformation is new birth to harmonize with pure holy immortal kingdom. He clothed divinity with humanity to reach down and show what humans may become through obedience, that by grace they may share divine nature and escape corruption, making pure holy life in oneness with Him possible. Becoming one with humanity He makes possible oneness with Him and God. He set aside princely display and came sharing suffering and temptation, showing people can overcome through oneness with Him. He clothed divinity with humanity while retaining divinity so He could meet humanity without overwhelming it, coming as true shepherd to seek and save at cost to Himself. In lowly ministry to lift the lowly, He meets without extinguishing.
He became one with humanity, sharing flesh, hardships and temptations and setting aside display to pass through what humans pass, so people could gain standing, learn ministry, and learn what they may become uniting weakness with His strength. Standing at head to work for people in world seared by curse, enduring the foe to show standing on vantage ground keeping laws and doing good, His humble life is divine lesson in character and practice as sons of God, demonstrating highest education by resistance to evil and work for others. Through merits people can overcome, each still having work to do.
He left heaven's courts to minister to the sick as great Physician, veiling divinity to meet soul wants and bless believers with spiritual blessings, living among fallen people to make them rich in eternal blessings. Pointing to unseen things, His self-denial requires self-denial from possessors of treasure. He made humanity able from childhood to see how to reach for divinity, so people can receive Him as personal Saviour. Through Him divinity reaches humanity and humanity reaches divinity. He took human nature and accepted a servant's humble condition, living among ordinary people sharing toil, sorrow and fatigue so He could understand hardships and sympathize.
By humbling Himself to dwell among the poor so humanity could touch humanity and become acquainted with temptations, He unfolded before the universe the great salvation His righteousness brings to acceptors as inheritance among saints and angels. As Commander one with God among the poor, He understood affliction. Having compassion on the ruined helpless under Satan, He left glory to rescue, take up their case and die at His own cost, and by becoming human among the poor He could know afflictions, reveal the Father's love and acknowledge dignity and human rights invested in humanity. Healing wounds, providing refuge, living real human life representing the Father and manifesting God's ways with human God-given powers employed for men while drawing on divine world-making power in mercy and healing, His self-denial not ease brought healing and peace, and His becoming human was the Father's great sacrifice giving Him to die, coming to heal not crush with kindness to children and distressed through feeding and doing good.
He laid aside robe, crown and command and came as a little child, clothing divinity with humanity to bridge sin's gulf, pledging to live perfectly from infancy to manhood and die for a lost race with the world at stake, making it possible to grasp divinity and escape corruption. With whole world at stake if overcome, His life absorbed in mission traveling cities giving comfort and power with none sent unhelped, reaching humanity as man and uniting to divine nature as Son, restoring to favor standing between sinner and Father to answer transgression, combining divinity and humanity as way to heaven to stand on vantage ground, joining to God through Spirit overcoming passions with devotion sanctifying work.
He took humanity in self-denial to suffer in humanity's place, offer Himself for sin, reveal the Father, form sinless character, overcome for humanity, and prepare redemption by humiliation and death, so through His merits fallen people can rise, be cleansed and exalted to share His glory and throne as God's children. Not seeking own good but condescension, giving honor, riches and royal home, laboring in hardship, forming sinless character on earth to offer to repentant trusting obedient, His humiliation is stepping-stone to rise with law-keeping efforts accepted, that humans exalted to share glory must sacrifice to lift others, and receiving Him gives power to become children, entering full sympathy through carpenter toil with Joseph. Placing Himself at head as example bearing trials and temptations, living poorest often hungry, by rejection and death purchasing salvation and home in eternal kingdom, beholding fills with desire to serve.
Leaving honor to take humanity to serve, accepting poverty and needs, ministering to the suffering and giving Himself in death to redeem, His life rebukes self-seeking, reveals God's character and service, and brings moral power within reach so receivers by faith may become heirs revealing godliness. Leaving commander place to clothe divinity with humanity, not living to please self, becoming poor to make rich, representing God to bring moral power, revealing mystery of godliness, restoring to loyalty, those receiving as Redeemer become heirs and joint-heirs. At the time most needed He laid aside divinity and came in humanity to live out God's law misrepresented under tradition and dispel darkness as Light of the world. When forms replaced Word until principles almost extinct, He came as God's representative with bright rays to dispel moral darkness. He clothed divinity with humanity to bring righteousness, judgment and peace, teaching obedience and reliance on the crucified and risen Saviour's merits.
He took humanity and dwelt among men to unfold mysteries of science and knowledge of God, show required piety, bring heaven's atmosphere, sympathize in sorrows, suffer sin's punishment, and leave a book recording mission, character and future no intellect could search out. Living perfect purity and holiness with bereavements and afflictions, its revelations solve mysteries brightest minds cannot search. His humility makes it possible to give His people power from Himself, making them pure and upright and teaching correctness so followers can follow Him to heaven. Leaving high command to lift man, uniting earth to heaven, sharing afflictions to understand satanic contention and judge faithfully, seeking erring in love to make like Himself free from defilement, laying aside dominion, riches and glory, suffering more than any called to suffer, He leaves pattern of love, patience and self-denial to be resembled though not equaled.
As substitute and example He became subject to God's law and obeyed the Father, so people might become like Him and serve obediently. As surety laying aside royal position to take servant place, He obeyed. He humbled Himself by laying aside riches and glory to seek erring people and lead them to heaven to make them pure and free from defilement, holding nothing back but giving His whole being. Taking nature to make like Himself pure and upright, bringing heaven's riches, disciples show same devotion, self-sacrifice and unselfish love. He left heaven's glory and courts to live among people, meet them where they were, and save the lost, meekly enduring insult, rejection and crucifixion at infinite cost to save from death, exalt them and bring them to live with Him. Meekly enduring indignity, becoming poor and submitting to insult, entering depths as surety and substitute to lift fallen to overcome as children and heirs, leaving royal courts to bless yet crucified, leaving angels' companionship for polluted humanity to save the willing, His sacrifice came at infinite cost.
He laid aside royal position to take humanity and become servant, clothing divinity with humanity, so men and women might share divine nature, escape corruption, be rescued from slavery, taste second probation with every provision to know the Redeemer, and receive salvation available to all who accept. Willingly offering as sacrifice, stooping from high command, tasting death's bitterness, His character's perfection is workers' example, His life makes salvation available to every accepter, with second probation and experimental knowledge provided. Through His humiliation all who believe may be elevated, and His sacrifice is sufficient for the whole world but only those who accept its conditions share it by turning from sin and relying by faith on its merits. By uniting divinity and humanity He drew near as link to free from Satan's power, and at cost of His death for the whole world He made eternal life available to every accepter and enabled laying hold of divine nature. Coming as child growing up, in humble circumstances, as helpless babe to give children life measuring with God's life, laying hold of humanity bringing power, health and grace to overcome hereditary and cultivated evil, educated under angels and working at carpenter trade as Prince of life, the Prince gave life so accepters have eternal life.
The only-begotten Son clothed divinity with humanity to draw near, His taking humanity was self-giving love making everlasting life possible. As Majesty submitting to help others, followers likewise submit to unclear things to help. He laid off royal robes and lived from youth to manhood with faultless character, leaving glory to elevate humanity in great sacrifice, and His self-emptying love is the model fathers keep before children. As man after God's own heart through kindness, forbearance, patience and fatherly love forming character, because glory could not hold Him, appreciators deny self and give energies to labor for fellows. He laid off robe and crown and came as a helpless babe to give children a life measuring with God's life, laying hold of humanity and bringing power, health and grace by divinity, through which people can partake divine nature, escape corruption and overcome evil tendencies. By leaving royal glory and coming as a babe sharing experience He could understand people and know how to deal with them. His earthly life is pattern for true education and service.
