Posted on 03/21/2017 9:16:13 AM PDT by metmom
“But emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:7).
As part of His humble descent from Heaven to earth, Jesus set aside the exercise of His divine privileges.
The next step in Jesus’ pattern of humility as He came to earth and lived among mankind was His emptying of Himself. But Scripture is clear that while on earth our Lord claimed to be God: “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). At no time did He stop being God.
The Greek word for “emptied” gives us the theological term kenosis, the doctrine of Christ’s self-emptying. The kenosis basically reminds us of what we saw in yesterday’s lesson: Jesus’ humble refusal to cling to His advantages and privileges in Heaven. The Son of God, who has a right to everything and is fully satisfied within Himself, voluntarily emptied Himself.
We have already noted that Jesus did not empty Himself of His deity, but He did lay aside certain prerogatives. For one thing, He gave up His heavenly glory. That’s why, in anticipation of His return to the Father, Christ prayed, “Glorify Thou Me together with Thyself, Father, with the glory which I ever had with Thee before the world was” (John 17:5).
Jesus also relinquished His independent authority and completely submitted Himself to the Father’s will: “Not as I will, but as Thou wilt” (Matt. 26:39).
During His time on earth, Christ also voluntarily limited the use and display of His divine attributes. One good illustration of this concerned His omniscience, His knowledge of all things. In teaching about the end-times and His second coming, Jesus said, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone” (Matt. 24:36).
Jesus’ self-emptying demonstrates a wonderful aspect of the gospel. Unlike man-centered, works-oriented religions, the biblical gospel has God’s Son willingly yielding His privileges to sacrifice Himself for sinners like us.
Suggestions for Prayer
Pray that you would become more appreciative of the sacrificial humility Jesus Christ exercised on your behalf.
For Further Study
Scripture does not record a lot about Jesus’ boyhood. But the account we do have verifies His emptying. Read Luke 2:39-52. What does verse 47 imply about Jesus’ nature? How do verses 51-52 exemplify His emptying?
I have never heard the term "infancy gospel" till today. I believe Mary WAS virtuous her entire life. I am sure all her many children, her sons and daughters by her husband Joseph, thought so too. If you disagree with that, so be it. You may believe whatever you like. I just don't believe the same way you do.
“And in the virtuousness of Mary, which I firmly believe she maintained all her life.”
Bogus.
Mary calls Christ her Savior.
Mary needed a asavior because of her sin.
For one who says he/she isn’t playing any longer sure seems to keep hanging around. How many times have they left the thread??
So called “infancy gospel” is bogus:
“The Infancy Narrative of James is also known as the Protevangelium of James. In The Other Gospels, Ron Cameron says that the name Protevangelium “implies that most of the events recorded in this ‘initial gospel’ of James occur prior to those recorded in the gospels of the New Testament.”
***The gospel received this name when it was first published in the sixteenth century.***
“There are about one hundred and thirty Greek manuscripts containing the Infancy Gospel of James, but ***the vast majority of these come from the tenth century or later.***
***The earliest known manuscript of the text was found in 1958***; it is now kept in Geneva’s Bodmer Library. The manuscript dates to the third century; however, according to Cameron, “many of its readings seem to be secondary.”
“Cameron identifies three different sources for the Infancy Gospel of James: extracanonical traditions, the Old Testament, and the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. The mythical element of birth in a cave, for example, is an extracanonical also known to Justin Martyr. Cameron states of the author’s use of Jewish scriptures: “Not only are individual words, phrases, and even whole paragraphs reminiscent of the Septuagint; such discrete forms as the hymn and the lament of Anna also display conscious, direct ‘remembrance’ of the stories recorded in the scriptures.” Concerning the use of the canonical gospels, Cameron observes, “Frequently the respective passages in Matthew and Luke are harmonized into a single story in the Protevangelium of James; in some instances the two texts are conflated. It is by combining composite traditions with a harmony of the synoptic infancy stories that the Protevangelium of James has constructed the dramatic scenes of its gospel.”
Quotes are from Wiki
Right you are!
You have to seek the truth to find it.
You have to want truth to seek it.
Only God can open eyes to the truth.
Obviously, to certain ways of thinking, virtuousness means not having sex.
Therefore, those of us who participate are not virtuous.
And then Catholics, who portray chastity as the highest ideal and the best lifestyle, try to convince us that they are pro family and pro marriage, all the while demeaning and degrading wthose who are.
The hypocrisy of it all.
Your posts give new meaning to “potty language”.
“And then Catholics, who portray chastity as the highest ideal and the best lifestyle, try to convince us that they are pro family and pro marriage, all the while demeaning and degrading wthose who are.”
Even worse.
They denigrate the choice of God, who created sex as a gift to man and woman, pronounced it good, commanded couples not to withhold sex except for a short time, and said ...
“Oh, lover and beloved, eat and drink! Yes, drink deeply of your love!”
And
“Let her breasts satisfy you at all times; Be exhilarated always with her love.”
Never denigrate what God has created and pronounced good - especially the pleasure He intended.
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