September 22- Philippians 2:5-7

THE VERSE

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
~Philippians 2:5-7

THE THOUGHT

The greatest wonder of the incarnation is not that God became man—although the miracle of Christmas should stagger us with all its implications. No, the greatest wonder of the incarnation is that Jesus never shed His humanity. The holy God became perfect man at Christmas, but after the resurrection, when He ascended back to the Father, He did not leave His human nature behind. God is still a man.

That’s incredible. The humility of the eternal Son of God to make Himself nothing, to make Himself a human servant, is breathtaking. But even in His exaltation, even now that He has the name above all names and stands forever glorified at the right hand of the Father, He is still a humble Savior. He still bears the wounds of the cross. He is still human. The glory of Jesus is a glory of highest exaltation still mixed with lowest humiliation. He is at once exalted beyond the heavens, and yet still humble. This is the contradictory, diverse excellence of our Savior.

Jesus never shed His humanity. That means that God is still human, our mediator is still a man, and our Savior still has scars. Bow your head and worship your God, the man Jesus Christ.

THE PRAYER

Jesus, Your humility is the brightest jewel in the crown of Your glory. You are Lion and Lamb, Servant and King, Man and God. Your diverse excellencies, Your contradictory perfections, draw me to You like a moth to a flame. I am captured by the manifold beauty of who You are. Like a diamond sparkling with a thousand rays of light, every angle reveals new vistas of Your endless personality. I want to know You more and more deeply.

EXTENDED READING

Philippians 2:5-11
1 Corinthians 15:24-28
1 Timothy 2:3-6
Titus 2:13-14

THE QUOTE

"The earthly things we are holding onto are not worth what they are taking from us." ~ Beth Moore

THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR

Isaiah 56-58
Proverbs 29:1-14
Luke 24:13-27
Hebrews 12:1-13