He humbled Himself by coming to help those in need in lowliness and poverty without rank, taking fallen nature to rescue from destruction and to heal the sick, comfort the suffering, free Satan's afflicted and offer redemption to all who accept. Leaving honor and glory with the Father to live as man, He helps needy and distressed with heaven's blessing. He lived in humble circumstances sharing suffering, and His taking humanity was part of His work to save the rebellious race. Born to lowly parents as one with people, He set example of self-denial and sacrifice in service. He gave up reputation and risked a hundredfold more to bring salvation within every soul's reach, enduring all humiliation in amazing condescension. Since He accepted cost, weak in moral power may become stepping-stone to help fellows, not letting faults master soul but fighting daily mortification willingly sharing shame without complaint on strait path, His coming making salvation perfect and assured.
He left heaven and took humanity to live purely, and His humiliation, suffering and rejection in poverty and hunger purchased salvation, revealing God's love and making restoration to obedience and eternal life possible. Sharing trials and temptations, often suffering hunger, His self-humbling to suffering and death restores to favor, and giving glory and majesty to die for rebels He accepted suffering to save and bless with eternal life. He came to represent the perfect character God accepts and to stand as Teacher in whom divinity and humanity worked unitedly to uplift, provide grace, win back allegiance, and enlist cooperation by obedience and example. Through grace accepting virtues and merits makes precious to God, touching humanity to teach self-respect for sake of infinite price, showing what humanity must be to enter heaven joined through Spirit overcoming passions, inviting to happiness and rest with strength to overcome gained through divine power, appearing when darkness covered earth and Scriptures sealed under tradition as Teacher sent from God, for holy life alone reveals God as books cannot.
By becoming human He removed distinction separating Jews from nations, making the whole family the field to save, with humanity as long arm encircling the race while divine arm grasped the Infinite; this mystery amazing angels sends the gospel to earth's farthest reaches. Veiling divinity to serve and teach every class and nation, calling sinners to repentance and seeking lost, suffering and bearing griefs to quiet murmuring with gratitude for sharing cross, breaking Satan's power and working salvation so partakers escape corruption with heaven pledged to unite carrying redemption and representing likeness, tempted in all points to know help for tempted, His self-denying servant life patterns followers not to price labors high or seek higher wages but support many laborers in mission. Combined divinity and humanity takes humanity into co-partnership, long arm encircling race, human endeavor with divine energy laboring together with God.
Moved by pity He left royal courts for a corrupt world to give necessary help and teach what must be done to be saved, making character new and born again to see God's kingdom, since no elevation outside Christ compares. Character made over and utterly changed, world perishing in corruptions unwilling yet content without help, with pride, ambition and violence giving no rest, peace or happiness, what is found in Christ bears no comparison. Heaven's Majesty humbled Himself to sorrow, suffering, insult and death to save the fallen, ransoming sinners with His blood, with pardon coming when sin is repented and forsaken. Taking nature as servant, brightness of Father's glory, giving heavenly majesty, splendor and riches to live lowly as man of sorrows wounded and bruised bringing peace and healing, fighting temptation without failing to carry plan through cross then ascending as substitute, surety, Advocate and propitiation for whole world, enduring reproach and abuse, His love requires receivers to love one another, share sufferings and bear reproach looking to glory.
He left heaven's courts, accepted poverty and affliction with reproach and shameful death, and humbled Himself to suffer and die for the lost. His self-abnegation willingly surrendered, example to follow even through suffering and death rather than seek better portion. The verse shows Christ coming near to guilty humanity rather than moving away, clothing divinity with humanity and becoming one with people, descending from highest excellence to deepest humiliation and paying ransom by shameful death out of measureless love. The verse shows Christ giving up glory to take humanity, meet people as one of them, reveal perfect love and devote Himself wholly to redemption in unselfish service to turn people from sin and reconcile humanity to God, coming not for pleasure but to seek the lost. Leaving glory for humility and trial to uplift, He gave Himself to turn from sin to righteousness.
The verse shows Christ humbling Himself to live in lowly conditions and meet people where they were, laboring as evangelist for all classes, preaching from city to city and healing as Messenger bringing salvation. As Majesty and King in lowly garb, He labored rich and poor free and bond as Messenger of covenant going town to town. The verse shows Christ leaving courts of glory to become human and identify with weakness, and His lack of even a place illustrates poverty accepted. Stooping to servant place, He had nowhere to stay. The verse shows Christ, though one with God, humbling Himself to fully identify with humanity, veiling divinity and glory, patiently enduring abuse, showing true service by ministry to the needy and washing feet, with divinity so veiled disciples struggled to believe. Identifying interests with humanity, His humble service showed true service until cross made hope seem perished.
The verse shows Christ leaving heaven, the Father's bosom and glory to enter fallen polluted humanity in a friendless world to save, engaging directly in soul-saving and providing bread and water of life for all who hunger. Self-exiled exchanging pure angelic companionship for fallen humanity, He opened way for all to join heart work, rebuking coldness and neglect of light and warning messages. The verse shows Christ leaving heaven's royal courts, taking human nature and entering a sin-marred world, joining divine power to humanity and linking finite people to God, showing how to live for immortal life, while His death reveals infinite cost and value to be gained. The verse shows Christ leaving the Father's glory and accepting humble servant life out of love, enduring reproach and cross, not to humiliate humanity but to provide sacrifice to offer escape from misery, make available life measuring with God's life, and elevate them to God's right hand. Giving Himself through abuse and mockery to death, He made that life available to receivers.
The verse shows Christ humbling Himself by laying aside glory and riches, taking humanity, coming to where people were to work for salvation, and giving His life for sinners. The verse shows Christ's wonderful condescension and infinite sacrifice by which He made salvation possible, and His gracious character is to be worked out in appreciators' lives. The verse shows the Commander of angels taking a servant's place so human beings could become kings and priests, with a life that was perfect expression of the law unmarred by sin. In word and deed His example expresses law.
Victory Over Satan
His self-humbling stands opposite Lucifer's desire to exalt himself and obtain God's power and the highest place, for Christ though exalted made Himself of no reputation by taking a servant's form and becoming human in unselfish service and obedience even to death on the cross. By doing this as man's representative He became Redeemer and Restorer, in contrast to Satan who is the destroyer, and His mind is to be in believers studied daily as the lesson book for traveling heavenward. His human life of humiliation and suffering meant Satan could only bruise His heel while every act of humiliation and suffering bruised the adversary's head, taking sin's anguish into His sinless bosom, enduring contradiction of sinners, paying the debt, breaking bondage and working out deliverance by every pang and insult.
As the only begotten Son He left the royal courts of heaven, and His self-emptying stands opposite Lucifer who had glory in the heavenly courts yet strove for Christ's place next to God and then to be God but could not obtain it, then made war until thrust down to earth, so grieving Him by unbelief and division is wrong. His mission stands against self-seeking and desire for wealth, power and supremacy, for the Prince of heaven lived in human nature a perfect life free from self-seeking and wholly given to others' service, in contrast to those who fall short through envy, strife and resorting to any means to gain their end. This self-sacrifice is the mystery of redemption which self-glorification hid from Pharisees and made disciples slow to understand, calling followers away from seeking greatness to unselfish service. The higher Being next to God left the royal courts to live humanity's life and experience all its afflictions, in contrast to Lucifer who supposed he should occupy Christ's place and even God's place, so true conversion means humbling self in self-denial and self-sacrifice after His example. He made sacrifices at every step that followers can never make because they never occupied His position, an example to look to in hardship so they will not fail nor be discouraged but endure hardness as good soldiers. He left the heavenly throne to come down and meet and withstand Lucifer, who was playing the game of life with souls and had been cast out because he wanted Christ's place and could not have it.
