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?
Simple indeed.
I've read that Jesus has very black skin and green eyes.
Show me something in the scriptures that voids this fact.
HMMMmmm...
I never got an answer to this - #104
I thought I was going to leave the thread
While we discussed the beloved Godhead
Then out of the mouth
Things really went south
From this conversation, most people have fled
WOW.
I go out for a bit, miss all the “fun” and the thread looks like Swiss Cheese.
Yep. 😀😆😄😂
But since Pope Pius IX said in his Encyclical Quanta Cura, "do not fail to teach "that the royal power was given not only for the governance of the world, but most of all for the protection of the [Roman Catholic] Church [alone]," (http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Pius09/p9quanta.htm) then it is not surprising that certain RCs suppose FR should exist to that end, protecting her from anything that offends RCs.
At least it is still up and running!
Actually, unlike the black skin and green eyes, it was shown that being an active constructor of buildings (according to purported "Scripture" at issue) and traveling to Egypt and back and around is quite contrary to being a 90 year old man in the 1st century. Find out what supplements he was on.
I strongly oppose the blasphemies in Catholicism, but my love for the lost souls trapped in the ism prevents my 'hating' any of them individually. With God's Spirit in the human spirit, there are however things that we can hate, since God hates certain things as He has informed us in His alive Word.
Thanks for the ping, Brother.
Do you suppose there is such a place, Toto?
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