His death proved God's administration and government without flaw, settling forever beyond question Satan's charge about the conflicting attributes of justice and mercy, when He as Majesty and Commander put off crown and royal robe to take human nature so humanity might touch humanity, passing through all human experience and suffering in man's stead to give His life for the world. His self-abasement in taking human nature and a servant's role though equal with the Father, humbling Himself to suffer death on the cross to ransom humanity, is part of the mystery of redemption which finite wisdom cannot fully explain. Laying aside exalted glory to become servant and sacrifice in the controversy between truth and falsehood, as the high priest laid aside gorgeous robes to minister in white linen of a common priest, He emptied Himself to reveal character entirely opposite Satan's self-exalting misuse of power. His servant place meant offering Himself as both priest and victim, given up as Satan's victim at terrible cost to God to establish God and carry unfallen worlds and the heavenly universe with Him, so by causing His death Satan defeated his own purposes and laid open his administration, making his own destruction unavoidable. Like a high priest laying aside pontifical dress to serve in plain white linen of a common priest He became both priest and sacrificial victim, in contrast to His return after completing His work in glorious garments in His own and His Father's glory as King of kings escorted by angels.
He came to confront the powers of darkness and hold Satan's power in check, heaven's Majesty humbling Himself to become substitute and surety, facing them alone and winning victory on humanity's behalf. Fallen man out of Eden, separated from light and love, cannot resist Satan in own strength though Adam in Eden with superior advantages might have, so by combining divine power with humanity Christ reached man where he is to bring hope and save from complete ruin, standing as substitute, identifying with sufferings and afflictions, tempted in all points to know how to help the tempted and obtaining for Adam's fallen sons and daughters strength they could never gain to overcome in His name. With infinite pity on Adam and Eve in wretched helplessness under the prince of darkness He offered the only acceptable means to give another trial on probation, consenting to leave honor, kingly authority and glory with the Father and humble Himself to humanity in poverty to redeem man. Through that humiliation He identified with weaknesses of the fallen race to engage the mighty prince of darkness and by firm humble obedience undo Adam's failure and show man can obey and regain Eden. The infinite God consented to His Son's humiliation in mysterious conflict defeating darkness so people might be lifted to His throne, a wonderful almost incredible fact whose contemplation by Scripture students purifies, elevates and ennobles, opening truth to mind and heart by the Spirit with clearer views, penetrating discernment, balanced judgment, expanded understanding, knowledge of weakness and growth in faith and humility.
He became man to fight darkness and defeat Satan, laying aside royal glory and position with the Father and clothing divinity with humanity to sympathize and show divinity joined with humanity can overcome, since fallen humanity needed divine power for hope of everlasting life. His divinity clothed with human nature reached humanity, and as man He faced Satan's temptations and placed Himself in crucifiers' hands, His self-giving death revealing unselfish love and rescuing people from Satan's power. Laying aside glory with the Father and taking human form He shared from earliest years human weakness, trials and temptations yet without sin, demonstrating that those relying on His power can resist Satan and refuse sin and through faith share divine nature and escape corruption. As Majesty knowing no taint He took deteriorated fallen nature as Head of humanity, divine and human, with long human arm encircling humanity and divine arm laying hold on the Infinite without losing dignity, to unmask the claim man cannot keep law, withstanding temptation as man must with facilities man may obtain, fitted to understand trials where sinless angels could not sympathize, to succor the tempted and make partaking divine nature possible. His self-emptying was humiliation greater than finite comprehension, stooping to poverty and deepest abasement with nowhere to lay His head, becoming poor to make the poor rich, submitting to insult, mockery, contempt, ridicule, misstatement, accusation and reproach for His birth, tasting bitter woe and every part of the curse and making sinful men's wants, trials, griefs and sufferings His own as man of sorrows to bring many sons and daughters to God and save from eternal ruin.
He defeated the enemy on every point in humanity's temptations, humbling Himself by laying aside royal status and stepping to lowest depths in servant's lowly position, so His victory becomes power for followers to overcome and conquer self. Setting aside display of princely glory and coming in human form sharing suffering and temptation reveals people can overcome through oneness with Him as He is one with the Father. By unexampled self-denial opposite selfishness He overcame Satan's greatest obstacles to hinder and discourage His mission to save souls, forcing His way through opposition from heaven to earth without failing or discouragement, feet steadfast to Calvary where He became sacrifice and surety, descending to depths no line can fathom and presenting God dying for the fallen race, the pattern for having His mind. Taking human nature while remaining divine He came as Redeemer and light exposing Satan's deceptions, His earthly life marked by self-denial and perfect submission to the Father in contrast to Satan's disobedience, and by accepting the curse and dying He defeated Satan, opened salvation and freed humanity from evil's power.
His coming was great sacrifice Satan who knew heaven's value and glory could not understand, leaving honored place for fallen humanity so His victory over temptation was decisive and threatened Satan's rule. Leaving power and glory in heaven He placed Himself within Satan's reach, making Satan exult hoping to overthrow even God's Son as easily as Eden's pair and save his life and kingdom by tempting departure from the Father's will. He refused to bow to Satan or receive earth's kingdoms from Satan's hand to save Himself from suffering, choosing instead suffering life and dreadful death in the Father's appointed way to redeem Satan's claimed possessions by His own life and become lawful heir to earth's kingdoms given as everlasting possession, after which all in heaven and earth submit to Him and Satan is given into His hands to be destroyed by death never again to annoy Him or saints in glory. He who was commander laid aside royal robes and kingly crown and came as little child to experience all humanity's ills, uniting divinity with humanity to break Satan's power and work out salvation making partaking divine nature and escape from lust's corruption possible, the mystery of godliness by which through grace man may overcome with all heaven pledged to unite in redeeming a ruined world and representing Christ's likeness. In human life He endured Satan's fiercest assaults without yielding or discouragement in redeeming the fallen race and gave His life for salvation.
His voluntary self-humbling as Majesty equal with God giving Himself to die for the rebellious race was infinite sacrifice opening mediation between God and sinners, whose cost is mystery angels cannot fully comprehend. Though one with God He set aside divine glory to take human nature and redeem humanity in willing perfect sacrifice for sin. He clothed divinity with humanity because law was so sacred and immutable not one jot could change to meet fallen man, and by death made restoration to Adam's lost favor possible, with an angel unable to bear sin, satisfy justice or pay ransom so taking humanity and dying was God's miraculous plan. He came to touch humanity, win man to allegiance, teach self-respect for sake of infinite price paid, and enlist cooperation in soul-saving by obedience and precept and example reflecting His life. He stood between sinner and Father to restore the world to favor, answering trouble from transgression. The Majesty became servant when the only-begotten Son humbled Himself to serve in redemption's plan made by Father and Son before the world was created, the Son given to ransom fallen humanity, and His gift and death reveal both God's holiness and love.
Taking fallen human nature in servant's lowly condition with strength not even equal to angels, His humiliation and sufferings would move angels with love and grief, but they were not to intervene. His self-denial and sacrifice in leaving the Father's closeness to choose suffering, anguish and shameful death to give life to rebels shows God's great mercy and condescension in giving His dearly loved Son, filling heaven with inexpressible joy and calling forth higher praise and adoration. Accepting suffering for sinners, His joy in their salvation sustained Him, an example followers imitate by giving up pleasure and convenience for others' good.
Pattern of Humble Living
The verse reveals divine majesty joined with meekness, for though equal with God and high commander whom angels delighted to worship, He laid aside glory, majesty, riches and honor to clothe divinity with humanity and walk among men not as a king demanding homage but as a servant whose work was to aid and bless a fallen world, caring not how to obtain service but how to give it, even to giving life as ransom to cleanse from sin and bring to share eternal glory. In all He did He put self aside and placed everything under the Father's will, pleasing not Himself but living for others' good and counting not His life dear, coming not to be ministered unto but to minister, and this self-emptying puts to shame selfish desires, ambitions and strife for position and honor. The true shepherd must do the same, caring for the flock by feeding, guiding and defending with wisdom and tender, courteous, compassionate consideration, especially toward the tempted, afflicted and desponding, bearing the infirmities of the weak instead of pleasing self.
When reviled, abused, insulted, cruelly striped and wounded He did not retaliate or threaten but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously. His life is the pattern that followers die to self, exercise true self-government, lay down jealous guarding of dignity, pass over slights and suffer wrongfully rather than wound souls by retaliation or wrath, obtaining by watchful prayer in faith the grace, strength and heavenly wisdom to be calm, patient and meek.
The verse calls believers to have the mind of Christ in lowliness, unity and love. Though in the form of God and thinking it not robbery to be equal with God, having all things by right, He claimed none of them but made Himself of no reputation, took the status of a servant and became truly human, moving toward deeper humbling in obedience to death on the cross which God answered by highly exalting Him to receive universal homage and confession as Lord. That mind is likemindedness, having the same love, being of one accord and of one mind, meeting the mind of the Spirit, doing nothing through strife or vainglory but in lowliness esteeming others better than self and looking not only on one's own things but also on the things of others, putting aside rivalry and pride, valuing others and caring for what concerns them.
Having that mind means working out salvation with fear and trembling as God works in believers to will and do His pleasure, doing all things without murmurings and disputings to be blameless sons shining as lights in a crooked nation by holding forth the word of life in words sanctified by the Spirit. It means choosing His service wholly, giving self into His control, learning from Him to do God's will unto perfection, hearing the sweet voice of mercy pleading to repent and be made perfect and furnished for every good work to obtain the crown of life and enter the joy of the Lord, contemplating a theme of infinite wisdom, love, justice and mercy that expands in brightness as beheld and elevates to perfection and gives faith and trust.
His example forbids grasping power or coercing others to obey God's law, for even Christ though divine did not seize power to impose His righteous laws. His self-emptying is the mold and pattern for Christian character, received when pride and self-sufficiency are put aside and the Spirit and power of God received in their place, calling for surrendering self and bringing the will into conformity with God's will.
His humility was not a low estimate of His own character, qualifications or abilities. Though Majesty holding highest authority and position equal with God, He humbled Himself to the lowest place of a servant to save sinful man, leaving riches, splendor, honor and glory for humility, shame and reproach, making His home in Nazareth proverbial for wickedness with lowly poor parents, working as a carpenter to sustain the family, coming not to be ministered unto but to minister and not to do His own will but the will of Him that judges righteously, saying I can of mine own self do nothing. He adapted Himself to fallen humanity in order to raise people to a higher life, displaying humility through thirty years of diligent labor, submission to parents and care for those entrusted, teaching disciples to meet people where they are to elevate them and to reject pursuit of status in self-sacrifice for others' good.
He humbled Himself from equality not from low estimate but to raise people higher, and His humility makes serving Him an honor not a humiliation. Followers must therefore not seek self-exaltation, strive for worldly rank, or resent work others fail to appreciate, but serve in humility and self-sacrifice for others.
His humility and self-sacrifice without display is the example to lay aside self-importance, serve simply without worldly display, and relinquish desire for applause even to sacrifice of life. His perfect humanity united with divinity gave power to resist evil and follow His teachings, providing the highest education and an example to be studied, with sharing His suffering part of co-working, lifting from ignorance and sin to unite with the divine nature.
His humility as the One equal with God who gave His precious life that people might live is the perfect Pattern to point to for those determining to stand for truth and righteousness to stand at last as overcomers before the throne, and eternal life is found through Him. Laying aside heavenly majesty and glory to take human nature in humility, self-denial and self-sacrifice, He lived God's law in a curse-marked world to vindicate its requirements and show what people may become through abiding in Him, proving humanity can keep the law through His power, so those who share His future glory must share His self-denial and represent Him.
His self-denying servant life is the pattern to deny self, bind about wants, live self-denial and self-sacrifice, give all talents to God to be improved in God's way for saving souls, with Christ giving power and efficiency so none can refuse self-denial. It calls to serve with earnest devotion and love seeking God's glory and salvation of others rather than wages or honor, to bring help to the sick and suffering for soul and body by joining humanity to divinity, to meet people as one of them without display of glory, and to be willing to work even in hardest places to reach souls, remaining untainted though descending to lowest depths with no reproach turning Him.
His self-humbling life of sacrifice, toil and unselfish love, refusing self-pleasing and giving up ease, wealth, honor and comfort to take the poor's and oppressed place among ordinary people, is the pattern to copy as far as God enables, overcoming selfishness and curing self-love that brings unrest. He descended to humanity's lowest condition to reach the fallen and lift them to hope, joy and heaven, revealing God's love and calling Christians to serve from love rather than selfish or grudging motives, awakening love and generosity so love for those He died to save leads to sacrifice to help save them.
Having the mind in Him means not seeking the highest place but desiring to sit at the feet of Jesus and learn of Him. When born from above that mind cures love of self that brings unrest, teaching that work's value lies not in show and noise and zeal in own strength but in proportion to impartation of the Holy Spirit, with trust bringing holier qualities of mind so that in patience souls are possessed.
His humility is a foundation principle of true religion and pattern of holiness seen in obedience even to shameful death on the cross. Taking fallen human nature and living in lowly circumstances among the poor, neglected and suffering rather than with royal power, sharing their hardships though sinless and joining divinity to humanity to lift the fallen, His example teaches pride must be subdued and true honor belongs to faithful followers whatever their position. Though beneath the disguise remaining Divinity, the eternal Son just as mighty and infinitely gifted, He moved upon a province of His own empire unrecognized, scattering blessing with no anthem of praise but air freighted with curses and blasphemy, scarcely a voice calling Him blessed or hand stretched in friendship or roof proffering shelter, and this great love and self-denial rebukes pride and teaches walking humbly with God.
His humility taught the church not to depend on worldly rank or grandeur, outward appearance or display, laying aside royal honor to clothe divinity with humanity and become a helpless babe born in a stable and raised in despised Nazareth as commander of angels, a lesson God reinforced through periods of humiliation in Israel's history. He humbled Himself further to die, and not only to die but to die an ignominious death, teaching the need of humility and of walking humbly with God.
His self-emptying rebukes self-seeking and self-exaltation and calls all to be sanctified, emptied of pride and self-esteem, unified with the heart of Christ and humbled before God, for though Commander in heavenly courts He laid aside crown and kingly robe and clothed divinity with humanity that humanity might touch humanity and divinity lay hold upon divinity, humbling Himself to lowest depths to uplift the fallen. His meekness, lowliness of heart and gentleness rebuke self-esteem, teaching that following Him in self-denial and the cross removes striving and makes man great, for He became substitute and surety to stand in man's place, suffer in man's stead, bear wrath and penalty, die every man's death voluntarily, then rise, ascend and minister as Advocate to bring life and immortality to light, people heaven, defeat Satan's extermination purpose and give power to partake divine nature and work with God.
His deep humiliation for humanity's sake is a lesson against seeking distinction over fellow believers, calling Christians to be subject to one another, moved by His self-giving to love others, value souls for whom He died and work selflessly to save those around them. His self-humbling exposes the folly of human self-exaltation by men who have nothing of their own, for though richest Maker of the world He became poor, clothing divinity with humanity to reach hearts through sympathy and adapt to their situation for recovery so through His poverty humans might be made rich. It is the opposite of making self the center, demanding one's word be unquestioned and orders be law, and ruling with arbitrary unreasonable authority, which leaves one full of self, blind to faults and warps children so they fail to gain experience and self-reliance. It rebukes wrestling for standing above others, showing true happiness in being humble, meek and lowly and valuing the soul as Christ values it in temperance, refusing liquor and discarding what clouds the brain. Though most exalted He laid aside all glory to suffer for sinners at every step in sacrifices followers can never make, an example to look to in hardship so as not to fail or be discouraged but endure hardness as good soldiers, bringing salvation to the meek and wisdom to learners as servant of all.
Though commanding worlds and able to summon heaven's hosts He veiled divine dignity, became poor so through His poverty people might become rich, and joined majesty with humility and meekness untouched by world's attractions, glory and pride. He laid aside high place to bear character test for man and leave an example of patience, forbearance, meekness and lowliness, and though at variance with the ungodly world receiving shameful abuse, affliction, rejection and despite in return for good, He gave way to no passion, violence, murmuring, discontent, resentment or retaliation but suffered with calmness, self-control, dignity and majesty, returning only compassion, pity and love with calm inward joy and serene peace while His will was ever swallowed in the Father's will, bringing divine strength by which men can bear trial and overcome as He overcame. He received power from God to patiently endure all that appeared unjust, teaching believers to look to Jesus for strength to bear pressures, perplexities and unjust suspicions without discouragement or impatience, seeking approval unto God to glorify Him in temptation. He went about doing good, and His representatives work humbly and faithfully without seeking praise whether task be small or great, in self-denial and tireless self-sacrifice for bodies and souls at infinite sacrifice speaking hope to the discouraged, truly appreciated by ceasing discouraging words that arouse doubt and cast shadow.
His character is marked by humility rather than self-importance, so those truly representing Him avoid self-important bearing. His example teaches meekness, lowliness, self-denial and self-sacrifice, so faithful service in daily duties can reflect the divine image. Though Majesty of heaven and King of glory He did not exalt Himself, build a rich home, or dress in costly linen or purple.
When He revealed Himself as Saviour He was meek and lowly in heart, having as Prince of life made Himself of no reputation and placed Himself among the most needy and dependent in a world seared with curse. Leaders must therefore act as He acted, standing firm as rock to principle while refusing to rule, dictate and compel, having less confidence in human judgment and being teachable, kind fellow laborers one with brethren rather than self-sufficient and dictatorial.
His humility and self-emptying are the pattern for dealing with others, so even when a brother has done wrong brethren must act with the Spirit of Jesus without a single wrong feeling or word. His washing the disciples' feet was a servant's work, and fully conscious of divinity He laid aside royal crown and kingly robes to take the form of a servant. Near the close when work was nearly finished and He was about to return to the Father, He girded as servant and washed the feet of those calling Him Lord and Master, a final lesson and lasting example of humble loving service so followers and especially ministers would never forget His humility, learn penitence and faith at the cross with hearts softened by matchless love, and dwell upon the cross and infinite sacrifice. That humility calls for mercy and long-suffering toward the tempted and restraint from bruising words.
His humble compassionate service as unwearied servant of human need, sharing poverty and griefs, bringing hope to the downcast, peace to the distressed and help to all who came, clothed divinity with humanity to live as one of them and bridge sin's gulf so every nation could be reconciled, is the example and motive to help the perishing. He did not put convenience or pleasure first but accepted disgrace and death to deliver from disobedience, calling people to leave sin, deny self, take up cross and obey at any cost, to accept unpleasant work rather than choose ease and leave others in darkness, to deny self and share His sufferings, laboring with self-consuming zeal to relieve wants and woes.
His life and death for sinful people reveal His love and give the converted a pattern, leading them to reject self-exaltation and desire to serve others. Laying aside divine glory to labor and suffer with humanity, His self-humbling inspires unselfish service. Though hungry, thirsty, weary and without place to sleep He blessed haters and served rather than seeking service, showing full surrender and submission to God may involve privation and suffering without murmuring.
He humbled Himself to do a servant's work in our behalf to lead us to humble ourselves so through us He may work to reach the dying, for He as Son of infinite God, Majesty and King of glory took human nature for this purpose. His character is to be revealed in followers who represent Him as sin-pardoning Saviour, for He came as lowly Son of man in servant's place and was afterward highly exalted by God with a name above every name.
His self-abasement and unselfish service call followers to humility and meekness to win souls, for when His glory and excellence are seen they become humble and regard even lowest place in His service as honorable. His mission and life were marked by disinterested benevolence and selfless service, His humility, lowliness and unselfishness seen in work for sinners, calling cooperators to serve to win souls, rejecting selfish ambition to live drawing people to the Saviour, sharing His spirit of self-denial and sacrifice in service.
He is the humble self-denying worker who gave up self for others, and His renunciation is to be followed, for beholding Him reveals God and works in the heart. Though King of glory He took a servant's place and served fallen humanity, showing true greatness is measured by moral worth and consists in living for others through love and benevolence. As divine Pattern He renounced honors and treasures and consented to be of no reputation, defining the self-denial and cross-bearing required of followers who must prefer God's favor and Christ's cross to worldly honor and treasure.
He made Himself of no reputation in humility and meekness for fallen men, holding fast right principles and integrity and resisting Satan without pride, vanity, display or coveting money, refusing to sacrifice principle for wages or treasure, giving the pattern for praying for grace to resist the tempter and let truth sanctify from vanity. For them He toiled and travelled and interceded, enduring privation with self-consuming zeal to relieve wants and woes, solemnly warning and graciously inviting the erring with eternal rewards for obedience, yet many will not come that they might have life.
Giving up reputation for our sake is reason to keep Him in mind while recognizing our own weakness. Laying aside lofty ideas of self and coming down in meekness, feeling nothingness without Christ and willing even to be a servant in imitation of the King of Glory become servant in disinterested benevolence, sitting at His feet and learning transforms those lacking devotion and humble religion, making Christ a present help and labor effectual to convert from error to truth.
Contemplating His wonderful humiliation in consenting as only begotten Son of infinite God to come and enter mysterious conflict that defeated darkness elevates, purifies and ennobles students of Scripture. Contemplating His self-humbling and single-handed victory as substitute and surety softens, purifies and ennobles heart and strengthens mind, opening truth to mind and applying it to heart by the Spirit to give clearer broader views, penetrating discernment, balanced judgment, expanded understanding, knowledge of weakness and growth in faith and humility. Believers gain His mind by filling the mind with it, for He disrobed Himself of divine character, majesty and glory to clothe divinity with humanity in self-denial marvelous to angels.
The humility of mind in the verse is to be cherished as humble trust clinging to His mighty hand to save and deliver, hiding in Him, coming closer for peace and rest, and refusing to fear, faint or distrust God for a moment. His example shows what it means to deny self and teaches how to overcome, for He laid aside all He had with the Father, clothed divinity with humanity and came to teach overcoming.
He hid self and laid aside reputation, and those presenting truth must follow in same self-hiding, letting Christ appear as greatness, power and efficiency, representing Him, loving souls, obeying, courteous and sympathetic, giving evidence of transforming power against prejudice, custom and fashion. He yielded self and surrendered all to God's will in humility, becoming poor, coming not to be served but to minister and not to do His own will but His Sender's, trusting the Father without limit, doing nothing of Himself, submitting to Him who judges righteously, living in privation often hungry, thirsty, weary, with nowhere to lay His head and earth for bed in cold night yet blessing haters. His example calls for humble unshowy service in gospel simplicity and order, for ministers to work in humility and meekness presenting truth in love rather than display or theatrical methods, for meek lowly workers united with Christ to be teachable with gentle spiritual influence effective through God's power not wealth or eloquence, and for converted people to be longsuffering, patient, forgiving, respectful and full of visible Christlike love joining humanity to divinity.
His condescension was continual descent, leaving heavenly courts for a world seared with curse unworthy of His presence, going lower still as servant in one act after another to being despised, rejected, forced to flee, betrayed and crucified, driven by tender compassion and unparalleled love enduring shame, revilings and abuse. It requires sinners for whom He suffered to humble proud will and come at once in weakness and unworthiness to be changed, to learn from Him who as Prince of life and Creator took weak erring nature to be meek and lowly, laying aside ideas and plans in practical obedience.
Because of such love those receiving it must love one another as He loved, not be indifferent to needs for whom He does everything, but willingly share sufferings and bear reproach looking to sharing glory. Having encircled the race with human arm while grasping the Infinite with divine arm to unite earth to heaven, His sacrifice greater than any required gives strength to overcome, setting a path separating from self, defects, error, sin and self-indulgence to follow where He leads as lights, partaking suffering to partake glory and receive eternal weight of glory.
He gave up selfish comfort and desire for praise, accepted lowly position and served others, which Christians follow wholeheartedly even at cost of life, not seeking advancement or indulging self while others suffer. They imitate His humility, meekness and courtesy, letting pride and lofty ideas give way so Christ is revealed as Sanctifier, laying aside self-importance, vanity and extravagance in self-denial to bless the world, use means for others' good and diligently prepare the Lord's work.
He set aside dominion, riches and glory and took human nature so people could learn from Him and be saved, and His benevolent self-denying life is the pattern to imitate as far as able. He did not live to please Himself but took servant's place clothing divinity with humanity, leaving royal courts to teach by example how people may be exalted as sons and daughters in the heavenly King's family, an example for mothers to live to glorify God rather than please self. Though heaven's King He came among people in humanity to bring salvation and meet needs, humbling Himself in servant's lowly condition.
It shows great condescension in leaving heaven's glory to accept poverty, deep affliction, reproach, insult and shameful death for the lost, and His self-denial and self-abnegation are the example to surrender and follow even through suffering and death, willing to bear humiliation and sorrow rather than seek better portion. His self-emptying humble sacrificial life, leaving riches, splendor, honor and glory for poverty, shame and suffering, calls followers to humility, self-denial, cross-bearing and sharing reproach with hope of sharing glory, teaching self-sacrifice and freedom from extravagance, display, expensive living and seeking popularity which injures God's work, putting away extravagance to use all abilities in His service.
His incarnation was self-sacrifice and earthly life continual self-denial, manifesting highest glory of God's love in the only-begotten Son, express image of His person, Majesty adored by angels whom seraphim obey, a great mystery of godliness. It is the privilege and duty of every professed follower to have the mind of Christ, for without self-denial and cross-bearing none can be His disciple, called to serve others and give for God's work as He though commander and rich came to suffer and give life in love.
He gave up every luxury and accepted lowest humiliation even death on the cross for salvation, exemplifying consecration to God's service rather than extravagant spending to impress, with study and practice of His lessons. Laying aside royal position to take humanity in humility to serve a lost world, His self-emptying is the example of simplicity, self-denial and sacrifice.
He came meek and lowly, traveling on foot yet greatest teacher ever on earth, leaving heavenly courts and royal crown at great sacrifice to clothe divinity with humanity and become poor so perishing souls might be made rich, giving an example to lift souls perishing through fitted temptations though few appreciate it. Leaving glory to live from childhood unsullied, His life is the pattern with words free of coarseness under converting power, followed by submitting to humbling discipline rather than resisting when trials come.
He consented to come as perfect Pattern and daily sacrifice to teach conformity to God's will, giving life and suffering the cross to show what heaven would do, revealing the Father's sacrifice in permitting His Son to come. Fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers are to fashion life by that Pattern with eye single to God's glory, work out salvation so costly in daily experience, and humble themselves under God's hand instead of exalting self or working haphazardly, so God may exalt them to stand with Christ in immortal crowns.
Laying aside heavenly rank to live in humble human service sets Christians' saving pattern of self-denial not self-indulgence in working with Him to save others. His meekness and lowliness are the pattern to endure suffering, sacrifice and trial for love of Christ, to do good to youth and the erring, and to work with sanctified tenderness, which requires self crucified, a painful death that is life to the soul.
He gave up reputation and risked a hundredfold more to bring salvation within every soul's reach, enduring all humiliation in amazing condescension so weak sinners might become stepping-stones to help fellows. Since He accepted that cost, fallen man must not let natural faults master the soul but fight daily mortification and willingly share shame and reproach for Him, not complaining when traveling the strait path made perfect and assured by His self-denial in leaving royal courts to seek and save.
Call to Self-Denying Service
Philippians 2:7 is the pattern for shepherds and ministers to be servants of all, setting aside ambition, self-interest, ease and the desire to be ministered to in order to care tenderly, wisely, courteously and compassionately for the flock, feeding, guiding, defending, anticipating wants, bearing the cross and the infirmities of the weak, and giving sympathy suited to their cases especially to the tempted, afflicted, discouraged and desponding, even to giving life to save souls for whom Christ died rather than ruling or working only when and where one pleases, for Christ counted not His life dear, pleased not Himself and lived for others' good instead of choosing an easier lot, a sacrifice ministers cannot equal but must copy with sanctified soul and undying love, since merely presenting arguments is not enough.
It is essential education for all workers to replace pride and ambition with Christ's meek and lowly spirit.
It calls workers in institutions to look not on their own things but on the things of others, to annihilate selfishness and covetousness by self-denial and self-sacrifice in helping the household of faith and suffering humanity rather than disregarding His infinite sacrifice, for He who was Lord of life and glory in heaven's heights gave up high reputation to be made in men's likeness and take a servant's position and duties in deliberate progressive descent from heaven to earth to the cross too great to grasp at once.
It calls ministers, physicians and all workers away from self-exaltation and strife and vainglory to have Christ's mind, to be likeminded with the same love, of one accord and one mind, in lowliness esteeming others better and looking to others' interests, even to obedience unto death on the cross, in bowed prayer, confession of withheld sin, conversion of heart, and walking as wholly consecrated dependent children in unity and humility.
It is the best instruction for the present time, especially for leading brethren, so clear there is no excuse for walking contrary to it, to be thankfully obeyed and earnestly fulfilled, and to be read and studied together with the whole second chapter of Philippians and also the third.
Its self-humbling and love for the world, as God manifest in flesh setting aside glory to become human, is central to the message ministers must present to revive people and lead them to new life and strength.
It means lowliness that esteems others better than self, looks not only on one's own things but on others', does nothing through strife or vainglory, and works as Christ worked by going into new places where the gospel has not yet been proclaimed.
It means lowliness, being likeminded with the same love in one accord and one mind, looking on others' things and not rising up in self to make other minds travel in one's own opinions and ideas.
It shows the mind that dwelt in Jesus which believers must have to conduct aright in the church of God, requiring thorough change of character before God can acknowledge them as children, producing order in the church, right dealing toward brethren and sisters, correct Sabbath observance, and hearty repentance with confession of wrong and shame before God.
It shows the self-renouncing mind of the Spirit in which Christ, though all things were His by right, claimed none for Himself but gave up rightful standing to become a servant in human likeness, given as directions for parents to do training intelligently honoring the Redeemer so that when all meet the Judge over broken law they and their children will not stand condemned.
Standing within Philippians 2:1-16, it is to be read for learning how to be an example in word, conduct, love, spirit, faith and purity by trusting ministers of the local conference and officers of the local church, drawing near to brethren, loving fervently with true heart, and encouraging faithful bearing of responsibilities in God's fear.
It rebukes self-love, selfish desires, ambitions, strife for position and pursuit of men's praise and honor, and obligates every believer rich or poor to unselfish liberality with every God-given power for souls for whom He died, for Christ though in heaven in the Father's bosom in God's form and equal with God voluntarily laid aside glory to assume a servant's humbling conditions, responsibilities, humiliation and poverty in behalf of sinners, standing side by side with the fallen race to restore God's moral image and pay ransom by death on the cross, His poverty and whole series of sorrows borne on His divine soul being part of legacy and atonement not only betrayal and garden and cross agony, and this amazing condescension revealing God's love is meant to banish selfishness, awaken gratitude and love, teach looking also on others' things and possessing Christ's mind, and lead to serving such a Master from gratitude and love with sense of not being one's own rather than grudgingly, while selfish withholding shows no sense of sacrifice.
His self-denial and sacrifice, in which He set aside royal glory and state to take humanity for a lost sin-marred world, took a hard humble self-denying path of difficulty, disappointment, reproach, affliction, disgrace and death, and left riches and glory to die, is the measure against which other sacrifices are made, beside which ministers' wives' trials are insignificant, and the example and perfect pattern for ministers not to seek easier lot or less self-denying position nor count separation and hardship too hard but to accept hardship and constant labor in teaching self-denial, self-sacrifice and practical religion, remembering earth is not rest, with humble uninviting appearance not distracting from truth, providing example also for medical missionary work.
His self-denial is the pattern for soul-saving workers who study His life, bind about wants, live self-denial and self-sacrifice, and give all talents to God to be improved in God's way for saving souls, Christ giving power and efficiency to make efforts effective so none can refuse self-denial for His sake, for He stepped from throne, laid aside crown and robe, and submitted to poverty and shameful death to save a sinful race.
His self-emptying is the Pattern the church is to copy in sympathy with Christ, tenderness for sheep and lambs, care for God's heritage, and tender compassion and personal labor for the erring, tempted, tried, orphans and neglected, toiling day and night to instruct, elevate and bring everlasting joy, for the Majesty made Himself of no reputation for the fold, came to a curse-seared world, became poor that through poverty they might be rich, denied Himself, and endured privation, scorn, contempt, suffering and death for a thankless disobedient people.
Those ransomed at such cost by Jesus Christ the only-begotten Son in self-denial from manger to Calvary, who sought not to be greater but took servant form as substitute and surety ransoming with blood through which every blessing comes, must maintain His spirit, refuse to seek to be greater than Master and Head, practice self-denial in missionary work, and labor to be in right relation to God while the universe watches.
His self-denial and humble service of kindness and patient love is the pattern for guiding youth and rebukes impatient teachers and ministers who must treat each soul with care because He gave His life for it.
His life exemplified self-denial and self-sacrifice, which those doing canvassing as God desires must cherish as God's servants, giving painstaking effort with instruction and sense of importance kept before them.
He is the great Head of the church and Captain of salvation who left royal courts to live human life as example so none mistake heaven's path, gave all and withheld not precious life so salvation is within reach and blood cleanses spot and stain, who stepped from highest to lowliest to become Pattern to bless, save and raise to sonship, who though Majesty knowing no taint took deteriorated fallen nature as Head divine and human to unmask Satan's claim, withstand temptation as man must with facilities man may obtain, understand trials where angels could not sympathize, succor the tempted, encircle humanity with long human arm while grasping the Infinite with divine arm without losing dignity, stooping to poverty, homelessness, insult, mockery, contempt, ridicule, misstatement, accusation, reproach for supernatural birth, tasting bitter woe and curse as man of sorrows to bring many sons and daughters from ruin to partake divine nature, calling all to arm with same mind, show same disinterested love, yield bodies living sacrifice, and labor with God to bring many to glory.
He is the example in all things and especially in missionary work, whose perfection is to be expressed in every experience by following His Word, for though heaven's King He came not with display or ten thousand angels but shared experience, took servant condition, became human, was tempted in all ways yet not overcome, and became poor that people might become rich through poverty, a humility followers must follow.
He did not come to seek pleasure or please Himself or live for self-indulgence but set aside glory, clothed divinity with humanity to meet humanity, reveal perfect love, and seek and save the lost.
He did not treat heaven as desirable while humanity was lost but left courts and priceless treasure, becoming poor that through poverty the lost might become rich, His self-emptying meaning reproach, insult and shameful death, calling every child to follow same path, becoming a link in the chain let down to save the world, one with Christ in mercy going forth to seek and save.
In love He left bliss and angels' homage, took servant place to help with unwearied effort stopping at no sacrifice and hesitating at no self-denial, becoming poor that fallen people might be made rich and seeking the lost in sympathy wherever they were, an example for God's workers to put saving souls above home, family and enjoyment, deem no effort too taxing and no sacrifice too great, endure what He endured, and meet people as He met them.
He left high position in heavenly courts to live in our behalf self-denial and sacrifice to Calvary's cross, calling believers to deny inclination for expensive dress and keep dress in every particular in harmony with professed truth, giving correct representation for this time and showing Christ gives strength to deny it.
His self-denial and self-sacrifice is the standard for laborers for salvation, so only those in harmony with it are ready to go as missionaries where truth was never represented, including heeding light on plain dress so appearance does not contradict truth.
He set aside outward display and princely character with armies of angels, came in human likeness and lowly form not with public splendor but as humble babe of humble parentage living infancy, childhood and youth as humans do, working as carpenter and obedient son, sharing suffering and temptation, living humbly among men without using power for display or summoning angels yet loyal to the Father, so every person could be embraced in salvation, and it requires His work be done in same humble way without outward attractions, sensational ideas or display that spoils workers and influence.
His mission and life were marked by disinterested benevolence and selfless service, living not to please Himself but to do good and bless others though He could have chosen ease and plenty, taking toil and privation, finding joy in enduring toil and suffering for others with love governing character bringing true happiness, and carrying work in simplicity without theatrical display.
His humble daily toil as Pattern Man was as truly mission as treading the sea, raising the dead or dying on the cross to lift the race to new perfect life, for though all angels were at command He hid the secret, lived nearly thirty years unhonored unknown in obscure Nazareth, claimed nothing great, worked for wages as servant, and by rude homely humble toil drew sympathy showing capability to sympathize with all, taught how closely men may walk with God in common life, showed heaven near in common walks, taught greatness comes not by climbing but by humble goodness and fidelity under angels' guardianship, and by sharing poverty and labor He could understand, comfort and encourage humble workers, honor labor, rebuke idleness, teach the wealthy not superior, exemplify self-denial at every step beyond followers' reach, call to love one another, deny self, seek the wandering where they are with all energy, deny self and share sufferings to advance mission, and minister humbly directly rather than by attractions, requiring comparison of character with His, letting self die, and cheerfully taking up cross.
As Son of the Highest He chose lowly service, the Commander becoming subject to command, accepting family responsibilities cheerfully and devotedly, making ordinary labor part of God's commission and restoring every department of industry.
He adapted Himself to the situation where He found humanity to work for soul recovery, and by precept and example dignified useful labor, leaving heaven's glories, clothing divinity with humanity to associate and reach hearts through sympathy, obedient and helpful at home, learning carpentry and working with His hands in Nazareth's little shop as example to all.
His example teaches diligence in work and care for those entrusted, and seeking to excel not by belittling others' labors but in good works and unselfish interest bringing God's blessing, care, place in hearts and genuine dignity not assumed, for from equality He humbled to servant, lived in wicked Nazareth in poor family, worked with hands to support family, remained subject thirty years, did not avoid weariness but traveled on foot teaching by the wayside, requiring putting away pride and self-conceit for meekness, devotion and consecration.
He gave Himself as spiritual teacher and genuine medical missionary, bearing chastisement for peace and stripes for healing, and His coming to a curse-seared world to rescue from eternal death teaches importance of missionary work, for as leader He clothed divinity with humanity, laid aside crown and command angels loved to obey, became poor in lowliness living as man among men that through humiliation and poverty heirs might gain eternal weight of glory, divinity touching humanity except sin, answering man can keep law, tempted in all points yet without sin to know how to help the tempted as man of sorrows, in continual descent lower and lower to rejection, flight, betrayal and crucifixion driven by tender compassion and unparalleled love enduring shame and misapprehension, requiring sinners to humble proud will and come weak and unworthy to be changed, to stand on vantage-ground keeping laws in love and loyalty doing good, with lovers of Him most exalted, and His self-emptying is the Pattern to copy in sympathy, tenderness, care and personal labor for sheep, erring, tempted, tried, orphans and neglected.
He left courts to minister to the sick as great Physician and chief of physicians, and is the pattern for physicians and workers to learn His life, works and teachings, begin temperance in own hearts, cooperate walking in all humility, then He blesses earnest relief through simple remedies rather than poisonous drugs, correcting false habits, teaching self-denial, and contending with appetite as greatest evil, revealing God's ideal for medical missionary.
He came to teach self-denial by example and died for sinners that they might live forever and lay hold of divinity partaking divine nature escaped from lust's corruption, so those named Christian must follow Leader overcoming selfish extravagant gratification and giving means to warn the world instead of self-indulgence, resigning high courts, laying off crown and robe, and clothing divinity with humanity.
His self-denial as Son walking earth with divinity clothed in flesh condemns loose spending on nicknacks, finery, extravagance, unnecessary dress, selfish gratification and decorating homes, rebukes loose spending on useless articles, and calls fathers and mothers to teach children self-denial, self-control and economy, to reject pride, display, self-indulgence, prodigality and idleness and learn simplicity, self-denial and economy though difficult to escape penury and wretchedness, to be thoughtful, study economy, waste nothing, use means to relieve poverty and provide missionary needs such as hospital and poor provision, to be converted with changed moral taste keeping God's glory single in spending, influence and testimony as God's children fearing worldly standard over Christ's banner, and to follow His humble limiting of desires, economy and self-denial rather than inflated spendthrift habits to be converted, renewed and trusted with God's work.
The Majesty choosing humanity instead of kingly power's glory, living untiring self-denying sacrifice for bodies and souls knowing best how to influence minds, giving all to uplift fallen to vantage-ground escaping lust's corruption, requires followers not to live by selfish ideas but restrain every extravagance, deny self, take up cross, and put every spare dollar into God's work instead of needless trimmings, furnishings and self-gratification while the cause lacks means, for they cannot afford needless spending of God's money.
He stooped from glory to servant form as example, teaching His first advent means self-denial and humility not display, so following means avoiding unnecessary expenditure and letting good works rather than impressive buildings reveal truth and glorify God, though Majesty and King of glory.
He stooped to self-denying sacrifice as Prince of heaven to vindicate His Father's word, calling believers likewise to live self-denying lives and let good works shine before the world.
He gave up every luxury and accepted lowest humiliation serving to death on the cross for salvation, exemplifying consecration rather than extravagant spending to impress, with study and practice of His lessons.
His condescension and sacrifice in humbling to servant form bring every blessing and are the supreme gift to save from ruin, calling Christians to represent Him by doing good, practicing gratitude and self-denial, and giving to God and others rather than living for self.
His life of sacrifice and self-denial is an example meaning followers must have same spirit, working intelligently and cheerfully in united cooperation rather than independently, each willing to do part wherever appointed toward building up the work.
His self-denial and self-sacrifice is the pattern for worshipers assembling, meaning professed children should study His example to deny self, part with idols, economize in every line, keep a box in each house for church fund, and bring gifts costing self-denial to meet weekly expenses, order and comfort of God's house, and not rob appointed treasury sustaining field ministers, except where poverty is so deep tithes may secure humblest worship place.
He is the divine Pattern of self-denial and sacrifice, so following means serving God's work without selfishly seeking highest wages.
He clothed divinity with humanity to reach down, uplift, save the perishing and enable sharing divine nature escaping corruption, and His self-denial requires followers to practice real sacrifice beyond giving up unnecessary things, disinterested benevolence, continued work, generous influence for souls, giving freely of means, sacrificing so others may be lifted to share glory, enduring unjust painful treatment when necessary without needlessly stirring prejudice to keep gospel opportunity, carrying to perfection after ascension the work He left.
His humiliation, meekness, self-denial, self-sacrifice, suffering and service in devoting Himself to suffering humanity in continual sacrifice to save from perishing unto eternal life ground willing obedience and call believers to follow by many costly offerings without fear of loss, refusing to withdraw missionaries for lack of means, and trusting God holding all resources, since the church is never poorer by generous giving.
He clothed divinity with humanity laying aside glory and royal position so He could come close, meet people where they were, associate and work with them, lift them up, and help through words, deeds and example to follow footsteps, meeting humanity to reveal perfect love, seeking not pleasure but saving the lost, the pattern for saving the lost.
By clothing divinity with humanity He could associate, meet people in lowly circumstances, reach hearts through sympathy, identify with interests and happiness, and defend and deliver tempted people to stand on vantage-ground, so that humanity could reach humanity and draw to divinity, teaching helpers of youth to meet them where they are, understand struggles, treat with patience and sympathy, and not stand aloof in pride but associate to help the perishing, providing model and motive to help those without truth's light.
He humbled Himself adapting to fallen humanity to raise to higher life, teaching disciples to reject status and follow humility and self-sacrifice for others' good, His humility being not low estimate of character or abilities.
Setting aside royal glory, honor and kingly power to take humanity in human garb and service to meet needs of a lost sinful world, bless by presence and example, and call people to join Him in redemption provides perfect example of self-denial and sacrifice including for medical missionary work.
Coming down submitting to bear infirmities, sacrifice and death to give immortal life, stepping down as Prince and Commander laying aside robe and crown to clothe divinity with humanity, He became divine Teacher of all classes living free from selfishness and sin as example of what people may become through grace, and His humiliation leaving marks He will ever carry while redeemed and angels honor Him as slain, fully appreciated, brings harmony with heaven and triumph in every condition.
It shows Christ leaving heaven to take position at the head of a fallen race with humanity and divinity united so all essential could be done for complete rescue, teaching importance of missionary effort and calling for unreserved surrender and consecration of time and talents putting all into advancing His work, His self-sacrificing work being example and model, laying aside royal position to come as servant rescuing from eternal death.
It shows Christ as pattern of self-denial who though Son of Jehovah and Author of salvation chose humble servant role rather than ease, status, pleasure or personal enjoyment, labored, suffered, spent life doing good, saving from suffering and blessing others, calling followers to serve others and bear responsibilities for their good.
It shows Christ taking servant form in greatly humbling self-sacrificing life calling followers to have His mind, labor without selfishness, persevere in doing good for others' salvation, and gladly acknowledge Him as Saviour and Leader following that self-denial.
It shows Christ the Majesty who laid world's foundations becoming servant for humanity, patiently accepting scorn and insult and making service easier, showing no service or self-denial for God is too great.
He sought not advantage but left royal courts clothing divinity with humanity and taking servant place, teaching selfless service and showing how people may be exalted as sons and daughters in the heavenly King's family.
He humbled Himself coming in human form to help those in need, and did not remain in most desirable places.
His example teaches diligence, care for the weak, ignorant and entrusted, service rather than status, sympathy instead of censure, fellowship for unity, meeting youth in struggles, serving even disagreeable work among needy, enduring privation without murmuring, and not using power to compel obedience, for refusing self-pleasing He left courts, clothed divinity with humanity to raise to sonship, pitied sinners leaving heaven laying aside royalty in love to know needs and lift from fall, humbled from equality adapting to fallen to raise higher through Nazareth poverty, carpentry and thirty years' submission, took form to serve working among poor, afflicted, distressed and needy with human nature no excuse for aloofness, and set aside status taking servant likeness.
He came with purposes of love divesting royal robe, crown and throne to clothe divinity with humanity as Man of sorrows acquainted with grief, living among the poor, blessing the afflicted, healing the sick, soothing age's infirmities, reaching with divine pity depths of woe, noticing children's sorrows and blessing burdened mothers.
He came to a curse-seared world placing Himself as one among most needy and dependent, though Prince of life making Himself of no reputation, meek and lowly when revealed as Saviour, meaning leaders must stand firm as rock to principle while refusing to rule, dictate and compel, having less confidence in human judgment and being teachable, kind fellow laborers one with brethren rather than dictatorial, and His coming and life from infancy to cross to teach true higher soul-saving knowledge is the example of genuine higher education many striving for false theories will fail to understand.
He came in human form to demonstrate unselfishness through His own life.
His condescension as Creator with special interest, leaving royal throne, clothing divinity with humanity and giving life in infinite sacrifice to bless those He made, though carnal hearts rejected goodness and mercy, still yearns with matchless love inviting to come for happiness, rest and knowledge giving strength to overcome flesh against Spirit.